Overview
- The JAMSTEC vessel Chikyu began recovery operations on January 30 and confirmed the first successful lift on February 1, with test retrievals completed at three sites.
- Officials describe the mission as the first to continuously raise rare-earth-bearing mud from roughly 6 kilometers below the surface.
- The ship is due to reach Shimizu on February 15, when laboratories will analyze the samples to determine volumes and mineral content.
- Japan plans a full-scale trial in February 2027 targeting up to 350 tons of mud per day, with a profitability assessment due by March 2028 and commercialization still uncertain.
- The push follows Chinese curbs on dual-use exports to Japan, with TDK reporting effects, and targets a deposit the Nikkei estimates at more than 16 million tonnes inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.