Recovery and Development of the Cook Islands Minerals Database for SBMA

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2 Recovery and Development of the Cook Islands Minerals Database for SBMA Marino Wichman- GIS Officer STAR 2016 Tanoa International Hotel, Nandi, Fiji

3 Topics to Cover Background Historical Information GIS Platform/ Data Management Future Work

4 Cook Islands Manganese Nodules

5 Seabed Minerals in the Cook Water depth: Area of EEZ: 4,500~5000+m 2 million km 2 Area of nodules +5 kg/m 2 : 750,000 km 2 Target metals: Cobalt, Nickel, copper, manganese, titanium, REE and possibly Vanadium Cobalt grade: 0.41% Mn Nodule Resource Base - 10,267 Mt (Cronan 2013) -Co-Mn-Ti- REE- V resource Jim Hein - REE assessment report Kenex GIS compilation, predictive modelling and probabilistic resource estimates Islands

6 Historic Cruises Considerable research of EEZ waters from various government research providers since the 1960 s USSR, US, European Countries, New Zealand, Japan Major survey of S Pacific Japan/SOPAC cooperative study

7 Historic Research Cruises: 1974 RV Tangaroa ORSTOM, Nomea R.V. Coriolis ORSTOM, Noumea R.V. Sonne CCOP/SOPAC JICA Hakurei-Maru No JICA Hakurei_Maru GH /86- JICA/SOPAC Hakurei-Maru No Australian and New Zealand Governments 1987 Thomas Washington Cruise JICA/SOPAC Hakurei-Maru No HMNZS Tui Cruise JICA Hakurei-Maru No. 2

8 Various Integrated Feasibility Studies

9 In the beginning

10 Recent Data Compilations 2013 Cronan located and compiled all historic and recent research on geotechnical and geochemical data on the Cook Islands seabed minerals estate. Summarised the various key research programmes. Developed a geological model explain the variability in Cook Islands nodules Calculated a revised resource base of 10.3 Mt. Revised in-ground metal content based on abundance and mineral grade maps prepared for the report. Concluded not only a Co, Ni, Cu resource, should now be inclusive of Ti-REE resource also.

11 Recent Data Compilations GIS and Predictive Modelling 2013 Kenex to digitise all spatial data into a GIS compatible data base for undertaking a statistical analysis. Combination of different datasets (free, public, contracted etc). Followed this with a mineral prospective study to model the seabed mineral resource using GIS statistical tools and refine the Cronan geological model. The spatial analysis identified the key geological parameters as important for predicting polymetallic nodules deposition in the CKI EEZ. Source, Transport, Trap, Deposition Identified prospective areas not yet adequately sampled. Developed a series of predictive maps including maps showing prospectivity and value.

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13 Probabilistic Valuation 2014-Kenex built on existing work and undertook a probabilistic valuation utilising a statistical approach on the data. Various tools are used to underpin correlations between variables. Weights of evidence table. Based on the results of the preliminary statistical analysis, Inverse Distance Weighting interpolation was selected as an appropriate geostatistical method to use. A number of resource estimates based on derived probabilities and grades and in-ground $ values are identified.

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16 Recent Data Compilations Hein et al 2015 A number of polymetallic nodules from the Japan/SOPAC cruises located and analysed by USGS for a range of metal elements (67) including REE. The nodules contain high mean contents of Co (0.38%), Ni (0.38%), Ti (1.28%), and total rare earth elements plus yttrium (REY; 0.168%), and also high contents of Mo, Nb, V, W, and Zr. The CKI EEZ shows a significant resource potential for critical metals due to the highpriced and high-demand for these metals that are enriched in the deposit, the high nodule abundance, which will allow for smaller footprint for a 20-year mine site and therefore smaller environmental impact.

17 GIS Platform and Storage

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19 Future Cadastre database Management of Licenses and incoming data

20 Meitaki Maata 3D Video