Nautilus矿业公司在海底块状硫化物勘探中采用的取样技术与装备

SAMPLING TECHNIQUES AND EQUIPMENTS FOR SMS EXPLORATION BY NAUTILUS MINERALS INC.

海底块状硫化物(SMS)富含铜、锌、铅等金属,特别是富含贵金属金、银,引起了国际采矿业的浓厚兴趣。近年来,以澳大利亚Nautilus矿业公司为先驱的国际大型资源开发商和投资商已介入海底多金属硫化物的商业化开采。介绍了Nautilus公司在巴布亚新几内亚专属经济区针对海底块状硫化物矿床开展的一系列以商业开采为目的的勘探取样活动,详细介绍了勘探中所采用的基本方法与技术,并重点对其地质调查中所应用的拖网挖掘取样、ROV海底表面取样、大洋钻探船岩心取样和专门开发的ROV岩心钻探取样的装备、取样结果及作业效率进行了较为系娆全面地介绍。

Seafloor massive sulphides（SMS）are high-grade hydrothermal deposits rich in copper, zinc and lead with a high gold and silver content, arousing great interest of international mining industry. In recent years, some international large-scale resource developers and investors such as Australia-based Nautilus Minerals Inc. that is a world leader in underwater mineral exploration have been involved in the commercial exploitation of SMS deposits. The present study introduces Nautilus＇s series of exploration and sampling programs which have been carried out in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Papua New Guinea for SMS deposits with the purpose of commercial exploitation, and simultaneously the methods and techniques for exploration and sampling, especially the equipments, results and efficiencies of dredge sampling, ROV grab sampling, drilling vessel core sampling and specialized ROV drill core sampling are introduced systematically and comprehensively.