Nautilus experimental seabed mining

Nautilus Minerals is developing the world’s first ever seafloor mining operation at Solwara 1 in the Bismarck Sea off the west coast of New Ireland province. Solwara is the pidgin English term for salt (sea) water.  

Nautilus Minerals has been exploring the territorial waters of Papua New Guinea since 1997 looking for high-grade sea floor massive sulphide(SMS) deposits. SMS deposits are a potential source of copper, gold, zinc and silver. 

The Solwara 1 gold and copper mine will involve the digging of high-grade SMS deposits from the sea floor at a depth of 1,600 metres. The mine trench will be 1.3km long, up to 200m wide and 19m deep. 

The Solwara 1 mine has been granted an Environmental Permit by the PNG government and a mining lease. 

Nautilus Minerals has identified five other potential mine sites in the Bismarck sea and named them Solwaras 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16.