Marine and Mineral Projects
South African deep sea mining engineers, Marine and Mineral Projects (MMP) are leading the development of world-leading technology for deep sea mining from support vessels. Using subsea remote-controlled underwater crawlers, launch & recovery systems and mooring systems, their technology has dramatically reduced costs and increased efficiencies in diamond and mineral offshore mining. MMP is based in South Africa but operates internationally, supplying equipment to a range of mining and oil & gas projects in the UK, Europe, Russia, Brazil and Australasia. All their systems are provided with classification society (Lloyd's Register, DNV, ABS, RINA, etc) approval as required by the client.
MMP deep sea remote crawler
Technology overview
Subsea crawler mining system
Marine and Mineral Projects' subsea crawler mining system is a deep sea tracked mining tool attached to the vessel by a wire rope and an umbilical that provides power and remote control. The pilots onboard the vessel operate and monitor the underwater crawler's progress from the control room. This is done through the use of special control chairs and 12 computer monitors to provide readings on oil, power and water levels, pressures and temperatures. Production is enhanced by providing the pilots with a virtual animation of the movements of the crawler, the sea bed and the mining process. The crawlers weigh 250 tons and comprise 110 tons of heavy wall pipe and steel construction, and 140 tons of equipment and machinery. The crawlers can operate in depths of 150 metres. The pump on the crawler, sucks up the seabed material and pumps it to the surface. The riser pipe (through which the mined material travels, is 650mm in internal diameter and can handle spheres of up to 300mm. The journey from seabed to surface takes just 25 seconds. A filter nozzle (fitted to the suction mouth of the crawler's vacuum pipe) only allows particles of a certain size through. The pilots can adjust the speed at which the vacuum pump operates - depending on the consistency of the material on the sea bed (which can vary from fine silt and sand to rocks and boulders) optimising the production rates.
Marine And Mineral Projects is in the process of adapting its Deep Sea Mining Crawler technology making it suitable for the mining of Subsea Massive Sulphides and underwater Heavy Minerals at water depths of up to 3000 meters.
Launch and recovery system
The Crawler Launch and Recovery System (LARS) consists mainly of an A-frame, Swell Compensator, Hoist Winch and Umbilical Winch. This system is used to deploy and recover the crawler from the vessel deck to the ocean floor. This is achieved by lifting and holding the crawler steady in one place on board the ship in between restraining bars, while a sliding platform under the crawler opens. The crawler is then lowered
The De Beers Peace in Africa deep-sea diamond mining vessel equipped with MMP technology launched in Cape Town in 2007.
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