India gets licence to scour Indian Ocean for precious metals, Pg14

Key Highlights:

• India secured a contract from the International Seabed Authority (ISA) to explore for precious metals in the northwest Indian Ocean.
• This is the first global license for exploring polymetallic sulphur nodules in the Carlsberg Ridge.
• The agreement with the ISA was signed in Delhi on Monday.
• The Carlsberg Ridge is a 3,00,000-sq.km stretch in the Arabian Sea and northwest Indian Ocean.
• Currently, 19 countries have exploration rights in areas part of the ‘high seas’.

Detailed Insights:

• Polymetallic sulphur nodules are rock concentrations in the deep ocean, rich in manganese, cobalt, nickel, and copper.
• The Carlsberg Ridge forms the boundary between the Indian and Arabian tectonic plates, extending from near Rodrigues Island to the Owen fracture zone.
• India applied in January 2024 for exploration rights in the Carlsberg Ridge and the Afanasy-Nikitin Sea (ANS) mount.
• The ANS is located in the Central Indian Ocean, and Sri Lanka has claimed the territory for exploration rights.
• Countries can claim up to 350 nautical miles from their coasts as their ‘continental shelf’, and those in the Bay of Bengal can claim up to 500 nautical miles as per UNCLOS.
• India previously obtained exploratory rights from the ISA in the Central Indian Ocean Basin in March 2002 and for polymetallic sulphides in the Indian Ocean Ridge in September 2016.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Polymetallic Sulphur Nodules: Rock concentrations found in the deep ocean, containing valuable metals.
• International Seabed Authority (ISA): Organization that regulates mineral exploration in international waters.
• UNCLOS: International agreement that establishes legal framework for activities in the ocean.