Key points
- The launch and recovery system (LARS) consists of very large A-frames, lift winches, hydraulic power units, electric power units and deck control cabins.
- LARS integration onto the production support vessel will begin in June, after import and customs clearances and minor reassembly, carried out by Mawei shipyard personnel with support from Nautilus and equipment vendors.
- The LARS was built by AxTech on behalf of Soil Machine Dynamics as part of Nautilus’s fabrication contract with Soil Machine Dynamics.
- Nautilus holds the first mining lease for polymetallic seafloor massive sulphide deposits at Solwara 1 in Papua New Guinea, where it aims to produce copper, gold and silver, and has been granted its environmental permit for the site.
Nautilus Minerals Inc.’s launch and recovery system (LARS) equipment has arrived at the Mawei shipyard in China. The LARS consists of very large A-frames, winches and ancillary equipment.
Mike Johnston, Nautilus’s chief executive officer, commented: “It is very exciting for us to see our equipment start to arrive at the Mawei shipyard in China. The next step for the LARS will be its integration onto the production support vessel (PSV), commencing June after import/customs clearances and minor reassembly. The LARS installation marks the start of our equipment integration onto the PSV and will be undertaken by Mawei shipyard personnel with support from Nautilus and the equipment vendors. The vessel build remains on schedule and we look forward to seeing more of the equipment arrive for integration over the coming months.”
About the LARS
The LARS was built by AxTech on behalf of Soil Machine Dynamics as part of Nautilus’s fabrication contract with Soil Machine Dynamics. It consists of very large A-frames, lift winches, hydraulic power units, electric power units and deck control cabins. The LARS will be used to launch and stabilize the seafloor production tools during deployment from the vessel down to the seafloor and during retrieval from the seafloor back up to the vessel.
About Nautilus Minerals Inc.
Nautilus is the first company to explore the ocean floor for polymetallic seafloor massive sulphide deposits. Nautilus was granted the first mining lease for such deposits at the prospect known as Solwara 1, in the territorial waters of Papua New Guinea, where it is aiming to produce copper, gold and silver. The company has also been granted its environmental permit for this site.
Nautilus also holds highly prospective exploration acreage in the Western Pacific (granted and under application), as well as in international waters in the Central Pacific.
