Key points
- Four-day pilot collector test planned for January-February 2026 in the BGR contract area of the Clarion Clipperton Zone, with two modes operating at 90% and 50% collection efficiency over 4,500 and 6,700 square meters respectively.
- Plume modeling shows 95% of suspended sediment returns to the seabed within seven days, with 93% of material remaining within the mined area.
- Sedimentation footprint extends approximately 600-700 meters from the test site, affecting less than 4% of the trial area.
- Pilot test designed to collect field data verifying modeling assumptions about sediment disturbance before potential commercial-scale mining.
