China’s Cobalt-Rich Crust Contract Area Application Approved by the International Seabed Authority

At 11:00 local time in Jamaica on 19 July 2013, the Council of the International Seabed Authority approved the application for a cobalt-rich crust contract area submitted the previous year by the China Ocean Mineral Resources Research and Development Association (COMRA). An application for a cobalt-rich crust contract area submitted by Japan was approved at the same time. These are the first two exploration applications approved under the Regulations on Prospecting and Exploration for Cobalt-Rich Ferromanganese Crusts in the Area, which the ISA finished drawing up the previous year. With this approval, China adds a 3,000 km2 cobalt-rich crust contract area in the northwest Pacific international seabed area carrying exclusive exploration rights and priority mining rights. China had previously obtained a 75,000 km2 polymetallic nodule contract area in the northeast Pacific and a 10,000 km2 polymetallic sulphide contract area in the Southwest Indian Ocean.