UNDERWATER MINING CONFERENCE
The 47th Under Water Mining conference (UMC18) was hosted in Bergen, Grieghallen, from 11th to 14th of September. The conference was organized in collaboration with the K.G. Jebsen Centre for Deep Sea Research (UiB), Global Centres of Expertise Subsea (GCE Subsea) and the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD). We are pleased to announce that the conference was of great success.
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The 47th Underwater Mining conference (UMC18) was hosted in Bergen, Grieghallen, from 11th to 14th of September. The conference was organized in collaboration with the K.G. Jebsen Centre for Deep Sea Research (UiB), Global Centres of Expertise Subsea (GCE Subsea) and the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD). We are pleased to announce that the conference was of great success.
The UMC conference had a record attendance with 210 participants from 26 countries. Presentations were given by key players in deep sea mining prospective activities such as researchers, ISA nation contractors, sub-sea technology partners, and other sectors with interest in marine minerals.
Registered attendants (as well as graduating students from the UiB) gathered in Bergen to discuss and learn about the current marine R&D knowledge and bring it forward into the prospective developments of subsea solutions for deep sea mining beyond oil and gas.
The UMC conference focused on the examination of the next commercial and technical developments regarding deep-sea minerals, deep-sea mining and metallurgical processing of marine mineral resources. The conference started with an opening speech given by State Secretary Ingvil Smines Tybring-Gjedde, Deputy Minister of Petroleum and Energy.
Our own professor Rolf B. Pedersen gave an overview keynote talk on the 鈥淗ydrothermal activity and deep-sea mineral deposits at the ultraslow spreading ridge: examples from the Artic Mid-Ocean Ridge system鈥� highlighting the importance of continuous fundamental research to better understand the Artic deep sea.
Two of our PhD. Students, Anne Stensland and Linn Merethe Brekke Olsen, did an amazing work presenting parts of their results. In addition to this, H氓vard Stubseid, Anders Bjerga, Linn Merethe Brekke Olsen and Eriz Wurz made three informative and interesting posters with their results.聽
Anne Stensland had a talk about 鈥淗ydrothermal Fluxes along the Mohns Ridge - implications for mineral resources at ultraslow spreading ridges鈥�. Linn Merethe Brekke Olsen麓s presentation focused on the environmental impacts of mining the seafloor. Her presentation 鈥淲eathering of sulfides in a deep-sea environment: a case study鈥� showed the importance of the microbial activity during weathering of sulfides in the deep sea, and also what can happen to the deep sea fauna (for more information about this聽 and listen to the ). We are proud to announce that both Linn and Anne were nominated for best student presentation.
We believe that this event created excellent opportunities for strengthening and promoting academia-industry ties in marine and maritime matters as well as advertising for the excellent technological hub that Bergen (and Norway) represents.
Next year麓s conference, the 48th UMC19, will be held in Hainan, also known as Asia鈥檚 Hawaii. We are already looking forward to this and hopefully we get to send some students and speakers representing the K.G. Jebsen Centre for Deep Sea Research.