Thursday 13 October 2022

Hundreds of thousands of mineral-rich polymetallic nodules have arrived on board our production vessel Hidden Gem following successful initial pilot collection runs in the Pacific.

Our collector vehicle amassed more than 14 tonnes of nodules during a one-hour collection run at 4380 metres water depth.

It is a pioneering moment for Allseas and partner TMC; the first integrated system test conducted in the Pacific’s Clarion Clipperton Zone since the 1970s.

It comes less than two years since Allseas embarked on construction of our pilot nodule collection system.

Seafloor to surface

Nodules were transported 4.3 kilometres from the seafloor to the surface in 12 minutes via a jumper and riser system, which like the collector has been designed and built by Allseas engineers.

This milestone test run follows successful at-sea construction and deployment of the riser system and its integration with the flexible jumper hose and collector vehicle.

Behind the tests is a dedicated team of 130 crew and engineers on board Hidden Gem. Their ongoing efforts further illustrate why Allseas is top of class when it comes to pioneering offshore engineering and operations.