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ABSTRACT Systematic engineering-geological studies are carrying out, as part of the exploration of polymetallic sulphides (PMS) in the Russian Exploration Area (REA) of PMS at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR). They are aimed on a comprehensive assessment of engineering-geological conditions of potential deposits of polymetallic sulphides for their exploration and possible future exploitation. In the process of research, the main specific engineering-geological features of the ore fields within the REA that affect the design specifications of the exploration and exploitation machinery were identified. Based on these results this paper discusses the prospects for deep-water equipment design and present experimental examples of the Russian deep-water machinery for PMS study and mining.
INTRODUCTION Over the past years, the Russian Federation has been exploring polymetallic sulphides at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (Cherkashev et al., 2018), basing on the contract with the International Seabed Authority (ISA) established in 2012. Besides such obligations as: PMS exploration, legal and financial provisions, the contract includes the articles by which the contractor has to develop deep-sea exploration and mining equipment and to test them in deep-sea conditions. Contract works at the REA are carried out using the Research Vessel (R/V) Professor Logachev (Fig. 1) belonging the "Polar Marine Geosurvey Expedition" (Saint-Petersburg, Russia).
Until 2019, eighteen hydrothermal ore fields were discovered in the REA, which are potential targets for PMS exploitation. In parallel with the ore fields exploration, engineering-geological studies are being conducting (Kondratenko et al., 2017, Kondratenko et al., 2018), which results will determine the requirements for the development of deepwater machinery.
The development of new technical facilities relevant to the exploration and further mining operations within the REA involves the analysis of geological structures; dissection of seafloor surface (seafloor roughness); gravitational instabilities; seismic activity and the physical-mechanical properties of the bottom formations.
PURPOSE OF WORK The purpose of this work is to identify specific engineering-geological conditions of the PMS deposits within the Russian Exploration Area. Based on this, this study will define the prospects of deep-water exploration and exploitation machinery design adapted for work on the hydrothermal ore fields of PMS of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
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