Method of Mining and Processing Seabed Sediment
AssigneeMarine Resources Exploration International BV
InventorDan Costache Patriciu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for mining and processing seabed sediment comprising disturbing sediment at the seabed (3) to form a slurry; transporting the slurry to the surface via a production riser (6) and processing the slurry to dissociate hydrates and remove hydrates from the slurry in gaseous form at the surface. The slurry may also contain sapropel and minerals. If so, the slurry may be split into a mineral rich stream and a sapropel rich stream each of which may be subjected to further treatment.
Claims20
A method of mining and processing seabed sediment comprising the steps of:
- disturbing sediment at the seabed to form a slurry;
- transporting the slurry to the surface via a production riser;
- processing the slurry to dissociate hydrates and remove hydrates from the slurry in gaseous form at the surface;
- and
- transporting the slurry or components of the degasified slurry to an on-shore location.
(canceled)
An apparatus for mining and processing seabed sediment comprising a crawler mining tool configured to travel across the seabed and form a slurry;
- a production riser configured to transport the slurry from the crawler to the surface;
- a first separator configured to dissociate hydrates and remove hydrates from the slurry in gaseous form at the surface;
- and means to transport the slurry or components of the degasified slurry to an on-shore location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.