"Concerns about large-scale marine pollution, fuelled by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, are set to be heightened by a new development in exploitation of the oceans: deep-sea mining.

The Chinese government has just lodged the first application to mine for minerals under the seabed in international waters, in this case on a ridge in the Indian Ocean 1,700 metres (more than 5,000ft) below the surface.

The Chinese are hoping to recover valuable metals such as copper, nickel and cobalt – used in mobile phones, laptops and batteries – as well as gold and silver, in an area of currently inactive "hydrothermal vents", underwater geysers driven by volcanic activity. "

Michael McCarthy reports for the UK Independent July 2, 2010. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Gulf Disaster Sparks Battle Over Canadian Oil Sands" (Greenwire) [3]

"'Don't Minimise' Impacts of Amazon Oil Spill" (IPS) [4]

"Challenges To Shale-Gas Drilling Mount In Pennsylvania" (Dow Jones) [5]