Japan's government said on Monday that it has successfully retrieved rare-earth-rich seabed mud for the first time from depths of around 6 km (4 miles) during a test mission.A Japanese scientific drill
Japan's government said on Monday that it has successfully retrieved rare-earth-rich seabed mud for the first time from depths of around 6 km (4 miles) during a test mission.
A Japanese scientific drill ship departed on January 12 for the remote Minamitori Island to explore rare-earth-rich mud deposits, part of Tokyo's effort to reduce its reliance on China for critical minerals as Beijing chokes off supplies.
The month-long mission by the test vessel Chikyu near Minamitori Island, about 1,900 km (1,200 miles) southeast of Tokyo, marks the world's first attempt to continuously lift rare-earth-bearing seabed mud from such depths to a ship.
After arriving at the site on January 17, the vessel began recovery operations on January 30 and confirmed the first successful retrieval of rare-earth mud on February 1, according to the Cabinet Office's national platform for innovative ocean development.
Recovery operations had been completed at three locations by Monday, said Ayumi Yoshimatsu, a spokesperson for the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), which operates the vessel.
Analysis of the recovered material, including its volume and mineral content, will be conducted after the ship returns to Shimizu port in central Japan on February 15, Yoshimatsu said.
The mud
Content Original Link:
" target="_blank">
