Pioneer Deep Ocean Mining Venture

摘要

The M.I.T. - NOAA Deep Ocean Mining Model is a flexible tool meant primarily as a basis for comparing the economic outcomes of a deep ocean mining venture under differing sets of assumptions as to costs, timing, regulatory policies, etc. The user can very easily choose the assumptions desired for a particular analytic purpose and introduce them in the computer program. In this study, three kinds of assumptions are made explicit and introduced into the model. First, a basic narrative of likely events is provided. It has been worked out in collaboration with the NOAA Division of Marine Minerals and the consultants to that office, identified in Chapter I B of this report. Second, capital and operating costs have been estimated, drawing on different sources, identified in the text and appendices, including the NOAA consultants. In some cases, alternative costs or ranges have been provided in addition to the estimates of the project team and the consultants. Finally, assumptions necessary to the financial analysis made in the model are described.