Potential for seabed mining in Oman’s Extended Continental Shelf

The potential for seabed mining is one of a wide array of opportunities the Omani government hopes to unlock as part of an ambitious bid to develop an Ocean Economy (also known as Blue Economy) in the Sultanate. Also associated with the Ocean Economy are opportunities linked to Fisheries & Aquaculture, Shipping & Logistics, Tourism, Ocean Energy & Renewables, Offshore and Oil & Gas.

Seabed mining typically targets minerals located at significant depths, according to Brien. “We are talking depths of over 2,500 metres. All seabed minerals of commercial interest tend to occur at depths greater than 2,000 metres. You have shallow mining, such as for sands, aggregates and phosphates, which tend be at shallow depths, but real deep seabed minerals are quite deep at depths of up to 5,000 metres.” Brien stressed the need for further intensive study to establish the concrete feasibility of seabed mining. “In Oman, no one knows (precisely) yet what is available out there. You have to find out what resources are there on the seabed — no one has ever collected that information so far.”

According to the legal expert, the waters in the Gulf, especially near Oman, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, as well as Pakistan, are known to hold seabed minerals. “The area is quite rich in minerals but there is a lot of work to be done to obtain more data and to find out what there is out there,” he noted.

California-headquartered Cooley LLP specializes in various aspects of the Blue Economy, says Brien. “We advise on maritime boundaries, seabed mining, jurisdictional issues, international fisheries, maritime transport — all the things related to the Blue Economy.”