2006 Conference

Announcements

UMI 2006: Scientific, Legal and Economic Perspectives of Marine Mining is the 36th annual conference of the Underwater Mining Institute, September 24-30, 2006, in Kiel, Germany. This year’s host is the Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of Kiel (IFM-GEOMAR).
Technical Program Chair: Dr. Charles L. Morgan
Technical Program Co-Chairs: Prof. Dr. Peter M. Herzig and Dr. rer. nat. Sven Petersen, IFM-GEOMAR
New! Please see the special notice to speakers page (or download the notice as a PDF).
Download the PDF of the final program.

Image of polymetallic chimney also found in the Kermadec Arc during the HURL 2005 South Pacific Expedition.

Important Dates:

Call for Papers Deadline: April 15, 2006
(jump to Submission Instructions)
Regular Conference Registration Deadline: August 31, 2006
Late Conference Registration Deadline: September 15, 2006
To register for UMI 2006, download and complete the
Registration Form (PDF) and fax it to the Conference Coordinator at (808) 956-9772.
or, click the REGISTER NOW button below (or click here).

UMI 2006 Presentations

The UMI 2006 presentations will focus on the following topics:

Commercial development of sand and gravel deposits off Great Britain, Japan, and other coastal states;
Mining of high quality diamond deposits off Southern Africa;
Exploration for seabed sulfide deposits of precious and base metals; and
Research on seabed methane hydrate deposits as potential energy resources.

Profitable marine mining industries are currently recovering seabed sand and gravel deposits off Great Britain, Japan, and other coastal states and high quality diamond deposits off Southern Africa. Potentially commercial marine mining ventures for seabed deposits of gold, silver, copper, nickel, zinc, cobalt, and other metals are developing off Papua New Guinea and within the international seabed areas under the regulatory control of the International Seabed Authority.

Methane hydrates consist of chemically stable deposits of methane gas bound within a matrix of water ice. These deposits form under conditions of high pressure and low temperature within the seabed. They form widespread deposits that represent potentially very large energy resources. Possible resources reported by the United States Geological Survey and others could amount to more than twice the energy equivalent of all other hydrocarbon fuels put together. Current research programs investigating the potential of methane hydrates are being supported by the United States, Russia, Japan, Germany, and other countries.

The 2006 UMI invites papers on all aspects of these commercial mining, exploration, and research efforts, including methods of deposit delineation, potential methods for recovery and utilization, and potential economic and environmental impacts of commercial operations. Studies that compare the environmental impacts of seabed operations with land-base alternatives that can supply the same commodities are also of interest. Marine mineral deposit models and processes of formation, as well as other topics of serious interest to the study of marine minerals, will also be important components of this 2006 UMI.

The UMI provides perhaps the most appropriate setting to discuss these issues. The Institute has an established reputation for fostering multidisciplinary debate on complex topics related to seabed development. Also, the Institute’s primary sponsor, the International Marine Minerals Society, owes no allegiance to any particular commercial, academic, or government body and thus serves as an independent voice on marine minerals issues.

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Submission Instructions

Email a WORD or text file containing the following information to the Conference Coordinator. The deadline for submissions is April 15, 2006.The selection of presentations and notification of authors will be completed by May 15, 2006.

Title of Presentation.
Author(s) Name, Title, Affiliation, Mailing and Contact Information.
Abstract: Any length, not to exceed 10 pages, including figures and tables.
Biographical Sketch of Principal Author and Speaker: ½-page narrative of each.

Submit Abstract by email.

Conference Contact Information

Technical Program Chair
Dr. Charles L. Morgan
Email: cmorgan@psi-hi.com
Host & Technical Program Co-Chairs
Dr. Peter M. Herzig
Dr. Sven Petersen (main contact)
Email: spetersen@ifm-geomar.de
Conference Coordinator
Ms. Karynne Morgan
University of Hawai‘i
1000 Pope Road, MSB 303
Honolulu HI 96822
Tel: 808.956.6036
Fax: 808.956.9772
E-mail: karynnem@hawaii.edu

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