Willem Marks

And a few months later, he said his vessel was heading out there. He said, if you want to join us, we'll be there for a few weeks, just figure out dates that work. And up to this point, you know, deep sea mining, just to take a step back, has been really pretty theoretical as far as people like me are aware.

And a few months later, he said his vessel was heading out there. He said, if you want to join us, we'll be there for a few weeks, just figure out dates that work. And up to this point, you know, deep sea mining, just to take a step back, has been really pretty theoretical as far as people like me are aware.

And a few months later, he said his vessel was heading out there. He said, if you want to join us, we'll be there for a few weeks, just figure out dates that work. And up to this point, you know, deep sea mining, just to take a step back, has been really pretty theoretical as far as people like me are aware.

There's been a fair amount of exploratory work and kind of an effort to try and understand what the economics would look like. But that's often been done relatively quietly, relatively privately. And so of course I did want to join.

There's been a fair amount of exploratory work and kind of an effort to try and understand what the economics would look like. But that's often been done relatively quietly, relatively privately. And so of course I did want to join.

There's been a fair amount of exploratory work and kind of an effort to try and understand what the economics would look like. But that's often been done relatively quietly, relatively privately. And so of course I did want to join.

And so I ended up booking flights going via Singapore from London onto the capital of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby, then catching another local flight to another island, driving across that island for four hours or so, waiting on a beach in the middle of nowhere. And eventually after some time, this catamaran kind of belching smoke out the back appears over the horizon.

And so I ended up booking flights going via Singapore from London onto the capital of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby, then catching another local flight to another island, driving across that island for four hours or so, waiting on a beach in the middle of nowhere. And eventually after some time, this catamaran kind of belching smoke out the back appears over the horizon.

And so I ended up booking flights going via Singapore from London onto the capital of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby, then catching another local flight to another island, driving across that island for four hours or so, waiting on a beach in the middle of nowhere. And eventually after some time, this catamaran kind of belching smoke out the back appears over the horizon.

It's kind of a local ferry. And it turns up to take me to the vessel.

It's kind of a local ferry. And it turns up to take me to the vessel.

It's kind of a local ferry. And it turns up to take me to the vessel.

Well, it's 270 feet long. It towers above the water when you first board it. It's got several decks. And you've got a massive amount of machinery. You've got these winches, you've got cranes, a couple of these remotely operated vehicles, these kind of huge cuboid machines that go 6,000 meters deep if they need to.

Well, it's 270 feet long. It towers above the water when you first board it. It's got several decks. And you've got a massive amount of machinery. You've got these winches, you've got cranes, a couple of these remotely operated vehicles, these kind of huge cuboid machines that go 6,000 meters deep if they need to.

Well, it's 270 feet long. It towers above the water when you first board it. It's got several decks. And you've got a massive amount of machinery. You've got these winches, you've got cranes, a couple of these remotely operated vehicles, these kind of huge cuboid machines that go 6,000 meters deep if they need to.

And they're all on the back of this massive deck, often moving around at times throughout the day, throughout the night. The vessel's a couple of hours away from the shore, as I mentioned, and it's really sticking in one place.

And they're all on the back of this massive deck, often moving around at times throughout the day, throughout the night. The vessel's a couple of hours away from the shore, as I mentioned, and it's really sticking in one place.

And they're all on the back of this massive deck, often moving around at times throughout the day, throughout the night. The vessel's a couple of hours away from the shore, as I mentioned, and it's really sticking in one place.

the engines, the thrusters around the outside of the vessel are often firing at different moments to keep it to the millimeter almost in one position as they work several miles or at least a mile deep beneath them.

the engines, the thrusters around the outside of the vessel are often firing at different moments to keep it to the millimeter almost in one position as they work several miles or at least a mile deep beneath them.