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- Release Date: 01/02/12 14:12
- Summary: GENERAL: CRP: Dorado to sample for Chatham Rock Phosphate on the Rise
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CRP
01/02/2012 12:11
GENERAL
REL: 1211 HRS Chatham Rock Phosphate Limited
GENERAL: CRP: Dorado to sample for Chatham Rock Phosphate on the Rise
1 February 2012
Dorado to sample rock phosphate on Chatham Rise
The research vessel Dorado Discovery will reach the Chatham Rise today to
test bulk sampling equipment that Chatham Rock Phosphate plans to use later
this year.
Dorado Discovery's owners, Nasdaq listed Odyssey Marine, has purchased a
clamshell bucket to add to the array of scientific equipment and machinery on
the ship and built a special handling frame that can take seabed samples of
about 1.3 cubic metres.
The test samples gathered over the next several days will help to
ground-truth the electronic information recently gathered during an 11-day
scientific cruise for CRP before Christmas.
Data and images collected on the cruise involved the most significant
research work undertaken of the Chatham Rise since the German vessel Sonne's
major cruise in 1981 as part of efforts by a New Zealand-German joint venture
to evaluate the commercial viability of the area's rock phosphate deposits.
CRP holds an exploration licence over 4276 sq km, 450 km east of Wellington,
at shallow depths on the Chatham Rise and in New Zealand territory. The
licence has priority rights to extend the permit or apply for a mining
licence. As announced last week CRP has now given notice that it wishes to
extend the prospecting licence for the second two-year term.
New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals has approved the testing work.
The Dorado Discovery, owned by Odyssey Marine, is specially set up for marine
mineral exploration and has been undertaking such work in the SW Pacific for
the last 15 months
Chris Castle
021 55 81 85 or [email protected]
see photo of equipment
The clamshell grab in its specially built frame on the Dorado Discovery
leaving Wellington harbour
End CA:00219079 For:CRP Type:GENERAL Time:2012-02-01 12:12:00
