Jiaolong deep-sea sub finds huge chimney vent in Indian Ocean

Want China Times, Xinhua and Staff Reporter 2015-02-03

A sample from the chimney vent Jiaolong discovered in the Indian
Ocean, Jan. 29. (Photo/Xinhua)

China's deep-sea manned submersible Jiaolong discovered a huge active "chimney vent" 20 meters tall and two meters wide in a hydrothermal area of the southwestern Indian Ocean on Monday.

After finishing all planned work, the sub explored the eastern area of the working seabed and Shao Zongze, the scientist in the sub, was very excited at what he saw.

"We observed a giant active chimney vent, which was really a big surprise for our mission," Shao said. "Deep-sea chimney vents as huge as this one have rarely been seen in scientific research all over the world."

Piloting the sub, Tang Jialing videotaped the chimney vent and measured its height and width with a laser range finder. "We didn't have enough time to measure its inner temperature and to collect samples of sulfides, hydrothermal fluid and living beings this time, so I hope Jiaolong could go there again," said Shao, a researcher with the Third Institute of Oceanography of the State Oceanic Administration (SOA).

There were mussels, shrimps and fishes around this chimney vent, according to Shao.

Deep-sea chimney vents, also known as hydrothermal sulfide, are a kind of seabed deposits containing copper, zinc and precious metals such as gold and silver. Those metals formed sulfides after chemical reactions and came to rest in the seabed in the form of chimney vents.

Jiaolong found clues to a new active chimney vent on Monday north of a hydrothermal area called Dragon Flag, which was the first hydrothermal area Chinese scientists discovered in 2007, according to Shao.

Researching six hours in Dragon Flag, Jiaolong picked up the high temperature probe which the sub placed on Jan. 12 and took samples of deep-sea water, hydrothermal fluid and living organisms.

"The probe recorded the temperature of a chimney vent for 21 days successfully and we will analyze all data to discover whether there is regularity," according to the scientists.

Reaching its deepest depth of 7,062 meters in the Pacific's Mariana Trench in June 2012, Jiaolong is on a 120-day expedition in the southwest Indian Ocean.

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Jiaolong sub collects perfect 'chimney vent' in Indian Ocean

Jiaolong sub collects perfect 'chimney vent' in Indian Ocean

Want China Times, Xinhua 2015-01-04

The Jiaolong collecting the chimney vent, Jan. 2. (Photo/Xinhua)

China's deep sea manned submersible, the Jiaolong, collected a perfect "chimney vent" on the seabed of the southwest Indian Ocean on Saturday.

"Chimney vent," also known as hydrothermal sulfide, is one kind of seabed deposit containing copper, zinc and precious metal such as gold and silver. Those kinds of metal form sulfide after a chemical reaction and came to rest on the seabed as a chimney vent.

With several mussels and spiral shells living on it, the chimney vent that Jiaolong collected was about 40 cm high and 15 cm wide, said Li Xiangyang, assistant chief commander of the mission.

"This is a perfect chimney vent for biologists and I believe there are lots of microorganisms integrated with it," said Xiao Xiang, professor with Shanghai Jiaotong University. "I am so excited about it."

The study of microorganisms is the basis of researching ecosystems in hydrothermal areas, as microorganisms are sources of nutrition for advanced organisms, Xiao said.

This chimney vent is very important for studying organisms in hydrothermal areas, which live in a completely dark world with substances toxic to most forms of life, as well as high temperature and high pressure, Xiao said.

The special genes of these organisms have great economic and scientific value, Xiao said.

The temperature of hydrothermal fluid flowing out of the collected chimney vent is 145 degrees Celsius, said Tang Jialing, who piloted Jiaolong for the dive.

Jiaolong also gathered 4.7 kg of sulfide, 39 kg of basalt, 32 spiral shells and 37 mussels.

The Jiaolong, named after a mythical dragon, is on a 120-day expedition in the southwest Indian Ocean. It has planned to conduct 20 dives during the four-month period to research polymetallic sulfide, biological diversity, hydrothermal microbes and genetic resources in the area.

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China's manned sub collects perfect "chimney vent" in Indian Ocean

Australia probes Great Barrier Reef board over 'mining links'

Google – AFP, 30 October 2013

Illustration: Australia launches probe into the agency responsible for protecting the

 Great Barrier Reef after some members were urged to quit over alleged conflicts of 

interest (AIMS/AFP/File, Ray Berkelmans)

Sydney — Australia launched a probe Wednesday into the agency responsible for protecting the Great Barrier Reef after some board members were urged to resign over alleged conflicts of interest related to the mining industry.

Environment Minister Greg Hunt ordered an investigation after the Australian Broadcasting Corporation aired allegations that coal and gas industry ties had seen the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) relax its stance on industrial development.

"I have ordered an immediate independent probity inquiry into the allegations that have been raised," Hunt told reporters.

"The inquirer will report to the chairman of the board at GBRMPA who will in turn report jointly to the secretary of the department and myself."

The authority's chairman Russell Reichelt said Robert Cornall, one-time secretary of the national attorney-general's department, would undertake the review.

GBRMPA is a statutory authority charged with overseeing the protection and use of the reef, and Reichelt said all board positions were filled by government appointment.

He also noted that GBRMPA was required by law "to have a representational board, with members having qualifications or experience related to functions of the authority".

"This reflects the fact that the Marine Park has been a multiple-use area since its inception in 1975," he said.

According to the ABC, two of GBRMPA's five board members have close links to the resources sector -- Tony Mooney, an executive with Guildford Coal and Jon Grayson, who owns a stake in Gasfields Water and Waste Services.

Both men were at a critical meeting last year where the GBRMPA board turned its back on advice from in-house scientists that it oppose port development in areas with "potential to degrade inshore diversity".

Instead, the board issued a watered-down statement saying such biodiversity impact should be a "key consideration" in port approvals, while calling for further consultations with the mining industry on the issue.

Reichelt emphasised that this statement "remains in draft form and will not be finalised until the public has been given an opportunity to comment."

The reef is facing a world heritage downgrade from UNESCO next year due to concerns about rampant coastal development proposed in the region, particularly port, gas and coal operations.

The role of individual board members in the statement on ports is unknown, but conservationists called for Mooney and Grayson to resign in order to address perceptions of a conflict of interest.

"Anyone with coal and gas interests should simply be precluded from serving on the board of management for the Great Barrier Reef," said Senator Larissa Waters from the Greens party.

"It's an international embarrassment that mining interests are allegedly influencing the GBRMPA board, while UNESCO is warning that the Great Barrier Reef could be added to the World Heritage list of sites in danger within a year."

Hunt noted that both Mooney and Grayson "have strong reputations and I don?t want to draw any judgement in any direction".

He said he expected Cornall's inquiry would be completed by the end of the year.

Indonesian Government Opens 4 New Blocks for Oil, Gas Exploration

Jakarta Globe, Ririn Radiawati Kusuma | November 18, 2010

Jakarta. Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy, has awarded four oil and gas blocks to local and foreign companies, including BP Exploration Indonesia, a unit of oil major BP, a government official has confirmed.

Indonesia has awarded four oil and gas blocks to local
and foreign companies. (AFP Photo)

As much as $28 million was expected to be spent on exploration activities in the newly opened blocks, including $4.2 million going straight to the government for so-called signature bonuses, Evita Legowo, director general of oil and gas at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, said on Thursday.

Aside from BP Exploration Indonesia, the other companies awarded the oil and gas blocks were Ephindo Oil and Gas Holding, the Awe Consortium and Mitra Energy.

BP Exploration Indonesia is set to spend $3.4 million on exploration in the North Arafura block in Papua.

Ephindo was granted rights to explore the North Sokang block in Riau, with an investment plan totaling $10.2 million.

The Awe Consortium, which consists of Baruna Recovery Energy and Sillo Maritime Perdana, was awarded the Titan block in Java, although no details were provided about which provinces would be covered by the project.

Its total investment is estimated at $8.3 million.

Mitra Energy is set to explore the Bone block in South Sulawesi, with a total investment of $6.1 million.

“The companies have three years to explore the oil and gas potential of those blocks,” Evita said.

Indonesia has so far this year awarded 42 blocks across the country for exploration.

While the North Sokang block is estimated to hold 600 billion cubic feet of gas, and the Titan block is believed to hold 300 bcf, Evita said the companies might find more oil and gas reserves in those blocks.

The newly opened blocks are expected to help the country meet its increased oil production targets over the coming years.

The government had hoped to see oil production reach 965,000 barrels per day for the year.

But a number of recent incidents, including a major leak in a pipeline operated by Transportasi Gas Indonesia at the end of September that caused disruptions to about 20 percent of the nation’s total production capacity, have made reaching the ambitious target all but impossible.

Chevron Pacific Indonesia’s Duri oil field in Riau also stopped production in October after one of its pipelines burst. CPI accounts for some 40 percent of the nation’s total oil output.

Oil production is now forecast to reach an average of 955,000 bpd for the year, lower than the 2010 state budget target, Evita said in September.

Indonesia has been struggling to attract foreign investment to develop new oil and gas fields.

Although it has offered incentives, including favorable tax treatment and production sharing, an uncertain regulatory environment has hampered investment in the sector.

Minister Calls for Overall Maritime Policy Reforms

The Jakarta Globe, Putri Prameshwari, February 26, 2009

 

As the world’s largest archipelagic nation, Indonesia should have clear maritime policies, a cabinet minister said on Wednesday.

 

Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Freddy Numberi said Indonesia needed to formalize its approach to ocean management.

 

“Indonesia should have an ocean policy in order to consolidate its sovereignty over its maritime territories,” Numberi said during a seminar.

 

He said a national maritime policy should include regulations that address security and environmental sustainability, as well as asserting the nation’s jurisdiction over outlying border islands.

 

Numberi said such a policy would protect Indonesia’s maritime industry and its six sub-sectors: fisheries, offshore mining, naval operations, maritime tourism, offshore construction projects and sea transportation services.

 

However, Juan Permata Adoe, vice chairman of the Maritime Division of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, or Kadin, said instead of focusing on an ocean policy, the government should encourage foreign investors to engage in maritime ventures in the country.

 

“Foreign vessels should not just be allowed to fish in Indonesian waters,” he said. “Foreign investors should also be encouraged to become involved in other sectors, like the shipbuilding industry, for example.”

 

Juan said that at present, there were too many government institutions in charge of protecting the country’s maritime domain, resulting in an overlap of authority.

 

To tackle the problem, the Transportation Ministry announced it would establish a national coast guard.

 

Transportation Minister Jusman Syafii Djamal said the security force would be composed of the Maritime Security Coordinating Agency, or Bakorkamla, the ministry’s coast guard, or KPLP, as well as maritime police and the Navy.