Ocean Mineral Deposits and Mining in Nigeria Lecture Note

Abstract

This lecture note covers two topics in MGY 405 (Ocean Mineral Deposits and Mining) for 400-level students of Marine Geology at Nigeria Maritime University. The first topic is the polymetallic massive sulphide deposits forming on the modern seafloor. It traces their discovery and describes their tectonic settings at mid-ocean ridges, back-arc basins and volcanic arcs. It then explains how hydrothermal convection builds black smoker chimneys, sulphide mounds and stockworks, and describes their mineralogy and metal contents. Deposit sizes, global resource estimates, exploration methods, mining technology and environmental issues are assessed, with Solwara 1 and the TAG mound as case studies. The topic ends with the UNCLOS maritime zones and the International Seabed Authority regime for polymetallic sulphides. The second topic treats the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act 2007 and the Minerals and Mining Regulations 2011 together. It covers the ownership of minerals onshore and offshore, the institutions the law establishes, the six mineral titles, the cadastre and the application procedure, and the fiscal regime. It also covers environmental, closure and community obligations, health and safety, artisanal mining, the management of titles, and offences and disputes, and it applies the law to sand dredging and other coastal and offshore minerals. The note includes worked examples, 11 diagrams, key equations, review questions, a glossary and references.