In 2001 and 2002, in accordance with the Regulations on Prospecting and Exploration for Polymetallic Nodules in the Area, previously approved by the Assembly in 2000, the International Seabed Authority entered into the first 15-year contracts for exploration for polymetallic nodules in the deep seabed with seven former pioneer investors registered pursuant to resolution II of the Third UN Conference on the Law of the Sea. In 2006, another contract for exploration was signed with Germany.
The conclusion of contracts allow these contractors to explore in specified parts of the deep oceans outside national jurisdiction.
The signature of these exploration contracts gives practical and real effect to the single regime for the Area established by the 1982 Convention and the 1994 Agreement and as such represents a significant step forward for the international community.
Under the Regulations, each contractor has the exclusive right to explore an initial area of up to 150,000 square kilometers. Over the first eight years of the contract, half of this area is to be relinquished. Seven of the exploration areas are in the Central Pacific Ocean south and southeast of Hawaii with one in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
The contractors are:
The Government of India – registered on 17 August 1987. The contract was signed on 25 March 2002.
Institut français de recherché pour l’exploitation de la mer / Association française pour l’étude et la recherche des nodules (IFREMER/AFERNOD) of France – registered on 17 December 1987. The contract was signed on 20 June 2001
Deep Ocean Resources Development Company (DORD) of Japan – registered on 17 December 1987. The contract was signed on 20 June 2001.
State Enterprise Yuzmorgeologiya of the Russian Federation – registered on 17 December 1987. The contract was signed on 29 March 2001.
China Ocean Mineral Resources Research and Development Association (COMRA) of the People’s Republic of China – registered on 5 March 1991. The contract was signed on 22 May 2001.
Interoceanmetal Joint Organization (IOM), a consortium formed by Bulgaria, Cuba, Czech Republic, Poland, Russian Federation and Slovakia – registered on 21 August 1991. The contract was signed on 29 March 2001.
The Government of the Republic of Korea – registered on 2 August 1994. The contract was signed on 27 April 2001.
The Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources of the Federal Republic of Germany – approved during the 11th Session in 2005. The contract was signed on 19 July 2006.
Note: The documents referred to on this page under the symbol LOS/PCN are documents of the Preparatory Commission for the International Seabed Authority and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and are contained in the Provisional Final Report of the Preparatory Commission (LOS/PCN/153, Vols I - XIII). Because of the number of documents involved, it has not yet been possible to make these documents available on this web site.
On 19 August 1997, requests for approval of plans of work for exploration were submitted by the aforementioned registered pioneer investors in accordance with the provisions of the Agreement relating to the implementation of Part XI of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 ("the Agreement").
On 28 August 1997, the Council of the Authority, noting that in accordance with paragraph 6(a)(ii) of section 1 of the annex to the Agreement the plans of work are considered to be in the form of contracts incorporating the applicable obligations under the provisions of the Convention, the Agreement and resolution II, and in accordance with the regulations on prospecting and exploration for polymetallic nodules in the Area and a standard form of contract to be approved by the Council (ISBA/3/C/9).
On 13 July 2000, the Assembly of the Authority approved the Regulations for exploration and exploitation for polymetallic nodules in the Area including the standard form of contract.
On 29 March 2001, the first 15-year contracts for exploration for polymetallic nodules in the deep seabed were signed at the headquarters of the International Seabed Authority at Kingston, Jamaica.
The contract between the Authority and State Enterprise Yuzhmorgeologiya (Russian Federation) was signed by the Secretary-General of the Authority, Satya N. Nandan and Deputy Minister-State Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Russian Federation, Ivan F. Gloumov.
The contract between the Authority and Interoceanmetal Joint Organization (a consortium formed by Bulgaria, Cuba, the Czech Republic, Poland, the Russian Federation and the Slovak Republic) was signed by the Secretary-General and the Director-General of Interoceanmetal Joint Organization, Mr Ryszard Kotlinski.
The Secretary-General also signed a contract with the Republic of Korea, which was signed in Seoul, Republic of Korea on 27 April 2001 by the Minister for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Mr Woo-Taik Chung.
The exploration contract between the International Seabed Authority and the China Ocean Minerals Research and Development Association (COMRA) was signed in Beijing on 22 May 2001.
The exploration contract between the International Seabed Authority and Institut français de recherche pour l'exploitation de la mer (IFEMER) / Association française pour l'étude et la recherche des nodules (AFERNOD) France, was signed by the Secretary-General and Ambassador Pierre-Antoine Berniard on behalf of Jean-Francois Minster, President of IFREMER on 20 June 2001 at the Authority's Headquarters.
On the same date, the Secretary-General also signed an exploration contract with Deep Ocean Resources Development Company (DORD), Japan. Secretary-General Satya N. Nandan signed on behalf of the Authority and Mr Toshio Takada signed in his capacity as President of DORD.
The exploration contract between the International Seabed Authority and the Department of Ocean Development, India was signed by the Secretary-General and Mr. H. K. Gupta on the 25 March 2002 at the Authority's Headquarters.
The exploration contract between the International Seabed Authority and the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources of the Federal Republic of Germany was signed on 19 July 2006 in Germany.
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