Nautilus: Collecting machine assembled

 THE assembly of Nautilus Minerals’ second of the three, seafloor production tools (SPTs) – the collecting machine – has been completed, the company announced last Friday. 

Chief executive officer Mike Johnston said in a statement that the assembly concluded at the soil machine dynamics’ facility at Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, and commissioning of the collecting machine has now started.

“Having already completed the assembly of the bulk cutter, we are delighted that the assembly of the collecting machine has now been completed and commissioning has begun. This is an exciting time for the company as we continue with the build of the seafloor production equipment while work has started toward the build of our production support vessel. We look forward to finalising the assembly of the third and final SPT, the auxiliary cutter,” he said.

The collecting machine is lightest of the three SPTs, weighing 200 tonnes when fully assembled.

It was designed to collect material cut from seafloor by drawing it in as seawater slurry with internal pumps and pushing it through a flexible pipe to the riser and lifting system and onto the vessel.