India applies for mining in Indian Ocean

Context (TH): India applied to the International Seabed Authority (ISBA) for rights to explore Afanasy Nikitin Seamount and Carlsberg ridge in the Indian Ocean seabed.
These patches are not part of India’s exclusive jurisdiction.

Afanasy Nikitin Seamount

Cobalt-rich crust and a structural feature (400 km long and 150 km wide) in the Central Indian Basin, located about 3,000 km away from India’s coast.
It is rich in deposits of cobalt, nickel, manganese and copper.
Sri Lanka has already claimed rights to the region.
China is also undertaking reconnaissance in this region.

It is a mid-oceanic ridge area spanning 3,00,000 square km.
Location: South of Arabian Sea and northeast of Somali basin in the Central Indian Ocean.
India has applied for investigation for polymetallic sulphides in this region.

Polymetallic sulphides are large smoking mounds near hydrothermal vents that are reportedly rich in copper, zinc, gold and silver.

Specific to areas that are part of the open ocean, meaning the ocean — whose air, surface and sea-bed — where no countries can claim sovereignty.
If a region isn’t classified as part of a country’s continental shelf, it is considered ‘high sea’.
Such a region is open to any country approaching the ISBA and asking permission to explore.
Currently, no country has commercially extracted resources from open oceans.

Countries have exclusive rights up to 200 nautical miles and their underlying seabed.
Extended continental shelf claims are to be supported with detailed scientific rationale, complete with underwater maps and surveys (Can go up to 350 nautical miles).
Bay of Bengal countries can apply a different set of criteria to make claims on the extent of their continental shelf.
- Using this, Sri Lanka has claimed up to 500 nautical miles (including Afanasy Nikitin Seamount).