The Third FIO-VNIIO Marine Science and Submarine Mineral Resources Workshop held in Qingdao
| From December 4 to 5, 2019, the First Institute of Oceanography of the Ministry of Natural Resources (FIO, MNR) and All-Russia Scientific Research Institute for Geology and Mineral Resources of the Ocean (VNIIO) held the Third FIO-VNIIO Marine Science and Submarine Mineral Resources Workshop in Qingdao. More than 30 experts and scholars from the two institutes attended the workshop. Wei Zexun, Deputy Director of FIO, and Smirnov Aleksandr, Deputy Director of VNIIO, delivered speeches at the opening ceremony, which was presided over by Zheng Wei, Deputy Director of FIO's Division of International Cooperation. Researcher Shi Xuefa, Director of the Lab of Marine Geology and Geophysics of FIO and Prof. Smirnov Aleksandr of VNIIO presided over the workshop. This workshop focused on two topics, namely, submarine sulfide mineralization and environmental impact assessment, and Arctic geology and palaeoclimate. Experts carried out in-depth exchanges and discussions on these two topics. In terms of oceanic minerals, Russian scientists introduced the achievements of their theoretic and environmental research on polymetallic sulphide mineralization in the North Atlantic and analyzed and evaluated the resource potential in the North Atlantic. Chinese scientists introduced polymetallic sulphide mineralization in the South Atlantic and the achievements of their environmental research. The two sides also discussed the possible influences of deep-sea resource exploitation on the environment. As for Arctic geology and c, Russian scientists introduced their research achievements in Arctic mineral resources, oil and gas resources, permafrost and sedimentology, and paleoenvironmental reconstruction. Chinese scientists introduced FIO's research achievements in Arctic sedimentology, paleoclimate and paleoenvironment. During the discussion, the two sides agreed to include arctic cooperation in the inter-institute cooperation memorandum and hoped to conduct research on the Arctic together as soon as possible.
After the workshop, FIO Director Li Tiegang met with VNIIO scientists, had a warm and sincere talk with Deputy Director Smirnov Aleksandr and fully exchanged views on the next cooperation plan between the two sides.
This workshop further deepened the two sides' cooperation in oceanic mineral resources and expanded their cooperation in polar research. The two sides agreed to hold the Fourth FIO-VNIIO Marine Science and Submarine Mineral Resources Workshop in Saint Petersburg next year.
Saint Petersburg-based VNIIO is an institute engaged in marine geology and mineral resource research under the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment of the Russian Federation. With strong scientific research strength, it has made a number of high-level research achievements in ocean geology and mineral resources, polar geology, mineral resources and other fields. Since 2006, FIO and VNIIO have conducted cooperative research in sulphide mineralization, the origin of cobalt-rich crusts and other aspects and made a number of achievements. In June 2017, the two sides renewed the inter-institute cooperation memorandum. Since then, the FIO-VNIIO Marine Science and Submarine Mineral Resources Workshop has been held annually.
 Scene of the workshop
|
