Millions of Tons of Gold Are Hidden in the Oceans: Are They Being Mined and Where 0 29

A huge amount of gold is dissolved in the waters of the oceans. According to scientists' estimates, this is nearly 20 million tons. Some of the precious metal is contained in solid deposits beneath the seabed, prompting a global search for underwater riches, writes Wionews.

It is noted that China is a leader in underwater gold mining. The largest underwater gold deposit, discovered by Ruihai Mining Ltd, is located near the island of Sanshan. It contains approximately 470 to 1500 tons of this metal at a depth of just 2 km underwater. This places China first in the amount of discovered underwater gold reserves.

To find this deposit, Chinese geologists used 67 drilling platforms and more than 1000 employees, surveying an area of 120 square kilometers. After a summer of exploratory work, underwater ore was discovered near Laizhou - an area already known for gold mining.

Norway is another country considered a leader in the extraction of valuable minerals. Research shows significant reserves of gold, copper, and zinc in deep-water locations between Norway and Greenland. However, in this case, gold mining is still predominantly theoretical.