The first of the equipment to be tested will be the three seafloor production tools (SPTs). The SPTs are due for delivery from the Soil Machine Dynamics facility in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, early in 2016. Each machine is undergoing rigorous commissioning and factory acceptance testing which has been conducted in dry conditions on land. Once delivered, the SPTs will undergo extensive wet testing at Duqm port in Oman which is designed to provide a submerged demonstration of the fully assembled SPTs and will involve submerged testing of:

• Control systems operations and feedback;
• Hydraulic functions;
• Collection system functions; and
• Survey and visualisation systems.

On completion of the wet testing, the SPTs will be stored at UES facilities in Duqm, Oman for preservation and maintenance until integration on the PSV which is expected to occur in 2017.

Mike Johnston, CEO of Nautilus Minerals, commented: “It is very exciting to have the SPTs all fully assembled as we prepare for wet testing. We appreciate the ongoing support from our largest shareholder, MB Holding Company, who is assisting us with the wet testing and provision of storage facilities in Oman. We look forward to the next phase of development to wet test our equipment as we work towards commencing our seafloor operations in the March 2018 quarter.”