Physical exploration research vessel ‘Tamhae 3’, scheduled to berth on May 31
First exploration in the Gunsan Basin of the West Sea, also searching for rare earth elements in the Pacific Ocean.
On May 23 at 1:30 p.m., a small boat left Busan Port, and a large ship floating in the sea appeared. It was the new physical exploration research vessel ‘Tamhae 3’ of the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM). Built by KIGAM in collaboration with Norwegian ship design company Ulstein and HJ Heavy Industries for underwater exploration since 2018, the 6900-ton research vessel Tamhae 3 cost 186.8 billion won to build.
Kim Byung-yeop, head of the Subsurface Geology and Energy Research Department, and Choi Yoon-seok, head of the Submarine Geological Exploration Research Center, met on the Tamhae 3 with pride evident on their faces. Tamhae 3 is the world’s only state-of-the-art physical exploration research vessel to be built within the next 10 years. After the launching ceremony held on May 31 at Yeongilman Port in Pohang, Tamhae 3 is set to explore continental shelves, oceans, and polar regions worldwide.
Tamhae 3 follows in the footsteps of the Tamhae 2, which has been conducting underwater exploration for the past 27 years. One notable difference is that the necessary airgun and streamers for seismic wave research have significantly increased. An airgun is a device that generates seismic waves by explosively releasing compressed air underwater. Streamers measure the waves reflected back after entering the seabed and undergo changes upon encountering different media such as liquids or gases.
The underwater exploration process begins with a 2D seismic wave survey using a single streamer. This is followed by a 3D seismic wave survey that deploys multiple streamers to provide detailed underwater information. While Tamhae 2 had only two streamers, Tamhae 3 is equipped with 8 streamers set at intervals of 100 meters, increasing the survey width to 700 meters. The combined length of the streamers on Tamhae 3 totals 6 kilometers, covering a distance from Mapo Bridge to Hannam Bridge in Seoul.
Director Choi Yoon-seok mentioned that Tamhae 3, with a weight three times that of its predecessor Tamhae 2 at 6900 tons, can conduct surveys even in waves as high as 4 meters, and addressed the issue of receivers on previous vessels obstructing passage of private fishing boats. Tamhae 3 is equipped with a feature that allows the receivers to be submerged when other vessels pass by and lifted back up afterward.
Tamhae 3 is equipped with 400 cylindrical Ocean Bottom Nodes (OBN) to enhance the quality of underwater exploration. The seismic waves passing through the seafloor return in the form of P-waves or S-waves. Since S-waves only pass through solids, they could not be detected by receivers above water level. KIGAM uses OBNs placed on the seafloor to measure even the S-waves that do not penetrate the sea. The analysis also includes monitoring changes over time by measuring the seismic waves encountered. Upon completing the seismic wave survey, a sampler is deployed 15 meters into the seafloor to collect samples for further chemical analysis.
The core mission of Tamhae 3 is resource exploration. The vessel aims to locate untapped petroleum, gas, and rare earth resources similar to the ‘7 basins’ in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula where oil is presumed to be present. The first exploration will take place in the Gunsan Basin in the West Sea. In addition to resource exploration, suitable areas for storing captured carbon dioxide obtained on land will also be identified and analyzed to ensure proper containment.
Director Kim Byung-yeop stated that seismic wave surveys, essential for resource exploration such as oil and gas, have progressed significantly. He mentioned that Tamhae 3 is expected to play a crucial role in locating potential oil reservoirs in Korea and emphasized plans to conduct resource exploration not only around the Korean Peninsula but also in oceans and polar regions.
KIGAM plans to explore the Pacific Ocean next year for rare earth minerals, used in advanced equipment, due to the confirmed location and concentration of valuable minerals stored there. With Tamhae 3’s advanced capabilities, the possibility of Korea breaking free from its resource-poor status is greatly increased, as there are currently 159 confirmed areas where these valuable minerals are stored.
Thanks to the latest physical exploration features of Tamhae 3, active international cooperation is expected. Director Kim mentioned the high interest from foreign companies in petroleum exploration and obtaining exploration rights for resources. International cooperation, including collaborative research with organizations such as the US Geological Survey (USGS), is part of KIGAM’s future plans.