China's first deep-sea manned submersible has collected a variety of precious metals in the northwestern Indian Ocean.
Jiaolong collected 4.2 kg of sulfide, 18.7 kg of basalt and 16 litres of deep-sea water besides testing all its systems while descending to a depth of 3,117 metres, Yu Hongjun, field commander of the mission, said. It is Jiaolong's first deep sea expedition this year. Jiaolong is a part of the 38th ocean scientific expedition. Han Xiqiu, one of the scientists on the expedition, said future dives will evaluate the resource potential of the area.