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Prospecting licence area of Neptune Resources

The seafloor being prospected by Neptune Resources (shaded area) covers 33,160 sq.km (3,316,000 hectares).  The area starts 70km off the Bay of Plenty coast between Tauranga and Whakatane, about 20km north of volcanically active White Island, and extends 423km northeast along the southern Kermadec Ridge.

There are numerous seamounts within the prospecting licence area, including the chain that includes the Rumble and Brothers seamounts.  The largest, Rumble III covers an area of 300 sq.km, is 3,200 metres tall from the base to the peak, which is 200 metres below sea level.  The Brothers seamount covers 35 sq.km, is 1,300 metres high, and the peak is 1,197 metres below sea level.