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submarine attends an international fleet review to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army Navy on April 23, 2009 off Qingdao in Shandong Province. (Getty Images file photo)

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BEIJING: A Chinese submersible vessel has conducted its first deep dive in the Indian Ocean in search of rare metals. The project involves collecting samples of hydrothermal fluid and sulfide, a kind of seabed deposit containing copper, zinc and precious metals such as gold and silver.The project, which involves exploring the Indian Ocean for 120 days, reflects China's hunger for resources, and its long-term development plans, sources said. The vessel will also obtain samples of rocks, sediment and water from selected spots in the India Ocean.Different metals become sulfides after chemical reactions and come to rest in the seabed in “chimney vents”, official Xinhua news agency said.The mission’s chief scientist, Tao Chunhui, said diving in the submersible enables researchers to see active hydrothermal vent and polymetallic sulfide in seabed and study the environment in the sites from which samples are drawn. The information is important for China's future research in the polymetallic sulfide exploration contract area, Tao said.The first dive last Friday was part of a plan for 20 more planned for the submersible called Jiaolong after a mythical dragon. It will research polymetallic sulfides, biological diversity, hydrothermal microbes and genetic resources in a 120-day expedition in the Indian Ocean.Jiaolong earlier conducted a 52-day scientific expedition in the northwest Pacific Ocean until last August. It collected 116 biological samples, 22 rock samples, 100 kg of cobalt-rich crust and 24 kg of polymetallic crust samples, as well as 1,232 liters of seawater from the Pacific Ocean. Chinese experts also tested a remotely operated underwater vehicle, Longzhu.China said it was conducting the diving operation within its own licensed exploration area. It entered a contract with the International Seabed Authority and China Ocean Mineral Resources Research and Development Association ( COMRA ) in 2011 to cover 10,000 sq km of sea surface for research.Research mission’s chief commander, Yu Hongjun, said the vessel will also be used to help pilot trainees to learn skills of submersible operation in active hydrothermal vent and collect samples. The submersible has been carried by a research ship, Xiangyanghong 09.“Besides, the pilots will try to place some biological observation devices in hydrothermal vent,” Yu was quoted by the official Xinhua news agency, which did not identify the exact place in the Ocean where the diving took place.The Jiaolong submersible reached its deepest depth of 7,062 meters in the Pacific's Mariana Trench in June 2012 before launcing a five-year trial period in 2013.