exploration
(5) “exploration” means— (A) any at-sea observation and evaluation activity which has, as its objective, the establishment and documentation of— (i) the nature, shape, concentration, location, and tenor of a hard mineral resource; and (ii) the environmental, technical, and other appropriate factors which must be taken into account to achieve commercial recovery; and (B) the taking from the deep seabed of such quantities of any hard mineral resource as are necessary for the design, fabrication, and testing of equipment which is intended to be used in the commercial recovery and processing of such resource;