To show how deep this conspiracy was planted I had science textbooks in the early 90s which had a small section on manganese modules and a photo of the Glomar Explorer, the ship that was designed to explore for them. I only found out in the late 2000s this was an intelligence ruse. This cover had been embedded for so long it managed to wind its way into public school textbooks.
Also in the 90s: The local oil refinery in Northern Europe had a large lobby display of manganese nodule collection as the future of mining for minerals. Next to it was a demonstration of solar panels for future energy needs.
The Glomar Explorer wasn't unique because of it's mobile derrick. There were any number of ships designed for that purpose. It was notable for its deep sea mining of exotic minerals, such as manganese. To date, there still isn't a ship capable of doing such a task and this particle ship was positioned in a public school textbook as having done so.
