U.S. Announces First Deep-Sea Mining Lease Sale Near American Samoa
The U.S. government will hold its inaugural offshore lease auction for deep-sea mining off American Samoa, targeting polymetallic nodules rich in critical minerals.
The Trump administration is preparing the first-ever offshore deep-sea mining lease sale, targeting an area of almost 32 million acres off American Samoa. Managed by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s Marine Minerals Administration, the auction set for Nov. 19 will allow firms to harvest polymetallic nodules that contain cobalt, copper, iron, manganese and nickel—materials deemed strategic for energy and defense. Acting Marine Minerals Administration Director Mike Olsen emphasized the need to balance national-security goals with rigorous environmental stewardship and local engagement.
Environmental advocates, represented by Faʻasao Amerika Samoa and the Conservation Council for Hawaii with Earthjustice, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii, arguing that large-scale seabed mining could devastate marine habitats and harm local communities. BOEM has indicated interest in extending similar lease offerings to waters near the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Alaska and Virginia, signaling a broader push for ocean-based mineral extraction.
Why it matters
It marks the U.S.'s first attempt to tap deep-sea mineral resources, affecting energy security and environmental policy.
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