Marine Minerals Administration advances first proposed offshore critical minerals lease sale
Why this news matters:
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The proposed lease sale marks a significant regulatory milestone for US offshore critical minerals development, potentially opening access to seabed resources needed for batteries, electronics, energy technologies and defense applications.
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The move highlights growing efforts to strengthen domestic critical mineral supply chains and reduce reliance on foreign sources, while also intensifying debate over the environmental and economic implications of deep-sea mining.
The Marine Minerals Administration (MMA) has announced the availability of a Proposed Leasing Notice (PLN) for a potential American Samoa Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Mineral Lease Sale, marking a significant step in the US strategy to develop domestic sources of critical minerals.
The notice outlines proposed terms and conditions for the sale, including blocks under consideration, information to lessees, and lease stipulations. It does not commit the agency to holding a sale.
A final Leasing Notice would need to be published in the Federal Register at least 30 days before any auction. A Notice of Availability for the PLN is scheduled for publication on July 17, 2026.
The proposed area builds on earlier steps in the process. The initial Request for Information and Interest (RFI) area, announced in 2025, covered approximately 18.1 million acres (73,222 km²) in deep waters (roughly 1,400–6,000 meters) northeast of the Manu’a Islands and Rose Atoll, near the eastern edge of the American Samoa OCS bordering the Cook Islands EEZ. This region consists primarily of abyssal plain with scattered seamounts.
Following public comments and industry interest, the Area Identification (Area ID) in November 2025 expanded the area under consideration to roughly 33 million acres (about 134,000 km² or 6,069 whole and partial blocks). The actual blocks offered in any lease sale would be a subset of this larger planning area.
Acting MMA Director Matt Giacona highlighted the strategic importance: “Critical minerals have become a strategic asset in global competition, and China’s dominance... creates unacceptable risks for America’s energy, defense and manufacturing sectors.” The proposed stipulations require lessees to make every reasonable effort to hire American Samoans, use local businesses, and utilize the Port of Pago Pago.
This initiative represents the first such offshore mineral leasing process in over 30 years.
Issuance of the PLN advances the process but does not guarantee a sale or any extraction activities. Public comments on the proposed notice will inform next steps. The MMA (formed by the recent reunification of BOEM and BSEE) will continue environmental, safety, and stakeholder considerations.
Materials and updates are available at: www.boem.gov/american-samoa.
This development has drawn both support for economic and security benefits and opposition from some local stakeholders concerned about environmental impacts and consultation processes. Any actual mining would face further regulatory steps.
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About the Author
Bruce Beaubouef
Managing Editor
Bruce Beaubouef is Managing Editor for Offshore magazine. In that capacity, he plans and oversees content for the magazine; writes features on technologies and trends for the magazine; writes news updates for the website; creates and moderates topical webinars; and creates videos that focus on offshore oil and gas and renewable energies. Beaubouef has been in the oil and gas trade media for 25 years, starting out as Editor of Hart’s Pipeline Digest in 1998. From there, he went on to serve as Associate Editor for Pipe Line and Gas Industry for Gulf Publishing for four years before rejoining Hart Publications as Editor of PipeLine and Gas Technology in 2003. He joined Offshore magazine as Managing Editor in 2010, at that time owned by PennWell Corp. Beaubouef earned his Ph.D. at the University of Houston in 1997, and his dissertation was published in book form by Texas A&M University Press in September 2007 as The Strategic Petroleum Reserve: U.S. Energy Security and Oil Politics, 1975-2005.