Heavy mineral geodatabase showing marine samples offshore of Virginia. A: 620 samples with heavy mineral data from previous projects, symbol colors determined by the percent of total heavy minerals (THM) obtained through gravity spiral separation methods. B: M21AC00010 samples (indicated with white halo) from Sandbridge Shoal and Atlantic Channel vibracores for THM and mineralogical analyses.
Odyssey’s primary targets are phosphate, which is now on the critical minerals list, and rare earth element’s titanium and zirconium. This would be a shelf dredging operation, in partnership with Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company, rather than the deepwater module collection being proposed for the Pacific.
The fact that the sand recovered during the dredging process could be used for beach nourishment should appeal to adjacent coastal communities.
Odyssey Marine’s CEO discusses the proposed Virginia offshore program starting at the 4:00 minute mark in the video below.
Conceptually, this technologically advanced polymetallic nodules collection system looks great. The big challenge that John Smith sees is with the number of moving parts. The numerous manipulators operating at such depths could be prone to breakdowns which reduce recovery rates and significantly increase operating costs.
Terrestrial Indonesian nickel mine site before and after miningBefore and after: terrestrial Chilean copper mine siteDeep-sea nodule field before and after collection by Impossible Metals
An Impossible Metals table (below) understandably favors their methods vs. those employed by deep-sea mining rival The Metals Company. However, both approaches are far preferable, environmentally and socially, to onshore metal mining.
On August 11, 2025, TMC USA received notice of full compliance from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on its exploration applications, and reconfirmation that TMC USA has priority right over both exploration areas
Both applications entered the certification stage in late July, which we expect to be approximately 100 days
In light of recent U.S. regulatory developments, TMC expects to commence commercial production from the NORI-D Area in the fourth quarter of 2027 if we receive a commercial permit before scaling to an average annual production rate of 10.8 million tonnes of wet nodules per annum (Mtpa) at steady state (2031 through 2043) production, with an expected 18-year life of mine (LOM);
Meanwhile, after missing deadlines in 2020 and 2023, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) again failed to deliver a Mining Code as communicated in their 2023 roadmap during the second part of their 30th session in July 2025. No new roadmap or new target date for adopting the final Mining Code has been agreed. The next ISA meeting is scheduled for March 2026. (Hence the importance of direct permitting through the US/NOAA.)
Remotely operated vehicle traverses over an extensive field of ferromanganese nodules that form the bulk of the hard seafloor substrate. Credit: NOAA.
The proposed rule is attached. Important points:
How can the US issue mining licenses in international waters (controversial)?
“The International Seabed Authority (ISA) regulates deep seabed mining in areas beyond national jurisdiction for countries that are parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The United States is a non-party to UNCLOS. Under U.S. law, NOAA may issue licenses and permits to U.S. citizens in areas beyond national jurisdiction under the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act (DSHMRA).“
Main objective of the proposed rule (paraphrased):
The deepsea mining industry has gained experience from site specific exploration activities. As a result, later entrants may be able to capitalize on the information gained by previous explorers and lessen the need for further exploration of previously explored areas. In such cases there may be a need for a consolidated licensing process in which permit applicants could meet exploration license requirements to establish priority of right, and permit requirements, simultaneously.
Comment: The proposed rule seems reasonable in that qualified companies that gather the necessary site information would have the right (after NOAA review and approval) to collect the minerals. This would align deepsea mining more closely with offshore oil and gas in that companies acquiring licenses would be able to proceed to production after regulatory approvals.
For those who want to provide input on an American Samoa marine minerals sale, now is your chance. See the attached Request for Information and Interest.
The first step will be the publication of a request for information and Interest in the Federal Register. This notice will seek public input that will help inform BOEM’s assessment of geologic conditions, potential environmental and cultural impacts, and other uses of the area.
Impossible Metals has developed an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) for selective mineral harvesting. Their novel AUV uses advanced robotics, AI, and a buoyancy engine to hover above the seabed and minimize disruption to the habitat and native biodiversity. Impossible Metals believes this method will have the lowest environmental impact and cost among land and deep-sea mining approaches.
9 minute interview with the CEO of Impossible Metals:
One nodule contains high grades of four key metals, meaning that four times less ore needs to be processed to obtain the same amount of metal. Nodules also contain no toxic levels of heavy elements, and the entirety of a nodule can be used, making near-zero-solid-waste production possible. Because nodules sit unattached on top of the seafloor, they will not require drilling or blasting for retrieval.
🇺🇸🚢 ⛏️ We’re witnessing a wave of glorified pseudoscience and fantasy activism around the ocean floor—this idea that the deep sea is some mystical sanctuary of life and that any attempt to extract resources from it is an unforgivable sin against Gaia. Spare me.
The bottom of the ocean is not the Garden of Eden. It’s a black, silent, high-pressure wasteland—largely lifeless, uninhabitable, and filled with the very minerals we need to break free from Chinese supply chain domination. You want a clean energy future? Then stop whining about the only scalable path to get there.
China has already begun strip-mining the ocean floor without asking for your permission. They don’t care about the blobfish or the bacteria colonies around volcanic vents. They care about winning. And every time we moralize ourselves into inaction, we gift them another geopolitical advantage wrapped in Western guilt.
Let’s cut the delusion. There is no future where America stays on top without securing its own critical minerals. Recycling won’t save us. Wind and solar need metals. Batteries need rare earths. Data centers need semiconductors. And semiconductors need the materials sitting at the bottom of the ocean.
You don’t get to demand green tech, reject land mining, block seabed access, and still pretend you’re “saving the planet.” That’s not leadership. That’s learned helplessness.
So yes, I support Trump’s executive action. Because someone has to make the grown-up decision. Either we lead this resource race with responsibility and strength—or we watch tyrants carve up the planet while we post crying-face emojis and argue about what’s sacred 10,000 feet below sea level.
Let the race for the bottom begin. 🇺🇸🚢
Deep sea vs. land mining:
From a paper by Daina Paulikas and Dr. Steven Katona, with input from Erika Ilves, Dr. Greg Stone, Anthony O’Sullivan, and a review from Todd Cort and Cary Kroninsky at Yale. While the industry-funding introduces the potential for bias, it nonetheless provides a comprehensive and thorough comparison.
… and shared a mineral water toast! 😉 (Weak joke, but at least it’s original and topical!)
NOAA and TMC, a Canadian company, are working together to bypass the stifling UN deep sea minerals bureaucracy.
NOAA raises a glass: Yesterday, President Trump signed an Executive Order establishing a framework for American companies to identify and retrieve offshore critical minerals and resources. The Executive Order prioritizes U.S. leadership in seabed mapping and mineral exploration, ensuring reliable access to critical minerals like manganese, nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements.
In support of the Executive Order, NOAA is committed to an expeditious review of applications for exploration licenses and commercial recovery permits. The agency will provide the necessary resources for license and permit reviews to ensure that those reviews go forward without undue delays.
TMC is positioned to play a central role in supporting an American industrial ecosystem underpinned by deep-seabed minerals, and poised to mobilize tens of billions in private investment in the U.S. across shipbuilding, ports, mineral processing, and advanced manufacturing
The Company through its U.S. subsidiary expects to file license and permit applications under the U.S. Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act (DSHMRA) in the second quarter of 2025
China boos: “The US authorization… violates international law and harms the overall interests of the international community,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Friday.
TMC and other companies like Impossible Metals (see below) have had enough of the endless delays at the United Nations’ International Seabed Authority, which is still developing regulations. Mining companies and others have spent years gathering data and providing input.
Meanwhile in US waters:
San Jose, CA – Impossible Metals, a pioneering US-based deep-sea mining company, has submitted a request to commence a leasing process for exploration and potential mining of critical minerals in the deep sea off the coast of American Samoa. Impossible Metals is the first company to request a lease of critical minerals under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1953, which is regulated by the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), part of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Impossible Metals has developed the only autonomous underwater robot (AUV) for selective harvesting. The novel underwater robot uses advanced robotics, AI, and a buoyancy engine to hover above the seabed, accurately identifying and avoiding nodules with visible life while minimizing disruption to the habitat and native biodiversity. This method will have the lowest environmental impact and cost among land and deep-sea mining approaches, setting a new standard for responsible resource collection.
According to a Financial Times report, the White House is drafting an executive order that will facilitate the stockpiling of critical metals found in the Pacific. The Administration is intent on countering China’s rare earth supply chains and battery mineral dominance.
Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE) 