U.S. offers 31.5 million acres for deep-sea mining off American Samoa

Key Facts

The U.S. Marine Minerals Administration announced it would auction leases for two areas off American Samoa on November 19, 2026, linking the move to securing supplies of critical minerals. The offering covers about 31.5 million acres on American Samoa's outer continental shelf, according to S&P Global. Acting Director Mike Olsen said the minerals were important to "strengthening our national defense and securing domestic supply chains." The deposits are attracting interest for their potential to contain nickel, cobalt, manganese and rare earth elements used in batteries, magnets and strategic technologies. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management received a formal request to hold an auction from U.S. company Impossible Metals on April 8, 2025, according to the Interior Department. The current administration was established by merging the bureau with the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement on July 10, 2026.

The offering sets a primary lease term of 20 years, according to S&P Global's coverage of the final notice. The minimum bid is $3 million for each of the two areas offered for lease. The leases cover polymetallic nodule deposits and ferromanganese crusts, while oil, gas, sulfur and other reserved minerals remain under federal control. According to the notice published in the Federal Register, production under an approved mining plan is subject to a royalty of 2% of the value of minerals produced during the first five years of production. The notice also states that the offering will include no royalty relief.

Winning a lease allows preliminary activities, including mapping, according to the Marine Minerals Administration. Starting physical exploration, testing and full-scale commercial extraction requires further, multistage regulatory procedures administered by the regulator. The administration completed an environmental assessment of the leasing decision and authorization of the associated preliminary activities. Those preliminary activities are limited to environmental characterization, according to the administration's clarifications on operations off American Samoa. In its response to comments from the territory's governor, the administration stressed that issuing a lease and conducting preliminary activities "should not create any presumption, expectation or entitlement to subsequent commercial activity."

On the legal front, Earthjustice filed a lawsuit, according to the Associated Press. The suit targets the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. The organization acted on behalf of Fa'asao American Samoa and the Conservation Council for Hawai'i. On environmental concerns, Oceana said the proposed lease areas lie immediately adjacent to the Rose Atoll Marine National Monument. The organization added that the monument contains habitats for threatened species, in its objection to plans to lease areas for seabed mining.

Locally, American Samoa's governor requested a fair share of federal leasing revenue for the territory, according to the Marine Minerals Administration's response to his comments. The administration supported the principle of equitable revenue sharing but said current law did not give it authority to implement it. The governor's comments stressed that the tuna industry supports thousands of livelihoods directly and indirectly and remains central to American Samoa's economic security. The lease terms, meanwhile, require the lessee to make reasonable efforts to maximize the use of local labor, personnel and contractors. The terms also require reasonable efforts to use the Port of Pago Pago as an operational support base where technically, commercially and operationally feasible.

The next deadlines begin with receipt of bidders' financial forms no later than October 29, 2026, according to the final notice published in the Federal Register. Bid deposits must arrive by November 5, 2026, as part of the participation requirements. The Marine Minerals Administration will hold a virtual seminar for qualified bidders on November 12, 2026, ahead of the auction. The auction will be held in person through ascending oral bids, under the procedure set out in the notice. Each area will be offered separately in sequence during the sale.