The United States advanced its offshore licensing programme on 19 October with a final notice for its first offshore mineral lease sale, scheduled for 19 November near American Samoa.[6][12] The Marine Minerals Administration is offering two areas covering approximately 31.5 million acres of seabed.[6]
Each area carries a minimum bid of $3 million and a primary lease term of 20 years, gCaptain reported.[6] Production royalties would start at 2 percent for the first five years of commercial mining and rise to 5 percent thereafter.[6] The areas may contain polymetallic nodules and ferromanganese crusts bearing nickel, cobalt, copper and manganese.[6]
The agency says a winning bid does not authorize immediate mineral extraction and initially permits preliminary activities such as mapping.[12] Physical exploration, testing and commercial harvesting would need further approvals through a separate regulatory process.[12] The auction therefore does not establish that commercial mining will begin.[12]
Environmental group Oceana criticized the sale, warning of damage to seabed habitats and sediment plumes that could affect marine life beyond mining sites.[6] American Samoa Governor Pulaali'i Nikolao Pula has called for stronger environmental monitoring, protections for tuna fisheries and oversight of vessels using Pago Pago Harbor.[6] His comments also raised potential pressure on port infrastructure, waste management and water quality from mining related vessel traffic.[6]
Sources: [6] https://gcaptain.com/u-s-sets-first-deep-sea-mining-lease-sale-for-november [12] https://boem.gov/newsroom/press-releases/mma-announces-final-leasing-notice-first-ever-offshore-mineral-lease-sale Cover: NOAA photograph of polymetallic nodules, as used by gCaptain. The image is representative and is not verified as showing the proposed lease areas.