MOVES are underway to mine the Pacific Ocean under United States law.
The Metals Company, in partnership with Nauru Ocean Resources Inc., (NORI) has applied for permits under US law to explore and extract minerals from the deep ocean floor in international waters.
NORI country manager Lesi Olsson said there are advantages of TMC’s new approach which uses the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act (DSHMRA) of 1980, a US law that allows for such activities.
The move aligns with recent US Executive order aimed at expediting the permitting process of offshore critical minerals and resources. Following extensive legal diligence on DSHMRA, the US government’s National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is implementing regulations and other applicable environmental protection legislation.
The application covers areas in the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) of the Pacific Ocean, a region rich in polymetallic nodules containing valuable metals like nickel, copper, cobalt and manganese. NORI-TMC submitted its application to the International Seabed Assembly (ISA) 14 years ago.
ISA has not yet established clear regulations for deep-sea mining