US moves closer to deep-sea mining near American Samoa with 31.5 million acre lease plan

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) proposed auctioning two seabed lease areas near American Samoa totaling 31.5 million acres for mineral exploration.

The lease sale is scheduled for November 19, 2026, but successful bidders would only be allowed preliminary exploration, not commercial mining.

The seabed in the proposed leasing area lies at depths from about 4,600 feet to 20,000 feet, and the lease blocks do not overlap the Rose Atoll National Wildlife Refuge or the marine national monument.

Deep-sea deposits are believed to contain minerals like copper, nickel, cobalt, and manganese, essential for electric vehicle batteries, renewable energy, and defense equipment.

The proposal aligns with a Trump administration executive order from April 2025 to accelerate seabed mineral development and reduce dependence on foreign mineral supply chains.