In what its executives have called a world first, The Metals Company (TMC) has submitted applications to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for two exploration licenses and one commercial recovery permit under the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act (DSHMRA).
CEO Gerard Barron said the company made the move after last month’s executive order from U.S. President Donald Trump, “Unleashing America’s Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources.”
The EO directs the Department of Commerce to expedite permitting and the Departments of Defense and Energy to explore using the National Defense Stockpile and offtake agreements to secure seabed minerals essential to U.S. industrial resilience.
TMC USA’s commercial recovery permit application covers a proposed 25,160 square-kilometer area referred to as TMC USA-A_2, which includes areas that contain the company’s already indicated and measured resources in the CCZ, located approximately 1,300 nautical miles south of San Diego.
“We believe the TMC USA-A and USA-B exploration areas contain SEC SK 1300-compliant resources of 1,635 million wet tonnes of polymetallic nodules, with an additional estimated 500 million tonnes of potential exploration upside based on internal estimates,” TMC said. “Together, the resource is estimated to contain approximately 15.5 million tonnes of nickel, 12.8 million tonnes of copper, 2.0 million tonnes of cobalt, and 345 million tonnes of manganese.”
Barron called the filing a major step forward, not only for it but also to the country as it steps further toward energy independence.
“We are offering the United States a shovel-ready path to new and abundant supplies of nickel, copper, cobalt, and manganese – critical metals for energy, infrastructure, and defense. After continuous delay at the international level, the United States now has a clear opportunity to reclaim its leadership role in the deep sea and set a global standard for responsible, science-based deep-seabed resource development.”
He added it has invested over a half a billion dollars and more than a decade preparing for the point of application: “investing in deep-sea science, engineering and technology to build the world’s most advanced deep-sea minerals platform.”
NOAA is expected to make an initial determination as to whether TMC USA’s applications for exploration licenses are in full or substantial compliance with the applicable requirements under DSHMRA and its implementing regulations within 30 days of receipt and whether TMC USA’s application for a commercial recovery permit is complete within 60 days. NOAA is then expected to proceed with a full review of the applications, including environmental and technical evaluations.
Source: The Metals Company