🔔 Subscribe to ShipUniverse Weekly →
The U.S. Marine Minerals Administration has issued the final notice for an unprecedented November 19 auction of two mineral leases covering 31,503,235 acres of federal seabed off American Samoa. The combined footprint is approximately 49,224 square miles, or 127,489 km², slightly larger than the land area of Mississippi and roughly 644 times the land area of American Samoa itself. The leases target metals associated with polymetallic nodules and ferromanganese crusts, but winning the auction would not authorize immediate mining. A successful bidder would receive a 20-year mineral lease allowing preliminary surveying and resource characterization, with delineation, testing and commercial mining still requiring separate federal plans and approvals. A Samoan council of chiefs and two community organizations filed suit the same day the final notice was issued, asking a federal court to stop the sale.
31.5 Million Acres of Deep Pacific Seabed Are Going to Auction
The scale is exceptional, but the sale is for mineral lease rights, not outright ownership of the ocean floor.
What Is Actually Being Auctioned?
The final notice creates a real mineral lease auction, but there are several regulatory gates between winning the bid and operating a deep-sea mine.
| Term | Final PACM-1 Rule | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Auction | November 19, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. PT | In-person ascending oral auction, publicly livestreamed. |
| Lease 0569 | 15,170,979 acres | Auctioned first. |
| Lease 0568 | 16,332,256 acres | Auctioned second. |
| Minimum Bid | $3 million per lease | $6 million combined minimum if one bidder acquired both. |
| Initial Deposit | $600,000 per lease | 20% of minimum bid, due November 5. |
| Primary Term | 20 years | Long-duration right to pursue development subject to later approvals. |
| Covered Deposits | Polymetallic nodules + ferromanganese crusts | Associated marine minerals and metals may be developed if subsequently approved. |
| Preliminary Mapping | YES | Lease can support mapping and environmental/resource characterization. |
| Testing / Mining | NOT AUTOMATIC | Separate delineation, testing and mining plans must receive federal approval. |
| Production Royalty | 2% first 5 years; 5% thereafter | Applies only after approved mining production begins. |
MMA says the sale is authorized under OCSLA and that the current environmental review covers leasing and low-impact preliminary work. Any later testing or mining would receive additional review.
The plaintiffs argue the federal government lacks authority to issue these territorial mineral leases and that environmental review improperly postponed analysis of the eventual mining the leases are intended to facilitate.
The 20-Year Acreage Squeeze
The minimum bid is cheap per acre. Keeping tens of millions of acres for years without reaching production is not.
We welcome your feedback, suggestions, corrections, and ideas for enhancements.
Please click here to get in touch