The United States Department of the Interior has announced that it is commencing the process of offering leases for deep-sea mining in response to a request from the startup company Impossible Metals (formerly known as Impossible Mining).

According to the agency, the process will involve an “evaluation of a potential mineral lease sale in the waters offshore American Samoa.” This administrative procedure necessitates the publication of a notice in the federal register, followed by the solicitation of public input before any sales can be considered.

Considering the tone of the statement made by the Secretary of the Interior regarding this matter, it appears that the lease sale may be a likely outcome.

“Critical minerals are essential for enhancing our nation’s resilience and protecting our national interests,” stated Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. “By providing opportunities for responsible access to deep-sea mineral resources, we are fostering both American economic growth and national security.”

In April, Impossible Metals, a deep-sea mining startup, submitted a formal request for the leases.

The company has developed an underwater autonomous vehicle that is lowered to the ocean floor by a crane, where it uses robotic claws to collect polymetallic nodules rich in minerals. Impossible Metals claims that its UAV is less disruptive to the delicate deep-water ecosystem than its competitors, many of which use vacuum systems to extract the nodules.

Polymetallic nodules are formed over millions of years, accumulating minerals dissolved in seawater, including manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, and copper. As the world transitions to electrification, the demand for these critical minerals has surged. China’s dominance over key mineral markets, such as cobalt, has also led companies and governments to seek alternative sources.

The clusters of metal have attracted the attention of prospectors due to their exceptionally high concentrations of minerals, far exceeding those typically found in terrestrial mines.

Ecologists and oceanographers have warned that mining operations in areas rich in polymetallic nodules pose a risk to disrupting fragile ecosystems. Life in the deep sea grows at a slow pace, and any disruptions could take decades to recover from. A recent study found that microbial communities would require 50 years to recover from mining operations.

Sponges and other organisms growing on the seafloor could be directly harmed by the mining robots, while those that are not directly affected would still have to cope with sediment plumes polluting the normally clear water. Furthermore, the nodules themselves produce oxygen, suggesting they may aid researchers in discovering life on other planets.