The Marine Minerals Administration (MMA) has finalized terms for an offshore mineral lease sale near American Samoa, a step toward a possible domestic source of critical minerals that sets no timeline for commercial supply. The agency was formed on July 10 from the former Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. The Lease Sale PACM-1 will offer two Outer Continental Shelf areas on November 19.
MMA describes it as its first-ever offshore mineral lease sale. Its final leasing notice sets the bidding and lease terms and goes on public display in the Federal Register on October 20. For procurement teams, the sale opens a period of resource evaluation. It does not create a producing mine, a delivery schedule or an alternative to existing suppliers.
A Lease Covers Mapping, Not Mining
A winning bid authorizes only preliminary activities such as mapping, research and environmental characterization, and MMA says a multi-stage regulatory process follows before any exploration, testing or commercial harvesting. The lease stipulations require written notice at least 30 days before preliminary work begins, with details on the activities, each vessel and piece of equipment, and the schedule. Lessees must also submit a Fisheries Communication Plan at least 90 days before that work starts.
Environmental Review Covers the Lease Stage Only
Environmental clearance so far is narrow. A July 2026 environmental assessment and an October finding of no significant impact address leasing and preliminary activities. Commercial mining would need a separate mining plan, which MMA told American Samoa’s governor in an October 15 letter would get its own environmental and technical review and consultation with the territory. Review at the leasing stage therefore leaves open whether any particular extraction method or operating footprint is acceptable.
Litigation adds another open question. The sale faces a federal lawsuit filed in August by Faʻasao Amerika Samoa and the Conservation Council for Hawaiʻi, represented by the environmental law group Earthjustice. The case challenges a National Marine Fisheries Service finding that the activity is not likely to harm protected species such as whales and sea turtles.
Port Capacity Is a Practical Limit
MMA’s letter also responded to territorial concerns about fisheries, vessel traffic, harbor capacity, wastewater, solid waste and public infrastructure. It pointed to its regional port assessment, which identifies limits on upland space, berth depth, wharf load capacity and logistics support and finds that commercial-scale operations would need significant upgrades or new development. Before approving work that requires substantial shore-based support, MMA says it will assess infrastructure needs with the territory and allocate reasonable costs to lessees.
Those obligations sit alongside the cost of offshore collection technology for any developer. The sale follows an executive order backing a U.S. role in deep-sea mining, and the agency has also taken comment on seabed mineral leasing off Virginia.
Bidding on November 19 will show how much commercial interest the two areas draw. Exploration results, approved plans, infrastructure commitments and financing will decide whether supply follows, and critical mineral buyers have already seen financing weigh as heavily as geology elsewhere.
