A Feasibility Assessment of U.S. Deep-Sea Mining and a Comparative Analysis with Terrestrial Mining
This report analyzes the feasibility of deep-sea mining (DSM) in U.S. federal waters, primarily focusing on the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) proposed Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) mineral leasing process in the U.S. economic exclusive zone off American Samoa. Developed with guidance from BOEM, the study was conducted as a response to Secretarial and Presidential Executive Orders prioritizing the development of domestic DSM capabilities as part of a broader critical mineral strategy promoting U.S. energy independence. The targeted minerals–cobalt, manganese, and nickel–are vital to the production of technologies like batteries, solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles (EVs), and electronic devices, and have been recognized by the U.S. government as integral to U.S. national defense needs.
The study was conducted in three main phases. First, a comprehensive literature review examines DSM across three scopes: regulatory, economic, and environmental. Research draws on government publications, peer-reviewed academic sources, documentation published by DSM companies, discovery interviews with BOEM staff and industry leaders in DSM, a consultation with a mineral price and forecasting agency, and the team’s attendance at the International Marine Minerals Society's 2026 Offshore Critical Minerals Forum. Second, a feasibility assessment evaluates the regulatory, technological, cultural, socioeconomic, and environmental considerations for DSM in American Samoa. Third, a comparative yield assessment quantifies projected DSM production from the American Samoa Request for Information (RFI) area against the same target minerals’ production by terrestrial mining leaders.
Our findings indicate that commercial-scale DSM faces substantial uncertainties within our scope of research. Spatial yield efficiency varies considerably by mineral, and environmental impacts, particularly from midwater sediment plumes, remain incompletely understood. Cultural and socioeconomic considerations in American Samoa present additional complexity for the leasing process. Industry leaders believe that the technology exists to begin commercial-scale DSM; however, the hesitancy of investors to get involved due to the uncertainty that surrounds the enterprise remains a massive hurdle moving forward.
Acknowledgements
UC Santa Barbara Bren School: James Salzman, Professor; Samantha Stevenson-Karl, Associate Professor
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management: Natalie Dayal, Jennifer Miller, Rockne Rudolph, and Eric Huchzermeyer