TMC the metals company announced that the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has published its consolidated application for an exploration license and commercial recovery permit. This action, a key step in the regulatory process, pertains to the TMC USA-A area in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone of the Pacific Ocean and advances the company's plans for deep-sea mining of polymetallic nodules.
Key Details
- Application Details: The consolidated application covers a proposed commercial recovery area of approximately 65,000 km², an increase from a previous ~25,000 km² application.
- Estimated Resource: The area is estimated to contain 619 million tonnes of wet nodules, with a potential exploration upside of an additional 200 million tonnes.
- Regulatory Milestone: The publication in the Federal Register on August 19, 2026, initiates the public notice period, a prerequisite for the next steps in NOAA's review process under the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act.