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A seabed mining lease sale for federal waters off American Samoa is scheduled for November 19, according to Legis1, which reports that federal officials have issued a final notice advancing plans to offer two leases. The notice moves the leasing process forward, but does not establish that leases have already been awarded. Legis1 cites a new Congressional Research Service report stating that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, BOEM, had not issued any leases for critical mineral activities as of that report’s publication. The American Samoa process followed an April 2025 request from Impossible Metals to begin leasing for exploration and potential development. According to the article, the company had also sought a sale in 2024, when BOEM chose not to begin the leasing process. An environmental assessment for the proposed leases resulted in an October finding of no significant impact, Legis1 reports. The article also describes continuing questions about the scientific knowledge and safeguards available to address potential environmental effects. The Congressional Research Service report raises issues that Congress may consider, including the role of states and territories in leasing, whether they should receive a share of lease revenue, and where minerals would be processed if suitable facilities are unavailable on the United States mainland. The article notes that mineral deposits are not necessarily economically viable to extract. The presence of potentially valuable material therefore does not, by itself, establish that a mining operation would be commercially feasible. For American Samoa, the next scheduled step is the November lease sale. The reported notice concerns the offering of leases for exploration and potential development; it does not establish that extraction has begun.
A seabed mining lease sale for federal waters off American Samoa is scheduled for November 19, according to Legis1, which reports that federal officials have issued a final notice advancing plans to offer two leases. The notice moves the leasing process forward, but does not establish that leases have already been awarded. Legis1 cites a new Congressional Research Service report stating that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, BOEM, had not issued any leases for critical mineral activities as of that report’s publication. The American Samoa process followed an April 2025 request from Impossible Metals to begin leasing for exploration and potential development. According to the article, the company had also sought a sale in 2024, when BOEM chose not to begin the leasing process. An environmental assessment for the proposed leases resulted in an October finding of no significant impact, Legis1 reports. The article also describes continuing questions about the scientific knowledge and safeguards available to address potential environmental effects. The Congressional Research Service report raises issues that Congress may consider, including the role of states and territories in leasing, whether they should receive a share of lease revenue, and where minerals would be processed if suitable facilities are unavailable on the United States mainland. The article notes that mineral deposits are not necessarily economically viable to extract. The presence of potentially valuable material therefore does not, by itself, establish that a mining operation would be commercially feasible. For American Samoa, the next scheduled step is the November lease sale. The reported notice concerns the offering of leases for exploration and potential development; it does not establish that extraction has begun.
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