NOAA Clears TMC's Pacific Seabed License Near Mexico

NOAA's certification of TMC USA's 122,000 km² Pacific seafloor exploration license advances US commercial deep-sea mining of cobalt, copper, nickel, and manganese in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, directly bordering Mexico's marine jurisdiction. The development pressures Mexico to define its regulatory stance as Washington fast-tracks permitting for critical mineral extraction tied to battery supply chains and defense. 

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has formally certified an exploration license application submitted by The Metals Company's US subsidiary (TMC USA) covering approximately 122,000km² of Pacific seafloor estimated to hold 1.02Bt of polymetallic nodules.

The certification of the USA B application area marks the latest in a series of regulatory milestones for TMC as it advances what it describes as the world's first commercial deep-sea nodule recovery program in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, located between Mexico and Hawaii.

"Today's certification of our USA B exploration license application marks another important milestone in NOAA's transparent, rules-based process and we look forward to the development and publication of an EIS. Exploration is a critical step to unlocking the transformative potential of the untapped nodule resource for the United States," said TMC CEO Gerard Barron.

NOAA is expected to publish a Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement, followed by the development and publication for public comment of a draft EIS and draft Terms, Conditions and Restrictions for TMC USA's proposed exploration activities in the USA B area. Following the public comment period, NOAA will issue a final determination on the license and its associated terms.

TMC USA is also advancing a consolidated application for an exploration license and commercial recovery permit for the USA A area, submitted to NOAA in January and determined to be fully compliant on April 28.

Commercial Infrastructure Taking Shape

In parallel with regulatory progress, TMC has signed a commercial agreement with Swiss-based offshore engineering firm Allseas to design, commission and operate the nodule recovery system in the CCZ. The planned system would have nameplate production capacity of 3Mwt/y, using two collector vehicles operating more than 4km below the ocean surface, with offshore recovery operations targeted to begin by late 2027.

Under the agreement, Allseas will complete procurement, integration and operation of the full system, including collector vehicles, launch and recovery systems, riser pipe, the surface vessel Hidden Gem and a transfer vessel. The contractor will fund a high portion of costs, to be repaid through future production revenue. Subcontract awards are targeted by the end of the 3Q26.

"This agreement with Allseas is now the contractual cornerstone of our strategic alliance," Barron said. "Together, we are moving from firsts in deep-sea science and engineering towards first commercial recovery operations."

Allseas conducted a 3,000t pilot nodule recovery test in 2022. Nodules collected from the seabed would be transferred at sea to bulk carriers before shipment to onshore processing facilities. The targeted minerals, cobalt, copper, nickel and manganese, are sought for battery supply chains and defense applications as the U.S. works to reduce dependence on China for critical mineral inputs.

Both TMC and competitor American Ocean Minerals Corporation are operating within a framework established by a July 2025 executive order directing federal agencies to fast-track offshore mining permitting.

AOMC has also deployed its refurbished 196-foot vessel, the Anuanua Moana, which has mapped a 23,500km² license area in 16 days and contributed to a mineral resource estimate of more than 500Mwt of polymetallic nodules. AOMC's exploration program spans the Cook Islands' exclusive economic zone and US-regulated international waters. Last month, AOMC acquired Odyssey Marine Exploration through a reverse takeover, creating a combined company valued at approximately US$1 billion, to trade on Nasdaq under the ticker AOMC.

International Governance and Environmental Disputes

The commercial acceleration runs parallel to unresolved international governance questions. The International Seabed Authority, the United Nations body responsible for regulating mining beyond national jurisdiction, has been negotiating a commercial mining code while approximately 40 countries have backed a moratorium on deep-seabed mining, citing unresolved environmental and benefit-sharing concerns.

Greenpeace International has argued that companies seeking US licenses while holding ISA contracts are in breach of obligations under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Legal analysts have warned that unilateral national licensing could bypass equitable benefit-sharing and environmental protection mechanisms embedded in the international framework.

TMC's bid has drawn formal opposition from civil society groups, with environmental organizations warning that industrial operations on the ocean floor could cause irreversible biodiversity loss. Earlier this year, TMC began sharing findings from its Environmental Impact Assessment publicly through two video series addressing environmental concerns and steps taken to reduce its footprint.

Mexico's Position

The regulatory momentum in Washington creates a positioning decision for Mexico, which ranks 12th globally by marine area and sits near mineral-rich Pacific zones. After initially supporting acceleration of ISA regulatory processes in July 2023, Mexico joined 25 other nations in November 2023 in calling for a suspension of seabed mining until adequate environmental impact studies are completed. The country has stated it will not endorse international licenses until those conditions are met, though it remains open to future collaboration within an established international legal framework.