Movement towards a mining moratorium
Mining in international waters is a hotly debated topic. One of the discussion points is environmental concerns about the effect of mining on the unique and poorly understood abyssal plain…
Seabed Minerals
Japan retrieves rare-earth-rich mud from 6,000 m in deep-sea’s first
Japan has successfully retrieved sediment containing rare earth elements (REE) from the seabed off Minami-Torishima Island in the Pacific Ocean, some 1,900 km south-east of Tokyo. At nearly 6,000 m…
The benefits of being a second mover
“I was in oil and gas for most of my career,” says James Deckelman, the CEO of Deep Sea Minerals, when we meet online. “And the opportunities I have had…
First seabed copper from Norway
Over the past three years, academia and industry joined forces in the project EMINENT to increase knowledge of the deep sea and demonstrate a full value chain for sustainable extraction…
Norway stumbles at the finish line
On the night of December 3, 2025, Norwegian parliament re-ached an agreement on the state budget for 2026. One point in the budget agreement reads as follows: The parliament asks…
Are sea cucumbers in a pickle?
In March this year, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) member states met and negotiated over two weeks in Kingston, Jamaica, to discuss the future of seabed mining. But yet again,…
First commercial recovery permit for seabed mining on the horizon
The national Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an agency within the US Department of Commerce, recently updated regulations regarding seabed mineral exploration and commercial recovery. The updated framework allows US…
A greenprint for deep sea copper exploration
The Semenov hydrothermal fields along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 13° N, the same latitude as Senegal and Nicaragua, boast the world’s largest known Seafloor Massive Sulphide (SMS) deposits, with a…
Deep-sea mud trial extraction to begin in 2026
Japan is set to launch test mining of a unique deposit of rare earth element (REE)-rich deposits in an area off the Minami-Torishima Island (Marcus Island) in the Pacific Ocean,…
American company eyes seabed mineral opportunities in Norway
“Earlier in my career, I have had the privilege of working in Norway, which is a leading example of how industry, trade, and the public and private sectors collaborate. And…
World’s first deep-sea mineral reserves declared
The metals Company’s (TMC) August release marks a milestone in its history, as well as for the global marine minerals industry. The technical summary of the pre-feasibility study (PFS) for…
The ambivalent position some European countries find themselves in when it comes to seabed mineral extraction
When the convention of the sea was adopted in 1994, the newly formed International Seabed Authority (ISA) started to award licences for the exploration of seabed minerals. Now, in 2025,…