Oleblue
2 주 전
https://mailchi.mp/9fcc8bf9569b/tmc_mar25_update-12885472?e=d301df9fff
Dear stakeholders,
Over the last decade, we’ve invested over half a billion dollars to understand and responsibly develop the nodule resource in our contract areas. We built the world’s largest environmental dataset on the CCZ, carefully designed and tested an offshore collection system that minimizes the environmental impacts and followed every step required by the International Seabed Authority. But, despite collaborating in good faith with the ISA for over a decade, it has not yet adopted the Regulations on the Exploitation of Mineral Resources in the Area in breach of its express treaty obligations under UNCLOS and the 1994 Agreement.
We believe we have sufficient knowledge to get started and prove we can manage environmental risks. What we need is a regulator with a robust regulatory regime, and who is willing to give our application a fair hearing. This is why we’ve formally initiated the process of applying for licenses and permits under the existing U.S. seabed mining code.
We invite you to read our CEO’s statement on this exciting new regulatory pathway and look forward to providing further updates next month.
Best regards,
The Metals Company
The Metals Company to Apply for Permits under Existing U.S. Mining Code for Deep-Sea Minerals in the High Seas in Second Quarter of 2025
Our subsidiary The Metals Company USA LLC (“TMC USA”) has formally initiated a process with NOAA under the U.S. Department of Commerce to apply for exploration licenses and commercial recovery permits under existing U.S. legislation, the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act of 1980 (DSHMRA). Following extensive legal diligence on DSHMRA, NOAA’s implementing regulations and other applicable environmental protection legislation, the Company strongly believes that the U.S. seabed mining code offers the greatest probability of securing a permit for commercial recovery of deep-sea mineral resources in a timely manner.
Read the Press Release
TMC Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Results
On March 27, we provided a corporate update and fourth quarter and full year financial results for the period ended December 31, 2024.
Read the Press Release
What is the Deep Sea Hard Mineral Resources Act (DSHMRA)?
The U.S. has had a legal path towards deep-sea mining since 1980—long before the ISA existed. DSHMRA and NOAA’s implementation regulations not only predate the ISA, but helped shape the ISA’s draft mining code that remains unadopted after 14 years of negotiations and has been delayed three times.
What research has the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration conducted in the CCZ?
Since the 1970s, the CCZ has seen billions in investment and hundreds of research campaigns. Following three commercial mining tests by U.S. companies, NOAA prepared the first Programmatic EIS in 1981 based on its research in the area. By 1995, NOAA reported to Congress that, aside from verifying plume behavior in future tests, nearly all environmental concerns about deep-sea mining had been addressed.
Since pioneering environmental assessments of potential nodule collection, NOAA has been joined by multiple other research institutions in conducting seafloor disturbance experiments using equipment designed for maximum impact. Based upon these studies, which revisited test sites repeatedly over 40 years, we now have extensive data showing that deep-sea life, which is mostly microbial, will likely recover within 50 years. Emerging data based upon tests of modern day mining equipment shows it could be even faster.
Over more than a decade, we’ve repeated much of NOAA’s research in our NORI and TOML areas, and then some! Our dataset is orders of magnitude larger, our collector's footprint much lighter, and our impact modelling far more sophisticated than in the '70s.
But the conclusions are the same: impacts are manageable, and recovery is real.
New Nature Paper Based Upon 1970s Test Mining Finds Near-Total Recovery for Various Fauna After 44 Years
While activists continue to spread baseless claims that nodule collector robots will devastate ecosystems, a new study published in Nature proves otherwise—showing that even with outdated, far more disruptive technology, recovery is not only possible but likely, within decades.
Over 40 years ago, the OMCO consortium conducted test mining trials with a robotic collector using an “Archimedes Screw” propulsion system that disturbed up to 80 centimeters of sediment, raking the seafloor to collect nodules. 44 years later, scientists report near-total recovery in regions affected by sediment plumes which had “no detectable or slightly positive biological impacts”.
Recovery of sediment-dwelling macrofauna and foraminifera in both the mining track and plume areas, with densities statistically comparable to undisturbed control sites
Recolonization of xenophyophores, giant, single-celled organisms that build external tests and are known to promote biodiversity by providing hard-substrate habitat. Their presence marks a critical step in ecological succession and the return of structural complexity
While sessile megafauna such as sponges were scarce in track areas where nodules were completely removed, as was expected, they were observed attached to nodules left behind by the 1979 collector. This suggests a promising mitigation pathway of intentional retention of some nodules on the seafloor to support recolonization by substrate reliant organisms. We expect that around 30% of our contract areas will remain untouched
Plume-affected area showed no long-term negative effects on faunal abundance and even higher densities of some megafaunal groups compared to both disturbed and undisturbed areas, highlighting the limited residual impact of sediment redeposition
Fast forward to 2022, and nodule collection tech has come along way. Our own tracked collector disturbed just the top 3 centimeters of sediment during test mining and NORI and MIT data shows the plume stayed low and settled fast, dispelling activist speculation it could travel tens of thousands of kms.
While the Nature paper noted recovery within four decades, our preliminary data shows we can do much better thanks to the lower-impact footprint of our vehicle. 12 months after test mining, we had already found that density of foraminifera had recovered to 30% of background levels, and diversity to within 50%.
As the researchers note, “efforts to reduce the direct collector impact could be effective in limiting the overall ecological effects.” We agree, and have observed this very fact. Just don’t expect the media to report on the fruits of our labor.
Read the Study
TMC and PAMCO Successful Smelting Campaign
We recently announced that PAMCO had successfully smelted 450 tonnes of calcine into 35 tonnes of Ni-Cu-Co alloy and 320 tonnes of Mn silicate products, during a commercial-scale campaign to process a 2,000-tonne sample of deep-seafloor polymetallic nodules at our partner PAMCO’s Rotary Kiln Electric-Arc Furnace facility in Hachinohe, Japan.
Roland Berger: Deep-sea mining – A Promising Critical Mineral Solution
A new report by consultancy firm Roland Berger finds deep-sea mining “offers major advantages over terrestrial mining “from a strategic, economic and environmental perspective. With deep-sea minerals expected to have a significant impact on supply and demand for numerous minerals, the report argues “countries and companies dependent on critical minerals should review their stance on deep-sea mining and consider stronger engagement to de-risk their supply chains."
Read the Paper
NEW YORK TIMES
NYTimes quotes TMC’s CEO Gerard Barron:
“The United States has had the legal framework and regulations for issuing exploration licenses and commercial recovery permits for deep seabed minerals in international waters,” Mr. Barron said Thursday. “Now there is political will to put existing authorities to use.”
Read the News
REUTERS
Writing in Reuters, Ernie Scheyder notes TMC’s forthcoming applications under the existing U.S. seabed mining code in Q2 2025. Given NOAA's pioneering role in environmental research and regulations for the industry, we believe the administration is well placed to ensure timely and responsible development of these lower-impact metals.
Read the News
NEW YORK TIMES
Since 1989, the U.S. has maintained a seabed mining code allowing for the exploration and commercial recovery of nodules in international waters, and now there is the political will to use it. We’re encouraged by the Department of Commerce’s recognition, as reported by the New York Times’ Eric Lipton, that deep-sea mining is a high seas freedom enjoyed by all nations.
"The Trump administration’s Commerce Department, in a statement to The New York Times late Friday, confirmed that it disagreed with the Seabed Authority’s interpretation of international law."
"'Companies can apply for exploration licenses and commercial recovery permits for deep-sea mining in ocean areas beyond national jurisdiction,' Maureen O’Leary, a department spokeswoman said, citing a 1980 federal law, the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act. It has never previously been used to authorize industrial-scale ocean mining."
"Ms. O’Leary added that the U.S. subsidiary of The Metals Company had started consulting with the Commerce Department over deep-sea mining plans. 'The process ensures a thorough environmental impact review, interagency consultations and opportunity for public comment.'"
Read the News
Gerard Barron Speaks to Mining.com?
Gerard recently sat down with Devan Murugan at Mining.com to discuss growing support for deep-sea minerals in Washington and the roadmap ahead to unlocking the planet’s largest source of battery metals.
During the chat, Gerard spoke to the transformational nature of the nodule resource: "we sit on such an enormous undeveloped asset. We don’t get fairly appreciated for the value of that asset. We have 1.6 billion tonnes of these polymetallic nodules like the one I have in my hand on two of our license areas. We are talking about a resource that is approaching a trillion dollars of value."
If you'd like to keep up with Gerard and his latest interviews, be sure to give his social channels a follow.
This document contains links to third-party websites that are not owned or controlled by The Metals Company. The Metals Company has no control over, and assumes no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party websites, and does not adopt the disclosure on these websites as its own. You acknowledge and agree that The Metals Company shall not be responsible or liable, directly, or indirectly, for any damage or loss allegedly caused by any content available on or through third-party websites, including any statements or information used or relied upon from these third-party websites. We strongly advise you to read the terms and conditions and privacy policies of any third-party websites that you visit.
Hot Features
프리미엄
무료로 등록하여 실시간 주식 시세, 대화형 차트, 실시간 옵션 플로우 등을 받아보세요.
BIOCHEMUP
22 시간 전
uber darthium
1 주 전
