The Trump administration is moving ahead with a first round of offshore deep-sea mining lease auctions off American Samoa. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s Marine Minerals Administration plans to offer leases covering roughly 31–32 million acres across two ocean areas in the U.S. Pacific, with bidding scheduled for Nov. 19.
Outlets describe the move as a landmark step because the U.S. government has not previously offered offshore mining leases for deep-sea extraction. The Hill reports on the Interior Department’s decision to allow companies to bid for the tracts, while the Washington Examiner frames it as part of efforts to strengthen the domestic critical minerals supply chain. Free Malaysia Today similarly focuses on the size of the areas and the auction date, highlighting the scope of the lease coverage near the territory.
Across the coverage, the core common elements are the government’s decision to auction leases, the location and number of lease areas, the approximate acreage totals, and the planned timing of the bids.
