Deep-Sea Miner Seeks US Route Around Global Delays

Deep Sea Minerals shifts toward US and Pacific permits as global seabed mining rules stall

16 Feb 2026

The race to tap minerals from the ocean floor is picking up speed. Deep Sea Minerals is not waiting around.

With global rules for seabed mining still tangled in debate, the North American company is steering toward US permitting channels and opportunities in the Cook Islands. The move comes as the International Seabed Authority, the UN-backed body tasked with setting commercial mining rules for international waters, continues to negotiate standards that remain unsettled.

For companies eager to move from exploration to extraction, the delays are more than procedural. They are strategic roadblocks.

Rather than sit tight, Deep Sea Minerals is engaging US regulators under the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act. It has not secured a commercial permit under that law. Still, it is positioning itself in case Washington opens a clearer path forward.

The timing is no accident. US policymakers have sharpened their focus on securing supplies of nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese, metals vital to electric vehicles, power grids, renewable energy systems, and advanced electronics. Reducing dependence on foreign suppliers has become a bipartisan theme.

In a recent update, the company pointed to regulatory readiness and jurisdictional alignment as key priorities. It also closed a $4.22 million private placement and upgraded to the OTCQB Venture Market, steps aimed at widening investor access as it pushes ahead with permitting talks.

The broader landscape remains fraught. The ISA is still debating environmental safeguards and royalty terms. Countries such as France and Germany have voiced support for precautionary pauses until more scientific research is done. Environmental groups warn that mining the deep sea could disrupt fragile ecosystems that scientists barely understand.

At the same time, governments in North America and parts of Asia are under pressure to secure mineral supply chains that are less concentrated and more resilient.

By pursuing both US and Pacific licensing routes, Deep Sea Minerals is spreading its bets. Industry analysts say firms that can navigate national systems may gain an early edge if domestic approvals move faster than global agreements.

The obstacles are real. So is the demand. In the deep sea, geology matters. But for now, policy may matter more.