American Samoa seabed mineral leases head to auction
Published Date: 10/20/2026
Notice
Summary
The Marine Minerals Administration is holding an auction on November 19, 2026, to lease areas off the coast of American Samoa for mineral mining. Companies interested in bidding can find all the rules and maps online or by contacting MMA. This sale opens new opportunities for businesses while following strict rules to protect the ocean and local communities.
Analyzed Economic Effects
10 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 9 costs, 0 mixed.
Two very large lease areas offered
MMA is offering two lease areas for bid in Lease Sale PACM-1: OCS-P 0568 (~16,332,256 acres) and OCS-P 0569 (~15,170,979 acres). These are the exact areas identified on the sale maps posted on MMA's website.
High minimum bid required
Each lease area has a minimum bonus bid amount of $3,000,000. Bidders must meet or exceed this minimum to have a valid high bid.
20% bid deposit and deadlines
Bidders must submit an initial bonus bid deposit equal to 20% of the minimum bid for each lease they want to win; the initial deposit must be received by November 5, 2026. The provisional winner must pay the remainder of the 20% total deposit by 2:00 p.m. on the first business day after the auction.
Lease primary term and rental schedule
The lease Primary Term is 20 years. Annual rental rates per acre vary by lease year and by the share of the Initial Lease Area retained: Years 0-5 = $0.00; Years 6-10 = $0.30, $0.60, or $1.20; Years 11-15 = $1.25, $2.50, or $5.00; Years 16-20 = $2.50, $5.00, or $10.00, depending on whether the lessee retains less than 15%, 15% to <50%, or 50%+ of the Initial Lease Area.
Royalty rates and valuation rules
Royalty on delineation and testing production is 5%. For production under an approved Mining Plan, royalties are 2% for the first five years and 5% thereafter. Valuation follows 30 CFR part 1206 rules; allowable deductions are limited and minerals cannot be valued below the monthly average f.o.b. bulk sales price at the customary point of shipment.
Lease execution and final payment timing
A bidder awarded a lease must execute all copies of the lease and pay the balance of the bonus bid amount by EFT within 10 business days of receipt of the lease from MMA. ONRR requests a single transaction for the balance payment and once received the payment is not refundable.
No royalty relief offered
The lease sale explicitly states that no royalty relief will be offered for leases issued in this sale.
Lease scope limited to specific marine minerals
Leases issued will grant rights to develop all marine minerals or metals in polymetallic nodules and ferromanganese crust deposits and minerals produced incidental to those deposits. All other minerals, including oil, gas, sulphur, and source materials for fissionable materials, are reserved to the Lessor.
Who can bid and bidder paperwork deadlines
Qualified bidders must submit a Bidder's Financial Form (BFF) by October 29, 2026 (paper submission only) and recertify it on the day of the sale. Bidders must identify up to five authorized bidders and provide specified contact and affiliation information; failure to recertify prevents making oral bids.
Affiliation rules and bidder limits
Entities that are affiliated (common control, >50% ownership, common officers, etc.) may not compete against each other in the auction; if multiple affiliated entities attempt to participate, MMA will disqualify those bidders. A bidding entity may identify up to five individuals to attend and bid on its behalf.
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