The Metals Company deep-sea nodule mining in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (NOAA permit route)
- Company or project The Metals Company: A Benchmark lifecycle assessment found its NORI-D project could outperform land-based routes; it excludes biodiversity and social impacts. A company-funded 2020 study put the saving at 70% less direct carbon emissions and 94% less land use. The Metals Company
- Researchers Planet Tracker: Two of three lifecycle studies were funded by mining companies; results ranged from 28% more to 76% less emissions than land mining, with more than 70% of emissions from the processing stage. Planet Tracker
- Press and investigations Smithsonian Magazine: Reported that a 2022 test left tracks with drastically fewer animals and lower species diversity (-37% abundance, -32% richness), in a study mainly funded by the mining contractor. Smithsonian Magazine
- Researchers Andrew Sweetman's team (Nature Geoscience, July 2024): Reported oxygen production near nodules in lightless depth, and that nodules might act like small ‘geo-batteries’ splitting seawater; the mechanism remains a hypothesis. Part of the funding came through a TMC subsidiary. E&E News
- Company or project The Metals Company: Called the findings flawed. E&E News
- Researchers The journal: Said TMC's objection did not contain enough information for assessment. E&E News
The Metals Company sought a commercial seabed mining permit from the US regulator NOAA for about 65,000 km² of the Pacific, outside the rule-making of the International Seabed Authority. A study of its 2022 test run found 37% fewer animals in the collector tracks two months later.
Measured in the tracks only; study published December 2025, led by the Natural History Museum, London, with main funding from the mining contractor.
Status As of October 2026: NOAA had published TMC USA's consolidated application and TMC expected a decision in the first quarter of 2027; the ISA Council had again not adopted mining rules (July 2026); the status of the US permit in October 2026 was not known.
- Glencore — Holds, since 2012, a right to half of the nickel and copper from the NORI area; no revenue has been recorded because no commercial mining has taken place. Mining.com
- Korea Zinc — Acquired about 5% of TMC for US$85.2 million in June 2025. Wikipedia
- Deep-seabed animals in the 2022 test tracks — 37% fewer animals and 32% lower species richness two months after the trial. Smithsonian Magazine
What happened
The Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) lies between Hawaii and Mexico. Its seabed, at about 4,000 metres depth, is covered with polymetallic nodules. The Metals Company (TMC, formerly DeepGreen) says the nickel, cobalt, copper and manganese in the nodules can supply battery metals with less harm than land mining. Its subsidiaries include NORI (Nauru Ocean Resources Inc., sponsored by Nauru) and TOML (Tonga Offshore Mining Ltd., sponsored by Tonga).
Seabed in international waters falls under the International Seabed Authority (ISA) under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The ISA has been trying to write commercial mining rules since 2014 and did not agree them again in July 2026. In that month its Council extended NORI's exploration contract by five years without adopting the Mining Code. The research record gives 45 countries as seeking a moratorium or pause; other sources give lower counts at earlier dates (more than 30 in March 2026, 37 at the Nice UN Ocean Conference in June 2025). The United States is not party to the Convention.
On 24 April 2025 the US President signed an executive order under the 1980 Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act (DSHMRA). It called for faster permits and a review of stockpiling nodule metals for defence, citing China's share of rare earth elements above 80%. TMC's US subsidiary, TMC USA, applied to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on 29 April 2025, bypassing the ISA, and in January 2026 widened its filing into a consolidated application covering about 65,000 km². TMC said NOAA found the application fully compliant in April 2026 and published it in the Federal Register; the company expected a decision in the first quarter of 2027. NORI and TOML went to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) against the ISA's compliance investigation, and TMC USA sued the ISA.
In a 2022 trial, a collector machine was run at the NORI-D area. A study published in December 2025, led by the Natural History Museum, London, found that two months later animal abundance in the tracks was 37% lower and species richness 32% lower. Its main funding came from the mining contractor. A separate study found tracks from 1979 test mining still visible 44 years later. A 2023 survey recorded 5,142 unnamed species in the zone, and about 88% of sampled species were scientifically undescribed. TMC's own lifecycle assessment, commissioned from Benchmark, found its NORI-D project could outperform land-based routes, but it excluded biodiversity and social impacts.
TMC's backers and counterparties are not uniform. Glencore holds, since 2012, a right to half of the nickel and copper from the NORI area. Allseas invested US$150 million in 2019 and Korea Zinc invested US$85.2 million in June 2025 for about 5%. BMW, Volvo Group, Google and Samsung SDI pledged in 2021 not to source deep-sea minerals. Norway's parliament decided on 5 December 2025 not to open a licensing round this term, until about 2029. Swiss Re, Zurich and Vienna Insurance Group have said they do not cover deep-sea mining as a sector; no statement specific to TMC was found.
- 2012Glencore agreement: right to half of the NORI-area nickel and copper
- 2014ISA starts writing commercial mining rules
- 2019Allseas invests US$150m in TMC
- 202131 March: BMW, Volvo Group, Google and Samsung SDI pledge not to source deep-sea minerals
- 2022Collector trial in the NORI-D area
- 202524 April: US executive order under DSHMRA; 29 April: TMC applies to NOAA; June: Korea Zinc invests US$85.2m; December: study reports -37% animal abundance in test tracks; Norway defers licensing
- 2026January: consolidated application (about 65,000 km²); April: NOAA finds it fully compliant, per TMC; July: ISA extends NORI contract by five years without adopting the Mining Code, ITLOS interim ruling on 18 July
What was said
“that retrieve mineral deposits from the deep seabed (eg deep-sea mining projects)”
“we do not have any appetite to insuring these types of mining activities”
“all kinds of new deep sea mining projects”
Where accounts differ
Each party's account, side by side, with its source. The record does not settle these points; it shows them.
A Benchmark lifecycle assessment found its NORI-D project could outperform land-based routes; it excludes biodiversity and social impacts. A company-funded 2020 study put the saving at 70% less direct carbon emissions and 94% less land use.
The Metals CompanyTwo of three lifecycle studies were funded by mining companies; results ranged from 28% more to 76% less emissions than land mining, with more than 70% of emissions from the processing stage.
Planet TrackerReported that a 2022 test left tracks with drastically fewer animals and lower species diversity (-37% abundance, -32% richness), in a study mainly funded by the mining contractor.
Smithsonian MagazineReported oxygen production near nodules in lightless depth, and that nodules might act like small ‘geo-batteries’ splitting seawater; the mechanism remains a hypothesis. Part of the funding came through a TMC subsidiary.
E&E NewsSaid TMC's objection did not contain enough information for assessment.
E&E NewsApplied to NOAA under DSHMRA; says NOAA found its application fully compliant and expects a decision in the first quarter of 2027. NORI and TOML went to ITLOS against the ISA's compliance investigation; TMC USA sued the ISA.
The Metals CompanyOpened an investigation, extended NORI's exploration contract by five years in July 2026 and did not adopt the Mining Code; 45 countries seek a moratorium.
MongabayCalled for faster DSHMRA permits and a review of defence stockpiling of nodule metals, citing China's share of rare earth elements above 80%.
Described deep-sea mining as madness (paraphrase).
How it looked
Shown
- Battery metals from nodules would cost less harm than land mining; a company-funded 2020 study put the saving at 70% less direct carbon emissions and 94% less land use.TMC · Planet Tracker
- A lifecycle assessment by Benchmark found the NORI-D nodule project could outperform land-based routes. The assessment excludes biodiversity and social impacts.TMC (commissioned the assessment) · The Metals Company
- Said in 2020 that recycling is not the solution, that the transition needs hundreds of billions of batteries, that the seabed is not pristine and that the company would not destroy coral reefs (paraphrase).Gerard Barron, TMC chief executive
Recorded
- Test-collector tracks in the NORI-D area: animal abundance -37% and species richness -32% two months after the 2022 trial; main funding from the mining contractor.
- Tracks from 1979 test mining still visible after 44 years.
- Of 5,142 unnamed species recorded in the CCZ in 2023, about 88% of sampled species were scientifically undescribed.
- Three lifecycle studies: two funded by mining companies; results ranged from 28% more to 76% less emissions than land mining, with more than 70% of emissions from the processing stage (Planet Tracker).
- ISA Council, July 2026: NORI's exploration contract extended by five years; Mining Code not adopted.
Who gained
Reached nature or the ground
Gained elsewhere
Responses on record
- The Metals Company (2026): Said NOAA found its consolidated application fully compliant, that it was published in the Federal Register and that it expected a decision in the first quarter of 2027. · The Metals Company
- The Metals Company (July 2024): Called the dark-oxygen study flawed; the journal said TMC's objection did not contain enough information for assessment. · E&E News
- International Seabed Authority (July 2026): The Council extended NORI's exploration contract by five years but did not adopt the Mining Code. · Mongabay
In court and with insurers
Lawsuits and rulings
- 2025-04-29–OngoingNOAA review of TMC USA's consolidated exploration licence and commercial recovery permit applicationNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration · Regulatory · TMC USA (applicant) → NOAA (decision-maker)
TMC USA applied in 2025 for two exploration licences and one commercial recovery permit and widened the filing to about 65,000 km² in January 2026. NOAA found it fully compliant (April 2026, per TMC) and published it; TMC expected a decision in the first quarter of 2027. The Metals Company
- 2026–OngoingNORI and TOML against the ISA before ITLOSInternational Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (Hamburg) · International court · NORI and TOML (TMC subsidiaries) → International Seabed Authority
The subsidiaries went to ITLOS against the ISA's compliance investigation. An interim ruling is dated 18 July 2026; its content is not recorded.
- OngoingTMC USA suit against the ISANot specified · International court · TMC USA → International Seabed Authority
Reported by Mongabay in July 2026 alongside the ISA Council's contract extension for NORI. Mongabay
Insurers
- 2023Cover declinedSwiss Re → Deep-sea mining projects (sector policy; no statement specific to TMC)Stated reason: Key sustainability risks identified for this sector.
Swiss Re's ESG risk framework (December 2023) does not support direct or facultative deals that retrieve mineral deposits from the deep seabed. Deep Sea Mining Campaign
- Cover declinedZurich → Deep-sea mining projects (sector policy; no statement specific to TMC)
Zurich said it has no appetite for insuring these types of mining activities (cited from ShareAction, Insuring Disaster 2024; the statement is undated). Deep Sea Mining Campaign
- Cover declinedVienna Insurance Group → New deep-sea mining projects (sector policy; no statement specific to TMC)
Vienna Insurance Group said it offers no cover for all kinds of new deep-sea mining projects (as reported by the Deep Sea Mining Campaign). Deep Sea Mining Campaign
What nature saw
Nature's report opens this page. Below: further outcomes measured on the ground.
What we don't know
Nature
- Not measured Harm to nature: No independent ecological evaluation is on record.
- Disputed Is nodule mining lower-impact than land mining?
- Disputed Do nodules produce oxygen in lightless depths (‘dark oxygen’)?
Figures
- Insufficient Investment: SPAC merger figure from a research table; no source URL in the record.
Accounts
- Disputed Is the US permit route valid, and who regulates seabed mining outside national waters?
Record
- None on record The outcome of NOAA's permit decision and of TMC USA's case against the ISA: neither had been decided.
- Disputed Dates for NOAA's compliance finding differ between company statements: 28 April 2026 in one TMC release, 30 April 2026 in another account, and a 'May 2026' release.
- Disputed Counts of countries seeking a moratorium differ by source and date (more than 30 in March 2026, 37 in June 2025, 45 in July 2026).
- Disputed Species figures differ: about 88% of sampled species undescribed (5,142 unnamed species) against about 92% of 5,578 recorded species new, the latter.
- Insufficient Reported but not independently verified: Nauru is to receive US$2 per tonne and a right to about 9.1 million shares; the commercial area is 25,160 km² and the exploration area 199,895 km², with 1.63 billion wet tonnes (from a Wikipedia entry and a summary of TMC's annual report, which could not be checked against the original).
- Insufficient Reported but not independently verified: that TMC's chief executive was an early investor in Nautilus Minerals, which went bankrupt in 2019, and that he said in a 2025 interview he made good money from it (advocacy sources put it at about US$30 million).
- Insufficient Reported but not independently verified: that the International Seabed Authority gave TMC data on the most valuable areas and reserved them for its later use (a 2022 New York Times investigation, not read, known only through an op-ed and summaries).
- Not disclosed The 'dark oxygen' mechanism is a hypothesis, and TMC's formal objection text could not be read; results of the 2026 expeditions by the study's team were not published.
- Unclear Whether the NOAA permit route is valid under international law: the research record calls its validity disputed and records no ruling on it.
Did the harm stop?
No commercial recovery has taken place; the permit decision was pending. The recorded effects come from the 2022 and earlier test runs.
Who paid?
Not applicable so far: no commercial mining has taken place. The test-run effects are recorded on the seabed; the 2022 trial was run by the mining contractor.
Sources
Company or project
- NOAA Publishes TMC USA's Consolidated Application for an Exploration License and Commercial Recovery PermitThe Metals Company · 2026-08
- NOAA determines TMC USA's consolidated deep seabed mining applicationThe Metals Company · 2026-05
- TMC USA files first consolidated deep seabed mining applicationNasdaq (TMC press release) · 2026
- TMC and Nauru announce updated sponsorship agreementThe Metals Company ·
Press and investigations
- Deep-sea mining test in the Pacific drastically reduced biodiversity and animal populationsSmithsonian Magazine · 2025-12
- Scientists, deep-sea miner spar over ‘dark oxygen’ discoveryE&E News · 2024-07-25
- Nations denounce deep-sea mining bid in the Pacific by the USInside Climate News · 2025-07-29
Communities and civil society
- Planet Tracker analysis of deep-sea mining lifecycle claims (via a summary of TMC's white paper)Planet Tracker · 2023-12-05
- Global insurer rules out doing business with deep-sea mining companies (quoting the Swiss Re framework)Deep Sea Mining Campaign · 2023-12
- Finance and investors (Zurich and Vienna Insurance Group statements)Deep Sea Mining Campaign ·
International bodies
Connected cases
- Deep-sea mining: TMC, NORI, the NOAA permit and the ISA International waters (Pacific Ocean) · 2022–2026
- The Metals Company (Company) — here: Applicant for the NOAA permit; developer of nodule mining; there: Company seeking commercial recovery permit
- Nauru Ocean Resources Inc. (NORI) (Company) — here: TMC subsidiary, sponsored by Nauru; there: TMC subsidiary; ISA exploration contract sponsored by Nauru
- Tonga Offshore Mining Ltd. (TOML) (Company) — here: TMC subsidiary, sponsored by Tonga; there: TMC subsidiary; ISA exploration contract sponsored by Tonga
- International Seabed Authority (International organisation) — here: International regulator of seabed mining; there: International Seabed Authority
- NOAA (Public authority) — here: US regulator handling the permit route; there: US regulator receiving the application
- Korea Zinc (Company) — here: Investor in TMC (US$85.2 million, June 2025); there: Investor in TMC (about 5%)
- Allseas (Company) — here: Investor in TMC (US$150 million, 2019); there: Investor in TMC (as reported)
- BP Deepwater Horizon: the spill, the court cases and the recovery claims United States · 2010–2031
- Bayer's carbon program pays farmers per practice, not per tonne United States · 2024
- Nauru Ocean Resources Inc. (NORI) (Company) — here: TMC subsidiary, sponsored by Nauru; there: Platform through which credits were issued
- Coral reef parametric insurance, Quintana Roo Mexico · 2018–2026
- Swiss Re (Insurer) — here: Insurer stating it does not cover deep-sea mining; there: Developed the initial solution; named as insurer or reinsurer by different sources
- EACOP pipeline: insurers decline, construction continues Uganda / Tanzania · 2021–2026
- Swiss Re (Insurer) — here: Insurer stating it does not cover deep-sea mining; there: Ruled out cover (2021)
- Eskom advances tied to Tegeta coal mine purchase, South African inquiry finds South Africa · 2015–2016
- Glencore (Company) — here: Holder of a right to half of NORI-area nickel and copper; there: Seller of the Optimum coal mine
- Exxon Valdez: the spill, insurance and court cases United States · 1989–2015
- NOAA (Public authority) — here: US regulator handling the permit route; there: Federal agency reporting on residual oil
- Glencore settles bribery and market manipulation charges in US, UK, Brazil Multiple countries · 2007–2022
- Glencore (Company) — here: Holder of a right to half of NORI-area nickel and copper; there: Admitted bribery and market manipulation charges (2022)
- Gulf of Mexico dead zone (Mississippi nutrient runoff) United States · 1985–2026
- NOAA (Public authority) — here: US regulator handling the permit route; there: Funds and reports the annual survey
- Insurers of the Carmichael coal mine Australia · 2015–2025
- Swiss Re (Insurer) — here: Insurer stating it does not cover deep-sea mining; there: Reinsurer that said it would not support the mine (Dec 2018)
- Los Angeles wildfires cause $41bn insured loss; 75% of survivors underinsured United States · 2025
- Swiss Re (Insurer) — here: Insurer stating it does not cover deep-sea mining; there: reinsurer that paid part of the insured loss
- Nautilus Minerals goes bankrupt; successor TMC rises from its ashes Papua New Guinea · 2018–2019
- The Metals Company (Company) — here: Applicant for the NOAA permit; developer of nodule mining; there: Described as having risen from Nautilus's ashes
- Net-Zero Insurance Alliance collapse and insurers’ fossil underwriting Global · 2021–2025
- Swiss Re (Insurer) — here: Insurer stating it does not cover deep-sea mining; there: Founding member; left May 2023
- North Atlantic right whale deaths and US vessel-speed rule withdrawal United States · 2017–2026
- NOAA (Public authority) — here: US regulator handling the permit route; there: Regulator and publisher of the Unusual Mortality Event page
- Papahānaumokuākea marine debris removal collected 298,180 lb in 2024 United States · 2022–2026
- NOAA (Public authority) — here: US regulator handling the permit route; there: Co-funder of the 2022–2026 programme
- Pilbara Minerals' profit fell sharply as lithium prices slumped; Li-Cycle went bankrupt Australia · 2024–2025
- Glencore (Company) — here: Holder of a right to half of NORI-area nickel and copper; there: acquirer of Li-Cycle assets
- US quits 66 international bodies including the IPCC; NOAA disaster database closed United States · 2025–2026
- NOAA (Public authority) — here: US regulator handling the permit route; there: Target of the budget and staffing cuts; its disaster database was closed
- Vale Brumadinho dam collapse Brazil · 2019–2027
- Swiss Re (Insurer) — here: Insurer stating it does not cover deep-sea mining; there: Property insurer, Swiss Re Corporate Solutions (press reports)