To advance President Trump’s nationwide technique for securing America’s important mineral provide, the Bureau of Ocean Vitality Administration has initiated the method for a possible mineral lease sale in federal waters off the coast of Virginia. This motion—solely the third of its form in over three many years—marks a step towards unlocking the huge mineral potential of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf and reinforcing the nation’s financial and strategic independence.
BOEM oversees 3.2 billion acres of the Outer Continental Shelf, an offshore space that exceeds the dimensions of the U.S. landmass. President Trump’s Government Order 14285, Unleashing America’s Offshore Essential Minerals and Assets, underscores the significance of growing offshore mineral assets to help nationwide safety and cut back reliance on imports.
On Nov. 13, 2025, BOEM obtained an unsolicited lease sale request from Odyssey Marine Exploration, a U.S.-based firm, specializing in heavy mineral sands and phosphorites offshore Virginia. This submission marked the start of BOEM’s official evaluation course of.
The following step will probably be for BOEM to publish a Request for Info and Curiosity within the Federal Register. The discover will invite suggestions from states, Tribal Nations, ocean customers, trade representatives, authorities businesses, and the general public. This enter will assist inform BOEM’s evaluation of the realm’s geological potential, environmental and cultural issues, and compatibility with present ocean actions equivalent to fishing and maritime navigation.
If BOEM decides to maneuver ahead with a lease sale, the company’s evaluation will probably be performed in accordance with all relevant federal legal guidelines, together with the Nationwide Environmental Coverage Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Nationwide Historic Preservation Act – guaranteeing that environmental stewardship and cultural preservation stay central all through the method.
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