MMA Sets November 19 Auction for Offshore Mineral Leases Near American Samoa

The Marine Minerals Administration (MMA) has issued the Final Leasing Notice for Lease Sale PACM-1, the first-ever offshore mineral lease sale in the program described by the agency. The sale offers two lease areas on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore American Samoa. The notice sets out the areas available, auction schedule, lease terms and stipulations, rental and royalty rates, and information for prospective bidders. It was released on October 19, 2026, and is scheduled for public display in the Federal Register on October 20. The auction is set for November 19, 2026.

For contractors and prospective bidders, the notice is the central source for assessing whether either offered area fits their technical plans and commercial assumptions. Interested firms should review the maps and supporting materials, analyze the lease terms and financial requirements, and prepare for the auction timetable. The source states that the Final Leasing Notice, maps, supporting materials, and leasing forms are available at boem.gov/american-samoa. This creates a near-term planning window for firms considering offshore minerals capabilities, including mapping and related preliminary work.

A successful bid should not be treated as authorization to begin resource extraction. According to MMA, securing an OCS lease authorizes preliminary activities such as mapping, but does not grant permission for physical exploration, testing, or full-scale commercial harvesting. The agency will manage a multi-stage post-auction regulatory process before those activities can begin. Firms should therefore separate lease acquisition from later operational approvals in their schedules, investment decisions, and teaming strategies. The additional review means a winning bidder may obtain access for early-stage work while still facing further approvals before conducting more intrusive or commercial operations.

The announcement frames the sale within competing strategic, environmental, and community considerations. Acting MMA Director Mike Olsen said, “Critical minerals are no longer just commodities; they are a vital strategic asset in global competition, essential for reaching our energy efficiency goals, strengthening our national defense, and securing domestic supply chains.” He also emphasized that the ocean floor around American Samoa has “cultural, economic, and environmental significance,” and said MMA’s approach would balance national security and energy readiness with environmental stewardship, science-based review, and meaningful engagement with the people and leadership of American Samoa. This emphasis signals that environmental safeguards and local engagement will be relevant considerations throughout the process, alongside bidders’ technical and commercial capabilities.

The agency structure is also relevant to companies tracking offshore resource opportunities. The Department of the Interior states that, as of July 10, 2026, it reunified the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) into MMA. The integrated administration is tasked with overseeing responsible development of offshore energy and marine mineral resources with an integrated focus on safety, environmental protection, and efficient oversight. For industry, the change places lease administration and related oversight within the new MMA structure, making it important to monitor its notices, procedures, and post-sale review requirements. The PACM-1 opportunity therefore combines a defined near-term auction with a longer regulatory pathway and substantial environmental and community context.

• Auction date: Lease Sale PACM-1 is scheduled for November 19, 2026; prospective bidders should align bid preparation and internal approvals to that schedule.
• Offered acreage: The sale includes two offshore lease areas near American Samoa; review the official maps and supporting materials before determining bid interest.
• Notice details: The Final Leasing Notice covers areas offered, schedule, lease terms and stipulations, rental and royalty rates, and bidder information.
• Access to materials: MMA/BOEM identifies boem.gov/american-samoa as the location for the notice, maps, supporting materials, and leasing forms.
• Lease scope: A winning bid authorizes preliminary activities such as mapping; it does not authorize immediate mineral harvesting.
• Later approvals: Physical exploration, testing, and full-scale commercial harvesting remain subject to a multi-stage post-auction regulatory process.
• Bidder planning: Model lease acquisition and preliminary work separately from the schedule, cost, and approvals needed for later operational phases.
• Policy context: MMA cites critical minerals’ importance to energy efficiency, national defense, and domestic supply chains, while also emphasizing environmental stewardship and engagement with American Samoa’s people and leadership.
• Oversight structure: Since July 10, 2026, the Department of the Interior has brought BOEM and BSEE together under the Marine Minerals Administration for integrated oversight.