Our Exploration Areas

Eco Minerals is pursuing a portfolio of deep-sea mineral exploration opportunities across the Pacific, combining areas under application through the U.S. Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act with potential opportunities in U.S. offshore waters. Our strategy is focused on areas with prospective polymetallic nodule resources where our existing deep-ocean survey capabilities can be deployed efficiently.

Eco Minerals established early selection of Areas in August 2025

8 areas outlined comprise 3.1% of Clarion-Clipperton Zone

Map of the Pacific showing Eco Minerals Areas 1 through 9, the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, TMC areas and Guam

Note: Proposed exploration areas shown are subject to NOAA application and regulatory review. Eco Minerals does not currently hold commercial recovery rights in these areas.

Yellow lines represent EEZs

Eco Minerals’s Priority Right

Approximately 150,000 km²
Under Application

Eco Minerals has submitted an exploration license application to NOAA covering nine proposed exploration areas totaling approximately 148,000 km², including eight areas in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone and one area in the Western Pacific near Guam. NOAA has determined the application to be in full compliance with applicable submission requirements and confirmed Eco Minerals' priority of right with respect to the proposed areas.

A First-Mover Position in
U.S. Deep-Sea Minerals

  • Application in Full Compliance

    NOAA has determined Eco Minerals' exploration license application to be in full compliance with applicable submission requirements, advancing the application into the federal review process.

  • No Known Competing or
    Conflicting Claims

  • Priority of Right Established

    Eco Minerals' filing established priority of right for nine proposed exploration areas totaling approximately 148,000 km² across the Pacific.

Accelerated Path to Exploration

Eco Minerals is positioned to combine its proposed exploration portfolio with the deep-ocean capabilities already operating within Deep Sea Vision. Our 6,000-meter AUV systems, full-ocean-depth multibeam sonar, seabed sampling equipment, vessel platform and experienced offshore team provide an integrated capability to progress from regional mapping through high-resolution resource characterization.

Significant Exploration Potential

An independent technical assessment by AMC Consultants established Exploration Targets across Eco Minerals' nine application areas. In aggregate, the assessment estimates an Exploration Target ranging from approximately 886 million to 1.48 billion wet tonnes of polymetallic nodules, highlighting the potential scale of the areas under application.

The targets remain conceptual in nature and require substantial additional exploration to establish Mineral Resources or Mineral Reserves.

Outline of the state of Georgia labelled 148,087 km² for scale
Aggregate of ECOM’s priority of right area is 148,087 km²

Initial Exploration Targets

Exploration Targets for the nine areas covered by ECOM’s pending NOAA application

Exploration Target — by Application Area

AreaArea (km²)Abundance (kg/m²)Ni (%)Cu (%)Co (%)Mn (%)Target (M tonnes)
Area 17,50925 – 350.25 – 1.00.2 – 0.50.20 – 0.6015 – 25114 – 189
Area 210,93310 – 201.0 – 1.40.8 – 1.20.08 – 0.1426 – 2881 – 135
Area 38,22810 – 201.0 – 1.40.8 – 1.20.08 – 0.1426 – 2865 – 108
Area 436,2825 – 151.0 – 1.40.8 – 1.00.16 – 0.1826 – 28164 – 273
Area 513,1685 – 101.1 – 1.31.2 – 1.40.14 – 0.1631 – 3354 – 90
Area 616,2140 – 51.0 – 1.21.1 – 1.30.10 – 0.1229 – 3126 – 43
Area 71,63415 – 201.0 – 1.20.8 – 1.00.23 – 0.2521 – 2315 – 26
Area 82,28320 – 251.0 – 1.20.7 – 0.90.30 – 0.3221 – 2324 – 40
Area 951,8361 – 250.9 – 1.10.7 – 0.90.25 – 0.2717 – 19343 – 572
Total148,0877 – 220.9 – 1.20.7 – 1.00.19 – 0.2621 – 24886 – 1,476

Source: AMC Consultants Technical Report Summary, March 2026. Exploration Targets are conceptual in nature under Regulation S-K 1300. There has been insufficient exploration to estimate a Mineral Resource, and it is uncertain whether further exploration will result in the estimation of a Mineral Resource. Tonnages shown on a wet-ton basis; grades on a dry-ton basis.

The nine application areas collectively represent a large-scale exploration target, with Areas 1 through 4 identified as the initial priorities for early exploration and resource delineation. Area 1 is particularly notable for its elevated modeled cobalt grades of approximately 0.20%–0.60%, among the highest concentrations shown across the target areas. Areas 2, 3 and 4 also combine attractive modeled abundance with strong nickel, copper and manganese grades. Early exploration is intended to validate these modeled targets and determine where more detailed resource-definition work should be concentrated.

BOEM map of the American Samoa OCS mineral lease sale areas
American Samoa EEZ  | Auction Scheduled November 19, 2026

Expanding the U.S.
Offshore Opportunity

Eco Minerals has submitted indications of interest to BOEM for prospective critical-mineral areas within the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf.

Additional U.S. Licensing Pathways

  • American Samoa: Eco Minerals has expressed interest in prospective polymetallic nodule areas being evaluated through the BOEM leasing process.
  • CNMI: Additional prospective Pacific mineral areas provide potential opportunities complementary to Eco Minerals' Western Pacific strategy.
  • Alaska: Eco Minerals has also expressed interest in prospective offshore mineral opportunities in Alaska.
  • These opportunities could provide an additional U.S. regulatory pathway alongside Eco Minerals' NOAA/DSHMRA exploration program.

EEZ= Exclusive Economic Zone

Multiple Jurisdictions. Multiple Pathways.

Building regulatory, operational and commercial optionality across the Pacific

Two U.S. Regulatory Pathways

NOAA — DSHMRAInternational seabed areas

MMA / BOEM — OCSLAU.S. Outer Continental Shelf

  • 1Cook Islands

    • Operating Experience
    • Completed deep-ocean mineral survey work in Northern Cook Islands waters

  • 2Asia-Pacific

    • Commercial Survey Operations
    • Survey services provided to DRT and Allseas

  • 3Clarion Clipperton Zone

    • NOAA Application — Priority of Right
    • 9 application areas totaling ~150,000 km²

  • 4U.S. OCS Opportunities

    • Lease-Sale Optionality
    • Qualified to participate in proposed American Samoa offshore minerals lease sale*

*Subject to BOEM/MMA process, final notices and lease-sale timing.

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