Abundant quantities of polymetallic nodules are found in the ocean lying on the deep seabed. The largest known deposit—between Hawaii and California—is the Clarion Clipperton Zone polymetallic nodule belt. The US federal waters around the US territory of American Samoa and the exclusive economic zone of the Cook Islands also contain polymetallic nodules. Nodules contain the largest planet deposits of nickel, cobalt, manganese, and large quantities of copper and rare earth elements. We estimate Impossible Metals’ cost to mine and process will be 15x lower than the average nickel mine in 2024.

In 1975, the United States started the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, an emergency petroleum stockpile maintained by the United States Department of Energy.

The US National Defense Stockpile started in 1938. It is authorised and funded by the annual US National Defense Authorization Act and managed by the Defense Logistics Agency under the direction of the President. The National Defense Stockpile’s mission is to decrease and preclude dependence upon foreign sources or single points of failure for strategic materials in times of national emergency. The President’s executive order “Declaring a national energy emergency” requires urgent action.

In response to the Unleashing American Energy executive order’s direction to become a leading producer and processor of non-fuel minerals and strengthen supply chains for the United States and its allies, and reduce the global influence of adversarial states, the US should purchase polymetallic nodules from US companies to add to the National Defense Stockpile. This would have the following benefits:

  • Provide a strategic reserve of critical metals (nickel, cobalt, copper, manganese, and rare earth elements).
  • Provide an incentive to construct nodule mineral processing facilities adjacent to the stockpiles supporting the President’s executive order “Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production”.
  • Provide a commercial incentive for the US industry to invest in the deep-sea mining industry before constructing mineral processing facilities, which would add manufacturing jobs for the collection technology.
  • If American Samoa were chosen as one of the locations for the stockpile, it would provide an opportunity to pull the Cook Islands back from its recent Chinese support for deep-sea mining while supporting and investing in the local infrastructure of American Samoa.
  • Generate a profit for the US taxpayer as the metal price will likely rise.

We strongly recommend that Congress approve funding for adding polymetallic nodules to the National Defense Stockpile.

The image is AI-generated.