BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, MARINE MINERALS PROGRAM (BOEM MMP): STEWARDS OF OFFSHORE CRITICAL MINERAL RESOURCES

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), a bureau within the U.S. Department of the Interior, has responsibility over both energy and non-energy mineral development on the United States Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) under the OCS Lands Act. BOEM’s Marine Minerals Program (MMP) manages non-competitive leasing for OCS sediment used in coastal restoration efforts and the competitive leasing of OCS critical economic minerals. Recent Executive Orders (EO 14017; EO 13953; and EO 13817) renewed federal focus on understanding U.S. critical mineral resources.

As the federal steward of OCS critical minerals, BOEM is responsible for locating critical minerals, identifying and understanding associated environments, managing activities that affect these resources, and implementing pertinent federal policies. Fulfilling these responsibilities involves collection and analysis of environmental, geological, and geophysical data; supporting novel science to understand the impacts of resource-related authorized activities on the biological, physical, and sociocultural environments; encouraging emerging technologies that can reduce the environmental impact of activities; and communicating with stakeholders to foster understanding and implementation of existing federal regulations.

Over the past 65 years, industry has occasionally expressed interest in developing U.S. OCS critical minerals, yet BOEM and its predecessor agencies have not issued a competitive lease for such minerals. In response to recent Executive Orders, BOEM received inquiries about Bureau regulations governing critical mineral leasing and the types of environmental information needed to support such decisions on the OCS. In preparation for potential requests to develop OCS critical mineral resources, BOEM awarded a critical minerals resource evaluation study, and anticipates a follow-on study focused on environmental considerations. BOEM is proactively working with USGS, NOAA, and international agencies and organizations with critical mineral management responsibilities to broaden our understanding of critical mineral resources, identify areas for research, and develop tools to evaluate critical minerals and related activities.