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BOEM outlines California leasing timeline and seabed‑mineral planning for American Samoa and CNMI
Summary
BOEM briefed the committee on the national oil & gas leasing program (the proposed program includes California lease areas for a potential 2027 sale) and described a parallel seabed‑mineral leasing path focused on polymetallic nodules, crusts and sulfides in U.S. territories (American Samoa, CNMI). BOEM said area identification and NEPA work are underway.
Nessie Samaid (regional supervisor, Office of Strategic Resources, BOEM Pacific Region) walked members through two parallel tracks: the national OCS oil & gas program (the 11th national program) and a seabed‑minerals process. "We are in the eleventh national OCS oil and gas program," she said, and noted that, under OCSLA, the Secretary must provide a 5‑year leasing schedule. BOEM has issued calls for information and is conducting scoping and programmatic environmental review related to proposed California lease sales that would be scheduled as early as 2027 if the national program proceeds.
Seabed‑minerals focus: BOEM described the seabed‑mineral process as an RFI (call), area identification, NEPA for candidate lease areas, proposed lease notice and then competitive lease sale. For the Pacific territories BOEM identified potential interest in polymetallic nodules, cobalt‑rich crusts and sulfides and said NEPA work (environmental assessments) is underway for areas identified near American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. "These are large areas... the leases are intended to be large, more along the lines to provide enough for exploration," she said.
How comments and timing will be handled: BOEM said scoping comments are compiled into the PEIS and that the agency intends to include submitted comments in its analyses; staff acknowledged the public's concern over overlapping Federal Register notices and short comment windows and offered to consult NEPA staff for clarifying guidance on how comments inform subsequent steps.
Next steps and notes: BOEM is continuing studies and coordination with USGS and NOAA; Nessie offered to post slides from the presentation on the meeting webpage. The committee invited BOEM to provide follow‑up details about the programmatic EIS timeline and how council comments will be considered as regional processes progress.
