Glomar Minerals aims for deep-sea production before end of Trump term
2026-08-10 11:53:47 [Print]
Glomar Minerals announced this week that its wholly owned subsidiary, UK Seabed Resources Limited (UKSR), has departed from Tahiti for the Pacific Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) to conduct a survey of its license area for polymetallic nodules.
According to Glomar, nodules found within the company's two CCZ license areas---which together span an area roughly the size of Louisiana---are rich in manganese, cobalt, nickel, copper, and rare earths, minerals that are critical to defense, aerospace, energy, and modern manufacturing.
Chief Executive Officer Chris Williams said in an interview that Glomar Minerals aims to begin processing polymetallic nodules before the end of U.S. President Donald Trump's current term, as the company evaluates regulatory pathways beyond the International Seabed Authority (ISA).
Glomar owns UK Seabed Resources (UKSR), which holds two UK-sponsored exploration contracts covering approximately 133,000 square kilometers in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, a mineral-rich region of the Pacific Ocean situated between Hawaii and Mexico.
The company acquired UKSR in 2025 from the bankruptcy estate of Norway's Loke Marine Minerals. Lockheed Martin, which had previously owned UKSR, had sold the subsidiary to Loke in 2023.
In March, Glomar and Australian critical minerals developer Cobalt Blue Holdings announced plans to build a U.S. refinery within three years to process critical minerals extracted from the Pacific Ocean floor, in a project dubbed "Project Infinity."
The modular facility is being designed to process approximately 200,000 tonnes of polymetallic nodules and 7,500 tonnes of terrestrial cobalt hydroxide annually. Its proposed flowsheet would produce manganese, cobalt sulphate, nickel, and copper, along with a rare-earth-rich residue.
Williams noted that the facility would operate at roughly one-tenth the scale of a plant supplied by a full-size collection vessel operating continuously. Glomar views this smaller initial development as a strategy to reduce risk before expanding capacity in the future.
According to Glomar, nodules found within the company's two CCZ license areas---which together span an area roughly the size of Louisiana---are rich in manganese, cobalt, nickel, copper, and rare earths, minerals that are critical to defense, aerospace, energy, and modern manufacturing.
Chief Executive Officer Chris Williams said in an interview that Glomar Minerals aims to begin processing polymetallic nodules before the end of U.S. President Donald Trump's current term, as the company evaluates regulatory pathways beyond the International Seabed Authority (ISA).
Glomar owns UK Seabed Resources (UKSR), which holds two UK-sponsored exploration contracts covering approximately 133,000 square kilometers in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, a mineral-rich region of the Pacific Ocean situated between Hawaii and Mexico.
The company acquired UKSR in 2025 from the bankruptcy estate of Norway's Loke Marine Minerals. Lockheed Martin, which had previously owned UKSR, had sold the subsidiary to Loke in 2023.
In March, Glomar and Australian critical minerals developer Cobalt Blue Holdings announced plans to build a U.S. refinery within three years to process critical minerals extracted from the Pacific Ocean floor, in a project dubbed "Project Infinity."
The modular facility is being designed to process approximately 200,000 tonnes of polymetallic nodules and 7,500 tonnes of terrestrial cobalt hydroxide annually. Its proposed flowsheet would produce manganese, cobalt sulphate, nickel, and copper, along with a rare-earth-rich residue.
Williams noted that the facility would operate at roughly one-tenth the scale of a plant supplied by a full-size collection vessel operating continuously. Glomar views this smaller initial development as a strategy to reduce risk before expanding capacity in the future.
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