After searching the world’s oceans for oil and gas for more than two decades, James Deckelman is shifting to the next big thing: minerals found on the ocean floor.
The former oil geologist for BP and ConocoPhillips is now CEO of the newly formed Vancouver-based Deep Sea Minerals, one of a handful of firms seeking the Trump administration’s approval to explore the Pacific Ocean for nodules chock-full of nickel, cobalt, copper and rare earths.
“It’s just a hugely transformational, potentially explosive moment right now,” Deckelman said. “It’s just unprecedented U.S. governmental support for the sector … the likes of which I have not seen before in any other industry.”
Trump is pushing to unleash mining in domestic and international waters and has called on federal agencies to accelerate vetting and permit approvals. Deep Sea Minerals through its subsidiary — American Ocean Minerals — is seeking NOAA’s permission to explore the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, a mineral-rich swath of the Pacific Ocean in international waters, while mulling a similar submission for waters off the Cook Islands. It’s doing so with the financial backing of K2 Capital.
