Odyssey submitted an Unsolicited Request for Lease Sale of Marine Mineral Exploration and Development Rights to the U.S. Department of the Interior’s (DOI) Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). Odyssey’s request is among the first under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) of 1953 in U.S. jurisdiction under BOEM’s oversight. 

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The proposed area, located within the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) off the Mid-Atlantic coast, is prospective for heavy mineral sands (titanium, zirconium, and rare earth elements) and phosphate, with beneficial sand co-products that can support beach renourishment and coastal-resilience projects. These materials are essential to modern life — from defense systems and domestic manufacturing to fertilizers and coastal infrastructure.

If BOEM grants the requested lease sale at the conclusion of its process and Odyssey attains the development rights, Odyssey’s project will begin with the collection of comprehensive environmental and geological data to guide responsible resource assessment and project design. If the project advances to recovery, operations will utilize shallow-water dredging, a well-established and extensively studied method already used regularly worldwide for navigation, and coastal resilience, implemented in ways that mitigate potential impacts. Odyssey carefully selected the proposed lease area to avoid sensitive habitats, marine protected areas, active maritime zones, as well as to respect conservation areas.