The Metals Company

The Metals Company is a deep-sea minerals exploration company focused on collecting polymetallic nodules from the ocean floor as a source of critical battery metals. These nodules, found on the abyssal plains of the Pacific Ocean, contain high concentrations of nickel, cobalt, copper and manganese — metals essential for electric vehicle batteries, energy storage systems and industrial applications. The company positions seafloor collection as a lower-impact alternative to conventional terrestrial mining for these materials.

The company's flagship asset is the NORI Project, located in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone of the central Pacific. Through its subsidiary Nauru Ocean Resources Inc., The Metals Company holds exploration rights to a contract area sponsored by the Republic of Nauru under the International Seabed Authority framework. The nodules are collected from the seafloor surface using specialized collector vehicles and riser systems, then processed onshore.

The Metals Company advocates a "metal commons" philosophy centered on recovery, reuse and responsible resource stewardship. The company's approach avoids the deforestation, large-scale excavation and tailings associated with land-based mining operations. By targeting nodules that sit unattached on the ocean floor, the collection process differs fundamentally from conventional extraction methods, though it remains subject to evolving international regulatory oversight and environmental review.