UKSR to Launch Fourth Deep-Sea Mineral Expedition in Pacific Clarion Clipperton Zone
UK Seabed Resources Limited, a subsidiary of Glomar Minerals, will begin a 75-day research mission in the Pacific this week, targeting polymetallic nodules containing critical minerals.
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Glomar Minerals announced on Monday that its subsidiary UK Seabed Resources Limited (UKSR) is preparing to start its fourth exploration campaign in the Pacific Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ). The 75-day voyage, set to launch this week, will be the first in over four decades to collect geological and biological samples from UKSR's second license area, designated UK2. According to the company, this effort expands on exploration activities in the UK1 area that have been conducted since 2015.
The nodules located in UKSR's two CCZ license areas are abundant in manganese, cobalt, nickel, copper, and rare earth elements. Glomar Minerals states these materials are essential for sectors including defense, aerospace, energy, and manufacturing. By combining resource assessment and environmental sampling in a single expedition, the company aims to compile an integrated dataset necessary for advancing toward commercial extraction of polymetallic nodules. Environmental data gathered during the mission will be published in peer-reviewed journals and made accessible through public databases, supporting efforts to evaluate and minimize potential ecological effects of future nodule recovery.
In a related initiative announced in May 2026, Glomar Minerals formed a consortium with Cobalt Blue Holdings Limited under the name Project Infinity. This project focuses on constructing a domestic processing facility in the United States for critical minerals. The company has shortlisted four potential locations in Louisiana, North Carolina, and Texas. The plant is designed to refine both polymetallic nodules and terrestrial cobalt into materials ready for market use. Samples collected during the upcoming CCZ campaign will be used to inform the processing design for Project Infinity, which Glomar Minerals describes as an early measure to decrease U.S. reliance on foreign-controlled critical mineral supply chains.