News & Analysis as of

Mineral Exploration

McGinnis Lochridge

How Far Does “Free Of Cost Forever” Go? Not Far.

McGinnis Lochridge on

Fasken Oil & Ranch, Ltd. v. Puig, No. 24-1033, _____ S.W.3d ____, 2026 WL 969268, 2026 Tex. LEXIS 289 (Tex. Apr. 10, 2026)....more

Mayer Brown

Brazil: Critical Minerals, Strategic Opportunities and Investment Framework

Mayer Brown on

Brazil continues to consolidate its position as one of the world’s leading jurisdictions for investment in the mining industry, combining mineral diversity, renewable energy availability, legal certainty, and an increasingly...more

A&O Shearman

Deep sea mining in 2026: regulation, geopolitics, and the race for critical minerals

A&O Shearman on

The deep sea mining landscape has seen significant activity across multiple fronts in the first quarter of 2026. This briefing summarizes recent key developments at the international level and among major private and state...more

Perkins Coie

Federal Offshore Critical Minerals Leasing Gains Momentum Near CNMI

Perkins Coie on

On March 18, 2026, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issued an Area Identification Recommendation (Area ID) covering more than 69 million acres offshore of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). ...more

Stoel Rives - Mineral Law

The Forest Service’s Proposed Rule on Locatable Minerals: Clearer Thresholds, Streamlined Review—What it Means for Idaho and the...

On February 20, 2026, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) published a proposed rule that would overhaul how locatable mineral exploration and mining are reviewed on National Forest System lands for the first time since 1974....more

WilmerHale

Trump Administration Charts Ambitious Path Toward US Critical Mineral Dominance

WilmerHale on

The Trump Administration is becoming increasingly focused, and ambitious, in implementing its agenda to secure US access to critical minerals and rare earth materials. ...more

Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt PC

BOEM Seeks Information on Potential OCS Deep Sea Mining Leases Offshore Alaska

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has issued a Request for Information and Interest (RFI) regarding potential commercial leasing for Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) hard minerals off the coast of Alaska....more

Bennett Jones LLP

Private Equity Investment in Mining

Bennett Jones LLP on

Investment activity and dealmaking in the mining industry is bustling. Metals and mining M&A activity was up 61% globally in 2025—and up a remarkable 139% in North America alone, according to Bloomberg. In Canada, S&P data...more

Holland & Knight LLP

Podcast - ¿Minería para quién? El debate que llega al Congreso

Holland & Knight LLP on

En este episodio de "A Lo Legal En Par Minutos", Edwin Cortés, socio, y Manuel Ocampo, abogado de derecho minero-energético, conversan sobre el nuevo proyecto de ley minera presentado por el Gobierno Nacional el 1 de octubre...more

Vinson & Elkins LLP

NOAA Hearing Provides First Look at Public Sentiment on Deep-Sea Mining Applications

Vinson & Elkins LLP on

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (“NOAA”) is “accelerating” its efforts to revive deep-sea mining, regulated in the United States under the once-dormant Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act (“DSHMRA”). We...more

DLA Piper

Chilean Government Launches National Critical Minerals Strategy

DLA Piper on

On January 27, 2026, Chile’s Ministry of Mining published its National Critical Minerals Strategy (Strategy) following a participative process that included a public consultation. The Strategy signals a major step forward in...more

Vinson & Elkins LLP

A New Era for Deep Sea Mining: Recent Developments and Implications

Vinson & Elkins LLP on

Certain areas of the deep seabed beyond national jurisdiction are rich in deposits of polymetallic nodules, which contain concentrations of critical minerals important for industrial development such as nickel, copper,...more

Vinson & Elkins LLP

NOAA Finalizes Consolidated Process for Exploration Licenses and Commercial Recovery Permits for Deep Seabed Mining

Vinson & Elkins LLP on

On January 21, 2026, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (“NOAA”) published a final rule consolidating the process for U.S. companies to obtain exploration licenses and permits for commercial recovery of...more

Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt PC

New Dispute Emerges Over National Petroleum Reserve Alaska

On December 11, 2025, the Alaska Native organization Sovereign Iñupiat for a Living Arctic, and environmental organizations Center for Biological Diversity and The Wilderness Society (together, “Plaintiffs”) sued the United...more

Jones Day

Deep-Sea Mining: Navigating Legal Challenges

Jones Day on

Deep-sea mining is increasingly viewed as a potential source of critical minerals needed for the energy transition and advanced technologies, yet it operates within a complex and evolving legal and regulatory landscape. The...more

Perkins Coie

Critical Minerals at a Critical Point: NOAA’s Decision Point

Perkins Coie on

On December 23, 2025, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) formally announced receipt and commencement of public review of exploration license applications for deep seabed mining under the Deep Seabed...more

White & Case LLP

Mining & metals 2026: Adapting to a policy-driven business cycle

White & Case LLP on

In 2025, geopolitics drove events and investment in the mining & metals sector. The unprecedented degree of uncertainty, led by rapidly changing policies in the US and China, shifted markets into a deal cycle driven by...more

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

B.C. Court of Appeal Rules Previous “Free Entry” Mineral Tenure Regime Inconsistent With UNDRIP

Overview - On December 5, 2025, the British Columbia Court of Appeal (Court of Appeal) issued its decision in Gitxaala v. British Columbia (Chief Gold Commissioner), overturning in part the decision of the Supreme Court of...more

Troutman Pepper Locke

Department of Energy Announces Funding Process for Domestic Rare Earth Element Supply Chains

Troutman Pepper Locke on

On December 1, 2025, the Department of Energy (DOE) publicly announced its decision to allocate up to $134 million in new funding to enhance domestic supply chains for rare earth elements (REEs). REEs are 17 elements...more

Perkins Coie

BOEM Rapidly Advances Steps to Develop Critical Minerals in American Samoa and Commonwealth of Mariana Islands

Perkins Coie on

Last week, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced progress on its long-term plan to lease areas for critical mineral development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). First, on Nov. 10, 2025, BOEM...more

Cozen O'Connor

2025 Federal Budget: Select Tax Measures of Interest to Mining Companies

Cozen O'Connor on

The Canadian Federal Budget (Budget 2025),1 released on November 4, 2025, contained several proposals of interest to companies that explore for minerals in Canada. Specifically, several of these proposals directly relate to...more

Perkins Coie

The Latest in the Race for Deep-Sea Minerals

Perkins Coie on

On October 28, 2025, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) sent a draft rule to the Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs that would streamline the NOAA permitting...more

Holland & Knight LLP

La ANM publica para comentarios términos de referencia para ronda minera en Colombia

Holland & Knight LLP on

La Agencia Nacional de Minería (ANM) en Colombia socializó y publicó para comentarios los "Términos de referencia para la adjudicación de contratos especiales de exploración y explotación en Áreas de Reserva Estratégica...more

DLA Piper

El Gobierno chileno somete a consulta pública el borrador de la Estrategia Nacional de Minerales Críticos

DLA Piper on

Mediante la Resolución Exenta N.º 2.231/2025, el Ministerio de Minería de Chile sometió recientemente el borrador de la Estrategia Nacional de Minerales Críticos para su consulta pública. Este proceso supone un importante...more

DLA Piper

Chilean government submits draft National Critical Minerals Strategy for public consultation

DLA Piper on

By means of Exempt Resolution No. 2,231/2025, Chile’s Ministry of Mining recently submitted the draft National Critical Minerals Strategy for public consultation. This process signals a major step forward in implementing...more

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