Moana Minerals

Name

Moana Minerals

Legal name

Ocean Minerals LLC and subsidiary companies Moana Minerals Inc. and Moana Minerals Limited (Cook Islands)

Website

https://moanaminerals.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Deep-Sea Critical Minerals Production

NAICS

Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying (2123)

SIC

Miscellaneous Metal Ores (1090), Secondary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3341), Industrial Inorganic Chemicals (2810)

akta.pro primary industry

Rare Earths Separation & Refining (Oxides/Metals) (IMAKAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Solid–Liquid Separation & Dewatering (Thickening, Filtration, Clarification) (IMAKALAF)

Keywords

• Deep-sea mining
• Polymetallic nodules
• Critical minerals extraction
• Cobalt nickel production
• Seabed mineral exploration

Headquarters

HQ city

Avarua

HQ country

Cook Islands

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Critical Metals Production and Sale: Moana Minerals is a pre-revenue exploration-stage company. Its intended revenue model involves extracting polymetallic nodules from the seafloor of the Cook Islands EEZ, processing them via hydrometallurgical methods to produce cobalt, nickel, copper, manganese, and rare earth compounds, and selling these to battery manufacturers, EV supply chain participants, and materials markets. The company is developing its own modified Cuprion hydrometallurgical process. No commercial production timeline or offtake agreements are publicly disclosed. The company is exploring partnerships with established processing companies for metallurgical facility development.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Moana Minerals explores and develops seabed polymetallic nodule deposits within the Cook Islands Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The company recovers nodules from the seafloor and processes them via a proprietary modified Cuprion hydrometallurgical process to produce cobalt, nickel, copper, manganese, and rare earth elements for sale to battery manufacturers, electric vehicle supply chain participants, and advanced materials buyers. Operations span exploration, environmental assessment, nodule recovery system development, and metallurgical processing.

Product overview

Moana Minerals operates a unified deep-sea resource development platform centered on the Cook Islands Nodule Project. The company extracts polymetallic nodules from abyssal plains in the Cook Islands EEZ, which contain substantial reserves of cobalt (0.5%), nickel (0.23%), copper (0.13%), manganese (15%), and rare earth elements. The core operations span five integrated components: (1) the Evidence-based Exploration Program for environmental and resource data collection, (2) the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment for regulatory compliance, (3) the Nodule Recovery System developed with Transocean for seafloor harvesting at depths exceeding 5000m, (4) the Modified Cuprion Process for hydrometallurgical metal extraction, and (5) the JORC-compliant resource management system. The company leverages local infrastructure including the MV Anuanua Moana exploration vessel and maintains partnerships with ERIAS Group, Fathom Pacific, RSC Mining, Ocean Floor Geophysics, and Deep Pacific for specialized exploration and assessment services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cook Islands Nodule Project Deep-sea exploration and resource development project focused on extracting polymetallic nodules containing cobalt, nickel, copper, manganese, and rare earth elements from the abyssal plains of the Cook Islands EEZ. Intended customers are battery manufacturers, EV supply chain participants, and advanced materials buyers.
• Nodule Recovery System Deepwater nodule harvesting solution being developed in partnership with Transocean for efficient recovery of polymetallic nodules from the seafloor at depths exceeding 5,000m. Component of the Cook Islands Nodule Project engineering stack.
• Modified Cuprion Hydrometallurgical Process Proprietary hydrometallurgical process for extraction and recovery of cobalt, nickel, copper, manganese, and potentially rare earth elements from Cook Islands polymetallic nodules, distinct from conventional land-based ore processing.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Cook Islands holds approximately 23% of the world's known cobalt and 8% of the world's nickel in polymetallic nodules.
• +4 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• American Ocean Minerals Corporation (AOMC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 May 2026American Ocean Minerals Corporation (AOMC) is the proposed parent entity resulting from an all-stock merger with Odyssey Marine Exploration, with the combined entity expected to trade on Nasdaq under ticker AOMC. The merger would create a publicly traded marine critical minerals platform holding Ocean Minerals LLC (parent of Moana Minerals) with approximately $1 billion pro forma equity value and ~$175 million in available cash. The transaction is expected to close in late Q2 or early Q3 2026 pending shareholder approvals and SEC effectiveness.
• Odyssey Marine ExplorationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOdyssey Marine Exploration has over 30 years of subsea exploration experience combining deep sea exploration and operational experience with resource and technical development capabilities. Odyssey Marine Exploration partnered with Ocean Minerals LLC for the Cook Islands Exploration Project in June 2023. Odyssey Marine and American Ocean Minerals Corporation (AOMC) filed a registration statement with the SEC in May 2026 for a proposed all-stock merger to create a publicly traded marine critical minerals platform with pro forma equity value of approximately $1 billion. The combined entity would hold Ocean Minerals LLC as a subsidiary and trade on Nasdaq under ticker AOMC.
• TransoceancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransocean is a world leader in deep-sea drilling and operations, operating the highest specification floating offshore drilling fleet in the world. Transocean agreed to collaborate with Moana Minerals to provide a nodule harvesting solution for deep-sea polymetallic nodule recovery in depths exceeding 5,000m. Transocean's engineering team is developing an integrated nodule recovery system concept (including nodule pickup, lift to surface vessel, dewatering, and transshipment) for the Preliminary Feasibility assessment. David Keddington, Transocean executive, serves on the Moana Minerals Board.
• ERIAS GroupcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerERIAS Group Pty. Ltd. is an environmental and social impact assessment and management consultancy specializing in deep-sea marine environments. ERIAS Group serves as ESIA lead alongside Fathom Pacific. Personnel have worked on resource-based deep-sea marine environmental and social impact assessments since the mid-1990s, including leading environmental and social approvals for ten seafloor mining projects across six jurisdictions including the Cook Islands. ERIAS Group brings expertise in deep-sea ecology, ecosystem-based management, and regulatory approvals.
• Fathom PacificcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFathom Pacific is an environmental consulting and research firm specializing in ecology and impact assessment in the private and public sectors. The company employs scientists with expertise in marine ecology, monitoring design, ecosystem modeling, and data science, with particular specialization in deep-sea ecology. Fathom Pacific was involved in Moana Minerals' nodule sampling in the Cook Islands in 2019 and assisted with the Exploration Licence application process and the design of Ecosystem-Based Management tools for the ESIA studies.
• RSC Mining & Mineral ExplorationcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRSC Mining and Minerals Exploration is one of the leading geosciences and resource development consultancies for seabed resource development. RSC compiled Moana Minerals' initial resource report published in 2017 and has since refined the resource development program including innovative concepts for nodule resource development and definition. RSC specializes in JORC and NI 43-101 code-compliant reporting and has experience in seabed resource estimation including polymetallic nodules in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone and Cook Island EEZ.
• Ocean Floor Geophysics (OFG)supportingTechnology or IntegrationOcean Floor Geophysics (OFG) was formed in 2007 specifically to provide deep-water seafloor minerals projects and has supported over 24 seafloor minerals exploration campaigns. OFG applies state-of-the-art geophysical technology using acoustic, magnetic, electromagnetic, gravity, chemical, and hydrographic sensors deployed on ROVs, AUVs, and towed vehicles. OFG provides specialized sampling and data collection equipment and expertise for Moana Minerals' exploration program.
• Deep Pacific (Ocean Instruments / Gravity Marine / Ocean Innovations)supportingTechnology or IntegrationDeep Pacific is a strategic consortium between Ocean Instruments, Gravity Marine, and Ocean Innovations, connecting projects with key ocean technologies and implementation support. Ocean Instruments has over 70 years of experience providing equipment to oceanographic research centers, major universities, marine industry, and government agencies. Deep Pacific has strategic alliances with universities in both the USA and Europe to provide equipment and expert scientists for Moana Minerals' exploration program.
• Kiva MarinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKiva Marine is the sister company that owns and operates the exploration vessel MV Anuanua Moana, based in the Cook Islands. Kiva Marine's shore-based team and crew operate the vessel to high international standards, providing deep-water seafloor and water column sampling, ROV transects at 6,000m, bathymetric survey, and other exploration capabilities. The vessel illustrates the company's strategy of utilizing local resources and skills to increase work program efficiency while providing local benefit.
• Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA)coreOthersThe Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) is the regulatory body overseeing seabed minerals activities in the Cook Islands EEZ. SBMA granted Moana Minerals the exploration licenses for polymetallic nodule deposits. The SBMA is developing mining regulations and provides the regulatory framework within which Moana Minerals operates. The Cook Islands has established a well-defined legal framework for underwater mining with broad bipartisan and public support.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• BHP Group: BHP is a global mining major with nickel operations and historical exploration interest in seafloor massive sulfides. It is a broad incumbent competing across the same critical minerals value chain that Moana Minerals targets.
• ERAMET: ERAMET is a French mining and metallurgical group with major nickel operations (New Caledonia) and historical seabed mineral interests. It is a broad incumbent competing in the same critical minerals end-markets (battery-grade nickel/cobalt) with both land-based and seabed exposure.
• Anglo American: Anglo American is a diversified mining major with platinum group metals, copper, and crop nutrients operations. It is a broad incumbent serving overlapping battery and clean-energy supply chains and represents a potential competitor or strategic counterparty in critical minerals markets.
• Glencore: Glencore is one of the world's largest producers of cobalt (predominantly from DRC copperbelt operations) and nickel. It is a broad incumbent that sets global benchmark pricing and supply for the same critical metals Moana Minerals intends to produce.

Direct peers

• Blue Minerals Cook Islands: Blue Minerals is a Cook Islands-registered seabed mineral exploration company holding exploration licenses in the Cook Islands EEZ. It is a direct competitor operating in the same jurisdiction with similar regulatory and environmental challenges, targeting the same nodule resource base.
• The Metals Company: The Metals Company (TMC, formerly DeepGreen Metals) is the most advanced publicly listed polymetallic nodule developer, focused on the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. It is the closest direct competitor to Moana Minerals, targeting the same battery and EV customer base with the same end products (cobalt, nickel, copper, manganese) from seafloor nodules.
• Global Sea Mineral Resources (GSR): GSR is DEME Group's deep-sea mineral exploration subsidiary, developing polymetallic nodule collection technology in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. It is a direct competitor with comparable technology development stage, regulatory engagement, and target customers in the critical minerals supply chain.
• Allseas Group: Allseas developed the Patania II polymetallic nodule collector and conducted the first integrated nodule collection test at depth. While primarily a subsea construction contractor, its deep-sea mining program makes it a direct technology and competitive peer to Moana Minerals' Transocean-led nodule recovery program.
• Marawa Research and Exploration: Marawa is another Cook Islands-based seabed minerals exploration company with licenses in the Cook Islands EEZ. It is a regional direct peer competing for the same seabed resources, regulatory access, and potential offtake customers in the same jurisdiction.

Emerging players

• Cobalt Blue Holdings: Cobalt Blue Holdings is an Australian emerging player developing cobalt production from land-based deposits (Broken Hill). It addresses the same end-market (cobalt for EV batteries) via a different resource base, making it a thematic competitor for downstream offtake pricing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCpB8bH7jR2YJ7XQh9b6nqHw
• Facebookfacebook.com/MoanaMinerals
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/moana-minerals-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Moana Minerals