Norway and the United States continues to strengthen the cooperation on supply of critical minerals. This is also very timely with the upcoming first licensing round for Deep Sea Minerals within the Norwegian Exclusive Economic Zone.

At the signing, US Secretary Antony J. Blinken remarked, “As NATO founding members, our countries have an extraordinary history, a longstanding history, of working to address global challenges—not just the bilateral relationship, but between Norway and the United States, one that focuses on regional issues but also on global issues.

“In April, we agreed to tackle one of the greatest threats to our national and economic security by working to secure our critical mineral and clean energy supply chains. And this is something that’s animated both of our countries for some time, and I think the work that we’ve done together reflects the intense importance that we attach to this.

“This signing of this Memorandum of Cooperation demonstrates a shared commitment to economic security in both a timely and tangible way. Developing secure, transparent critical mineral supply chains is essential if we’re going to achieve our global clean energy goals, but it’s also an essential aspect of our national security.”

Loke is focusing on the cobalt-enriched crust in Norwegian waters. The Norwegian crust is abnormally thick—up to 40 cm—and highly enriched in many of the minerals listed on the US Geological Survey’s list of critical minerals.