TABLE OF CONTENTS

You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus. No one has been authorized to provide you with information that is different from that contained in this prospectus. This prospectus is dated as of the date set forth on the cover hereof. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than that date.

For investors outside the United States:    We have not done anything that would permit this offering or possession or distribution of this prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required, other than in the United States. You are required to inform yourselves about and to observe any restrictions relating to this offering and the distribution of this prospectus.

CERTAIN DEFINED TERMS

In this document:

“Allseas” means Allseas Group S.A.

“Allseas Warrant” means the warrant held by Allseas to purchase up to 11,578,620 Common Shares, which shall vest upon certain milestones into such number of Common Shares that is based on the formula described therein, and which was assumed by TMC upon the consummation of the Business Combination, in accordance with its terms;

“Arrangement” means the arrangement under Part 9, Division 5 of the BCBCA on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Plan of Arrangement;

“BCBCA” means the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia);

“Business Combination” means the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement which were consummated on September 9, 2021, including the migration and continuance of SOAC from the Cayman Islands to British Columbia, Canada and the acquisition by SOAC of all of the issued and outstanding common shares in the capital of DeepGreen in exchange for Common Shares and Special Shares, whereby DeepGreen became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company; and DeepGreen and NewCo Sub amalgamated to continue as one unlimited liability company existing under the laws of British Columbia, Canada, pursuant to a court-approved plan of arrangement under the BCBCA.

“Business Combination Agreement” means that Business Combination Agreement, dated as of March 4, 2021, by and among SOAC, NewCo Sub and DeepGreen.

“Closing” means the closing of the Business Combination.

“Closing Date” means the closing date of the Business Combination, which occurred on September 9, 2021.

“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

“Common Shares” means the Common Shares, without par value, of TMC.

“DeepGreen” means DeepGreen Metals Inc., a company existing under the laws of British Columbia, Canada, prior to the consummation of the Arrangement and the Business Combination.

“DeepGreen capital stock” means the shares of DeepGreen capital stock outstanding prior to the Business Combination.

“DeepGreen Earnout Shares” means the (a) 4,999,973 Class A Special Shares, (b) 9,999,853 Class B Special Shares, (c) 9,999,853 Class C Special Shares, (d) 19,999,855 Class D Special Shares, (e) 19,999,855 Class E Special Shares, (f) 19,999,855 Class F Special Shares, (g) 24,999,860 Class G Special Shares, and (h) 24,999,860 Class H Special Shares, in each case in the capital of TMC, each of which is automatically convertible into Common Shares on a one for one basis (unless adjusted as described herein) if certain price per Common Share thresholds are met as described in “Description of Securities — Special Shares.”

“DeepGreen Option” means each option to purchase common shares of DeepGreen granted to a DeepGreen employee, director, or consultant.

“DeepGreen shareholder” means each holder of DeepGreen capital stock as of any determination time prior to the Effective Time.

“Effective Time” means, with respect to the Business Combination, the time on the Closing Date that the Arrangement became effective.

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

“FASB” means the Financial Accounting Standards Board.

“Founder Shares” means the aggregate of 6,759,000 Common Shares held by the Sponsor, Rick Gaenzle, Isaac Barchas and Justin Kelly and their respective transferees.

“Initial Shareholders” means the Sponsor and SOAC’s independent directors.

“Investment Company Act” means the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

“Initial public offering” means SOAC’s initial public offering, consummated on May 8, 2020, through the sale of an aggregate of 30,000,000 units at $10.00 per unit.

“JOBS Act” means the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012.

“NewCo Sub” means 1291924 B.C. Unlimited Liability Company, an unlimited liability company existing under the laws of British Columbia, Canada and a wholly owned subsidiary of SOAC.

“Nasdaq” means The Nasdaq Stock Market.

“NORI-D” means the commercialization project of the estimated resources located in NORI Area D.

“Notice and Articles” means the notice of articles and articles of TMC upon the Continuance.

“PIPE Financing” means the issuance of an aggregate of 11,030,000 shares of Common Shares pursuant to the Subscription Agreements to the PIPE Investors immediately prior to the Closing, at a purchase price of $10.00 per share.

“PIPE Investors” means the certain institutional and accredited investors who are party to the Subscription Agreements.

“PIPE Investor Subscription Agreements” means the subscription agreements, each dated as of March 4, 2021, by and between TMC and the PIPE Investors, pursuant to which TMC issued an aggregate of 11,030,000 Common Shares to the PIPE Investors immediately prior to the Closing at a purchase price of $10.00 per share.

“Private Placement Warrants” means the 9,500,000 warrants issued to the Sponsor concurrently with SOAC’s initial public offering, each of which is exercisable for one Common Share.

“Public shares” means SOAC Common Shares included in the units issued in SOAC’s initial public offering.

“Public shareholders” means holders of public shares.

“Public Warrants” means the warrants included in the units issued in SOAC’s initial public offering, each of which is exercisable for one Common Share, in accordance with its terms.

“SOAC” means Sustainable Opportunities Acquisition Corp., a Cayman Islands exempted company limited by shares (which, after the Closing is known as TMC the metals company Inc.).

“SOAC Ordinary Shares” means the Class A ordinary shares of SOAC, which were redesignated as Common Shares as a result and upon the consummation of the Continuance;

“SOAC Class B ordinary shares” means the shares of Class B ordinary shares of SOAC.

“TMC” means TMC the metals company Inc., a British Columbia, Canada corporation (which, prior to consummation of the Business Combination, was known as Sustainable Opportunities Acquisition Corp. (“SOAC” herein)) and, where applicable, its direct and indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries.

“TMC Incentive Equity Plan” means the TMC the metals company Inc. 2021 Incentive Equity Plan.

“Registration Rights Agreement” means the amended and restated registration rights agreement entered into as of the Closing by and among TMC, the Sponsor, certain affiliates of the Sponsor, and certain securityholders of Legacy DeepGreen.

“Sarbanes-Oxley Act” means the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

“SEC” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

“Special Shares” means the DeepGreen Earnout Shares and the Sponsor Earnout Shares.

“Sponsor” means Sustainable Opportunities Holdings LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.

“Sponsor Earnout Shares” means the 500,000 Class I Special Shares and 741,000 Class J Special Shares in the capital of TMC, each of which is automatically convertible into Common Shares on a one for one basis (unless adjusted as described herein) if certain Common Share price thresholds are met as described in “Description of Securities — Special Shares.”

“Transfer Agent” means Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company.

“Trust Account” means the Trust Account of SOAC that held the proceeds from SOAC’s initial public offering and the private placement of the Private Placement Warrants.

“Trustee” means Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company.

“U.S. GAAP” means United States generally accepted accounting principles.

“Units” means the units of SOAC, each consisting of one share of SOAC ordinary shares and one-half (1/2) of one Public Warrant of SOAC.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus includes forward-looking statements regarding, among other things, our plans, strategies and prospects, both business and financial. These statements are based on the beliefs and assumptions of our management. Although we believe that our plans, intentions and expectations reflected in or suggested by these forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or realize these plans, intentions or expectations. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Generally, statements that are not historical facts, including statements concerning possible or assumed future actions, business strategies, events or results of operations, are forward-looking statements. These statements may be preceded by, followed by or include the words “believes”, “estimates”, “expects”, “projects”, “forecasts”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “seeks”, “plans”, “scheduled”, “anticipates” or “intends” or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus include, but are not limited to, statements about:

•        our ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination, which may be affected by, among other things, the commercial and technical feasibility of seafloor polymetallic nodule collection and processing;

•        the supply and demand for battery metals and manganese alloys;

•        the future prices of battery metal and manganese alloys;

•        the timing and content of International Seabed Authority’s exploitation regulations that will create the legal and technical framework for exploitation of polymetallic nodules in the Clarion Clipperton Zone of the Pacific Ocean;

•        government regulation of deep seabed mining operations and changes in mining laws and regulations;

•        the risks of developing and deploying equipment for operations to collect polymetallic nodules at sea and to process such nodules on land;

•        environmental risks;

•        the timing and amount of estimated future production, costs of production, capital expenditures and requirements for additional capital;

•        cash flow provided by operating activities;

•        maintaining and negotiating of key strategic relationships;

•        our ability to raise financing in the future;

•        unanticipated reclamation expenses;

•        claims and limitations on insurance coverage;

•        the uncertainty in mineral resource estimates;

•        financial risks posed by our material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting;

•        the uncertainty in geological, hydrological, metallurgical and geotechnical studies and opinions;

•        infrastructure risks;

•        dependence on key management personnel and executive officers;

•        our financial performance;

•        economic downturns and political and market conditions beyond our control could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations;

•        the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business; and

•        other factors detailed under the section titled “Risk Factors.”

These forward-looking statements are based on information available as of the date of this prospectus, and current expectations, forecasts and assumptions, and involve a number of judgments, risks and uncertainties. Important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated or implied by forward-looking statements such as those contained in documents we have filed with the SEC. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date, and we do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

As a result of a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, our actual results or performance may be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. For a discussion of the risks involved in our business and investing in our Common Shares, see the section entitled “Risk Factors.”

Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

RISK FACTORS

An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below before making an investment decision. Our business, prospects, financial condition, or operating results could be harmed by any of these risks, as well as other risks not known to us or that we consider immaterial as of the date of this prospectus. The trading price of our securities could decline due to any of these risks, and, as a result, you may lose all or part of your investment.

Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this section to “we,” “us,” “our” and the “Company” refer to TMC the metals company Inc. and its subsidiaries following the Business Combination, or to DeepGreen or SOAC prior to the Business Combination, as the case may be.

Risks Related to Laws, Rules, Regulations and Policies

Our business is subject to numerous regulatory uncertainties which, if not resolved in our favor, would have a material adverse impact on our business.

To date, no commercial-scale collection (also referred to as “mining,” “exploitation” or “harvesting”) of nodules has occurred in the area of the high seas beyond national jurisdiction (the “Area”), which includes the CCZ. Moreover, despite the release by the International Seabed Authority (the “ISA”) of the Draft Regulations on Exploitation of Mineral Resources (the “Draft Regulations”), finalization of such regulations remains subject to approval and adoption by the ISA. The ISA was intending to have these regulations finalized by July 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted ISA meetings and discussions. Once adopted, these regulations will create the legal and technical framework for exploitation of the polymetallic nodules in the NORI, TOML and Marawa Contract Areas.

Section 1, paragraph 15 of the 1994 Agreement relating to the Implementation of Part XI of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (“UNCLOS”) allows a member state whose national intends to apply for approval of a plan of work for exploitation to notify the ISA of such intention. This notice obliges the ISA to complete the adoption of exploitation regulations within two years of the request made by the member state.

On June 25, 2021, the Republic of Nauru submitted its notice to the ISA requesting that it complete, by July 9, 2023, the adoption of regulations necessary to facilitate the approval of plans of work for the commercial exploitation of polymetallic nodules. The notice submitted by the Republic of Nauru to the ISA has increased the likelihood that regulations will be adopted that will govern and enable commercial scale polymetallic nodule collection. If the ISA has not completed the adoption of such regulations within the prescribed time and an application for approval of a plan of work for exploitation is pending before the ISA, the ISA shall nonetheless consider and provisionally approve such plan of work based on: (i) the provisions of the UNCLOS; (ii) any rules, regulations and procedures that the ISA may have adopted provisionally at the time, (iii) the basis of the norms contained in the UNCLOS and (iv) the principle of non-discrimination among contractors.

We expect the final regulations (“Final Regulations”) to be approved within the next two years, but there can be no assurance that such regulations will be approved then, or at all. The Draft Regulations and several supporting standards and guidelines are at an advanced stage, but there remains uncertainty regarding the final form that these will take, as well as the impact that such regulations, standards and guidelines will have on our ability to meet our objectives.

The collection of polymetallic nodules within the CCZ, where our exploration areas are located, will require approval of an ISA Exploitation Contract (which will authorize commercial collection activities). As part of the application for an ISA Exploitation Contract, all contractors will be required to complete baseline studies and an environmental and social impact assessment (“ESIA”), culminating in an Environmental Impact Statement (“EIS”), prior to collecting nodules. The EIS would be accompanied by an Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan (“EMMP). The EMMP is expected to specify the objectives and purpose of all monitoring requirements, the components to be monitored, frequency of monitoring, methods of monitoring, analysis required in each monitoring component, monitoring data management and reporting.

In order to collect the mineral resources and commercialize our projects, our wholly-owned subsidiaries Nauru Ocean Resources Inc. (“NORI”) and Tonga Offshore Mining Limited (“TOML”) will each need to obtain an ISA Exploitation Contract, as will our partner Marawa Research and Exploration Limited (“Marawa”), in addition

to related permits that may be required by our commercial partners. There can be no assurance that the ISA will evaluate any exploration contract application by our subsidiaries in a timely manner. Even if the ISA timely evaluates such applications(s), our subsidiaries may be required to submit a supplementary EIS before obtaining approval. As such, there is a risk that an ISA Exploitation Contract may not be granted by the ISA, may not be granted on a timely basis, or may be granted on uneconomic terms.

Similarly, with respect to sponsor state regulation, no assurance can be given that new rules and regulations will not be enacted or that existing rules and regulations will not be applied in a manner that would limit or curtail production or development by our subsidiaries. Amendments to current laws and regulations governing the operations and activities of deep sea mineral resources companies, or changes in interpretation thereto, or the unwillingness of countries throughout the world to enforce such laws and regulations, could have a material adverse impact on our business, and could cause increases in exploration expenses, capital expenditures, production costs, or put the security of our equipment at risk to activism or piracy. Such amendments could also cause reductions in our future production, or the delay or abandonment in the development of our polymetallic mineral resource properties. There can be no certainty that actions by governmental and regulatory authorities, including changes in regulation, taxation and other fiscal regimes, will not adversely impact our projects or our business. Further, our operations depend on the continuation of the sponsorship arrangements between our subsidiaries NORI and TOML and each of their host sponsoring nations, the Kingdom of Tonga and the Republic of Nauru, respectively. Each subsidiary has been registered and incorporated within such host nation and each nation has maintained effective supervision, regulation, and sponsorship over the conduct of such subsidiary. While we have beneficial ownership over such subsidiaries, we operate under the regulation and sponsorship of the Republic of Nauru and the Kingdom of Tonga. If such arrangement is challenged, or sponsorship is terminated, we may have to restructure the ownership or operations of such subsidiary to ensure continued state sponsorship. Failure to maintain sponsorship, or secure new state sponsorship, will have a material impact on such subsidiary and on our overall business and operations.

While the rates of payments are yet to be set by the ISA, the 1994 Agreement relating to the Implementation of Part XI of the UNCLOS of 10 December 1982 (the “1994 Implementation Agreement”) prescribes a relevant framework that the rates of payments “shall be within the range of those prevailing in respect of land-based mining of the same or similar minerals in order to avoid giving deep seabed miners an artificial competitive advantage or imposing on them a competitive disadvantage.” The ISA has held workshops with stakeholders to discuss and seek comments on the potential financial regime for the collecting of polymetallic nodules in the Area. There can be no assurance that the ISA will put in place Final Regulations in a timely manner or at all. Such regulations may also impose burdensome obligations or restrictions on us, and/or may contain terms that do not enable us to develop our projects.

Our resource activities are subject to changes in government regulation and political instability.

Parties carrying out exploration and collection operations in the Area must be sponsored by a State that is a member of the ISA. The sponsoring States of our subsidiaries NORI and TOML are Nauru and Tonga, respectively. If either country ceases such sponsorship, NORI or TOML would need to seek sponsorship elsewhere, which could impact our operations as a group.

In addition, our subsidiary, DeepGreen Engineering Pte Ltd. (“DGE”), has an exclusive contract with Marawa, which is sponsored by the Republic of Kiribati that permits DGE to conduct activities in connection with the exploration contract held by Marawa with the ISA. There is a risk that a State sponsoring activities in a project area ceases to be a sponsor, or is not permitted to be a sponsor, or that NORI and TOML cease to remain as sponsored contractors by such State; and if an agreement cannot be reached with a substitute sponsoring State, or if we are unable to transfer our sponsorship to another State, such subsidiary could be forced to cease activities in the Area.

Additionally, there is little jurisprudence or interpretative guidance regarding the application of the sponsorship regulations that are applicable to our business. For example, with respect to the question over the regulation of which State can impact the activities of any contractor (such as NORI or TOML), we have taken the view that incorporation, registration and the grant of nationality are critical factors, amongst others, notwithstanding the beneficial ownership of a subsidiary by its parent (“beneficial ownership”). While this position has not been challenged by our sponsoring States or the ISA, certain organizations that oppose the deep-sea polymetallic nodule exploration and collecting industry have advocated for the use of a beneficial ownership test for state sponsorship, and there are no guarantees that our interpretation will be universally accepted in the future.

The mineral exploration activities of our subsidiaries and their future project development prospects could be affected in varying degrees by political instability and changes in government regulation relating to foreign investment and the deep-sea polymetallic collecting business, including expropriation. Operations may also be affected in varying degrees by possible terrorism, military conflict, crime, piracy, fluctuations in currency rates, and high inflation. In addition, from time to time, governments may nationalize private businesses, including companies such as ours. There can be no assurance that the governments of countries where we or our affiliates or third-party contractors operate or the governments with which our subsidiaries work in the Area will not nationalize companies such as ours and our assets in the future, or impose burdensome obligations or restrictions. There can also be no assurance that the ISA will not impose burdensome obligations or restrictions on our business or our projects (or those of our affiliates and third-party contractors), or that they will not implement policies or regulations that would prevent us from accomplishing our objectives.

Changes to any of the laws, rules, regulations or policies to which we are subject could have a significant impact on our business.

Changes to any of the laws, rules, regulations, taxation or other policies to which we are subject could have a significant impact on our business. There can be no assurance that we will be able to comply with any future laws, rules, regulations and policies. Failure to comply with applicable laws, rules, regulations, and policies may subject us to civil or regulatory proceedings, including fines or injunctions, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, liquidity, and results of operations. In addition, compliance with any future laws, rules, regulations, and policies could negatively impact our profitability, and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations.

Furthermore, we may seek to expand our production capabilities in the future, which would require additional regulatory approvals that may not be provided in a timely manner or at all. Furthermore, such additional approvals could require changes to environmental offset areas and related environmental protections which, if overly burdensome, could impact our operations.

Our exploration, collecting, processing and refining activities are subject to extensive and costly environmental requirements, and current and future laws, regulations, and permits may impose significant costs, liabilities, or obligations, or could limit or prevent our ability to continue our operations as currently contemplated or to undertake new operations.

All phases of exploring for and collecting and processing polymetallic nodules will be subject to environmental regulation in various jurisdictions and under national as well as international laws and conventions. No seafloor polymetallic nodule deposit has been harvested on a commercial scale, and it is not clear what environmental parameters may need to be measured to satisfy regulatory authorities for an ISA Exploitation Contract should be granted. A full ESIA for deep sea collecting operations has yet to be completed and approved by the ISA, and the full impact of any polymetallic nodule collecting operation on the environment has yet to be determined. Further, the required standards for an ESIA are currently unclear and have not been finalized by the ISA, which could require changes to any submissions made by our subsidiaries in connection with an ISA Exploitation Contract application. Environmental legislation is evolving in a manner which is likely to require strict standards and enforcement, increased fines and penalties for non-compliance, more stringent environmental assessments of proposed projects and a heightened degree of responsibility for companies and their officers, directors and employees. Additionally, while we intend to produce seafloor polymetallic nodules in a way that mitigates and reduces potential damage to the seafloor and marine environmental conditions, we do not know whether the ISA or any other regulatory body will seek to impose onerous methods for the restoration of the area or rehabilitation obligations on our collecting process. Any such obligations, to the extent they are overly burdensome, could result in material changes to our business as currently contemplated.

Although the environmental impact review process has not yet been finalized, all contractors have been made aware of the requirement to complete baseline studies and an ESIA, culminating in an Environmental Impact Statement (“EIS”), prior to collecting. The EIS would be accompanied by an Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan (“EMMP”), which will be required as part of the application for an ISA Exploitation Contract within the contract areas of NORI, TOML and Marawa. The EMMP is expected to specify the objectives and purpose of all monitoring requirements, the components to be monitored, frequency of monitoring, methods of monitoring, analysis required in each monitoring component, monitoring data management and reporting.

The EMMP will also be submitted to the ISA for approval as part of the ISA Exploitation Contract application. There are no guarantees that the ISA will evaluate any exploration contract application by our subsidiaries in a timely manner, and even if the ISA does timely evaluate such applications(s), such subsidiary may be required to submit a supplementary EIS before being approved. This may result in delays that could impact our projected timeframe. Furthermore, in the event that the ISA timely evaluates and approves an application, any aspect of such application and approval theoretically could be subject to legal challenges which could result in further delays that could detrimentally impact our business. For example, certain conservation groups have sought to impose a ten-year moratorium on deep-sea polymetallic nodule collection. While this agenda does not appear to have directly impacted the current proposed Final Regulations and implementation of the policies of the ISA, any such moratorium would have a material adverse effect on our business.

The environmental permitting process is expected to involve a series of checks and balances with reviews being conducted by the ISA, including technical evaluations by the ISA secretariat and a constituent body of the ISA known as the Legal and Technical Commission (the “LTC”). The recommendations of the LTC will then go before the ISA Council (a core policy-making body of the ISA), which will then review and, if it deems appropriate, approve the contractor’s application. It would require a two-thirds majority of the Council to reject a development proposal that is recommended to it by the LTC. There are no assurances that the work our subsidiaries have done to date or their contemplated future operations will satisfy the final environmental rules and regulations adopted by the ISA, and any future changes could delay the timing of such submissions to the ISA or our subsidiaries operations more generally, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. Sponsoring State approvals and permits are currently and may in future be required in connection with our operations. To the extent such approvals are required and not obtained, our subsidiaries may be curtailed or prohibited from proceeding with planned exploration or development of mineral properties. Failure to comply with applicable laws, regulations, and permitting requirements may result in enforcement actions thereunder, including orders issued by regulatory or judicial authorities causing operations to cease or be curtailed and may include corrective measures requiring capital expenditures, installation of additional equipment, or remedial actions. Parties engaged in collection operations may be required to compensate those suffering loss or damage by reason of the collection activities and may have civil or criminal fines or penalties imposed for violations of applicable laws and regulations.

We may become subject to environmental liabilities as a result of noncompliance or newly imposed regulations.

All of the exploration and development operations of our subsidiaries will be subject to environmental permitting and regulations, which can make operations expensive or prohibit them altogether. We may also be subject to potential risks and liabilities associated with pollution of the environment that could occur as a result of our subsidiaries’ exploration, development, and production activities.

To the extent that a subsidiary becomes subject to environmental liabilities, the payment of such liabilities, or the costs incurred to remedy environmental pollution, would reduce funds otherwise available to us, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. If we or our subsidiaries are unable to fully remedy an environmental problem, they might be required to suspend operations or enter into interim compliance measures pending completion of the required remedy. The potential exposure could be material to our business.

All of our exploration, development, production and processing activities will be subject to regulation under certain environmental laws and regulations. Our subsidiaries may be required to obtain permits for their activities. They may be required to update and review permits from time to time, and may also be subject to environmental impact analyses and public review processes prior to the approval of any future activities. It is possible that future changes in applicable laws, regulations and permits, or changes in their enforcement or regulatory interpretation by local governments, sponsor states, and other regulatory bodies, could have a significant impact on our business.

There is significant uncertainty regarding the impact of polymetallic nodule collection on biodiversity in the CCZ and recovery rates of impacted ecosystems.

Potential future commercial-scale nodule collection operations in the CCZ are certain to disturb wildlife in the operating area. The nature and severity of these impacts on CCZ wildlife are expected to vary by species and are currently subject to significant uncertainty. Our studies cataloguing wildlife and ecosystem function, piloting the nodule collection system and assessing impacts arising from the use of this system are all currently in progress. Given the significant volume of deep water and the difficulty of sampling or retrieving biological specimens in

the Area, a complete biological inventory might never be established. Accordingly, impacts on CCZ biodiversity may never be, completely and definitively known. For the same reasons, it may also not be possible to definitively say whether the impact of nodule collection on global biodiversity will be less significant than those estimated for land-based mining for a similar amount of produced metal.

It is also currently not definitively known how the risk of biodiversity loss in the CCZ could be eliminated or reduced through mitigation strategies or how long it will take for disturbed seabed areas to recover naturally. Prior research indicates that the density, diversity and function of fauna representing most of resident biomass (including mobile, pelagic and microbial life) are expected to recover naturally over years to decades. However, a high level of uncertainty exists around recovery of fauna that requires the hard substrate of nodules for critical life function. The extent to which planned measures, such as leaving behind 15% of nodule cover (by mass) and setting aside no-take zones, would aid recruitment and recovery of nodule-dependent species in impacted areas will depend on factors like habitat connectivity, which is an area that is still under study.

Risks Related to Exploration, Collecting, Processing, and Commercialization

Our business is subject to significant risks, and we may never develop minerals in sufficient grade or quantities to justify commercial operations.

Mineral resource exploration, development, and operations are highly speculative and are characterized by a number of significant risks, including, among other things, unprofitable efforts resulting not only from the failure to discover mineral resources, and from finding mineral resources which, though present, are insufficient in quantity and quality to return a profit from production. Once mineralization is discovered, it may take a number of years from the initial exploration phases before production is possible, during which time the potential feasibility of the project may change adversely. Substantial expenditures are required to establish mineral resources and reserves, to determine processes to collect and transport the minerals and, if required, to construct processing facilities.

No deep-sea polymetallic properties in the Area that have been identified have as of today been developed into production. Exploration risk exists in the discovery, location, definition and recovery of seafloor polymetallic nodule deposits. Many companies fail to ever locate an economic deposit, and given that no seafloor polymetallic nodule deposit has ever been commercially developed, such risks may have a material impact on our ability to accomplish our objectives. Operations may be affected by the availability of suitable vessels and equipment, prevailing sea conditions, changes in meteorological conditions and climate change, currents close to the seafloor and throughout the water column, recovery of materials sampled, lack of experience in delineating deposits, or unsuitability of equipment for recovering such material in prevailing conditions. Substantial expenditures are required to establish mineral reserves, to develop metallurgical processes, and to construct collection and transportation vessels, and we will be required to rely upon the expertise of consultants and others for exploration, development, construction and operational knowhow, and such consultants and third parties may not always be available to support our operations. If we are not able to obtain such expertise or identify alternative sources of expertise, our operations and financial results will be negatively impacted.

While we believe that seafloor polymetallic nodules in the contract areas of our subsidiaries account for some of the world’s largest aggregated estimated deposits of battery metals, no assurance can be given that minerals will be discovered in sufficient grade or quantities to justify commercial operations. Whether an exploration property will be commercially viable depends on a number of factors, including: the particular attributes of the deposit, such as size, grade and proximity to infrastructure; metal prices, which are highly cyclical; availability of and effectiveness of technology to recover, trans-ship, transport and process nodules; government regulations, including regulations relating to prices, taxes, royalties, land tenure, land use, and environmental protection; availability of required personnel, third-party partners and contractors, any required financing and commercial demand in the marketplace for such metals. The precise impact of these factors cannot accurately be predicted, but the combination of these factors may result in the inability of our subsidiaries to operate or generate an adequate return on invested capital.

While we and our subsidiaries will evaluate the political and economic factors in determining an exploration strategy, there can be no assurance that significant restrictions will not be placed on intended development areas. Such restrictions may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operation.

No seafloor polymetallic nodule deposit has ever been commercially developed, and our collection and development plans and processes may not be sufficient to accomplish our objectives.

Seafloor polymetallic nodules have never been commercially mined, and there is a risk that our collection and recovery methods and the equipment that we intend to utilize during this process may not be adequate for the economic development of seafloor polymetallic nodule deposits. The equipment and technology that we intend to utilize has not been fully proven in such sub-sea conditions and for this specific material and application, and failure to adapt existing equipment or to develop suitable equipment or recovery and development techniques for the prevailing material and seafloor conditions would have a material adverse effect on the business of our subsidiaries, and the results of their operations and financial condition. We have partnered with Allseas, a leading global offshore contractor, to undertake a pre-production pilot collection system test in which a collector vehicle, a riser and lift system (“RALS”) and other systems will be tested. Although we expect the pilot collection system test to be successful, there can be no assurance that it will be, or that their technology will eventually be adequate for full scale commercial production, or that our intention to partner with Allseas in the initial production activities in one or more of our contract areas will be agreed with Allseas, hence we may be delayed in obtaining offshore collection equipment in the event we do not reach agreement with Allseas and have to develop such equipment on our own or through new third-party contractual relationships.

Mineral resource calculations from the contract areas of NORI and TOML are only estimates.

Calculations of mineral resources from the contract areas of NORI and TOML described in this prospectus and reported in technical reports prepared by AMC are only estimates and depend on geological interpretation and statistical inferences or assumptions drawn from recovery and sampling analysis, which might prove to be materially inaccurate. While these reports have been provided by experts, there is a degree of uncertainty attributable to the calculation of mineral resources. Mineral Reserves have not been defined and will require completion of further studies. Until mineral resources are actually collected and processed, the quantity of metal and nodule abundance must be considered as estimates only and no assurance can be given that the indicated levels of metals will be produced. In making determinations about whether to advance any of our projects to further development, we must rely upon calculated estimates for the mineral resources and grades of mineralization in our contract areas and estimated equipment production rates and collection efficiency.

The estimation of mineral reserves and mineral resources is a subjective process that is partially dependent upon the judgment of the persons preparing the estimates. The process relies on the quantity and quality of available data and is based on knowledge, experience, statistical analysis of data and industry practices. Valid estimates made at a given time may significantly change when new information becomes available.

Estimated mineral reserves and mineral resources may have to be recalculated based on changes in metal prices, further exploration or development activity or actual production experience. This could materially and adversely affect estimates of the volume or grade of mineralization, estimated recovery rates or other important factors that influence mineral reserves and mineral resources estimates. The extent to which mineral resources may ultimately be reclassified as mineral reserves is dependent upon the demonstration of their profitable recovery. Any material changes in volume and grades of mineralization will affect the economic viability of placing a property into production and a property’s return on capital. We cannot provide assurance that polymetallic nodules can be collected or processed profitably.

The mineral resource estimates in this prospectus have been determined and valued based on assumed future metal prices, cut-off grades, production rates and operating costs that may prove to be inaccurate. Extended declines in the market price for nickel, manganese, copper and cobalt may render portions of our mineralization uneconomic and result in reduced reported volume and grades, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our financial performance, financial position and results of operations.

In addition, inferred mineral resources have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and their economic and legal feasibility. You should not assume that any part of an inferred mineral resource will be upgraded to a higher category or that any of the mineral resources will be reclassified as mineral reserves.

The grade and quality of the polymetallic nodule deposits that we intend to develop are estimates, and there are no guarantees that such deposits will be suitable for collecting or commercialization.

The grades of the seafloor polymetallic nodule deposits that we intend to develop and commercialize are estimates that may prove to be inaccurate. While limited samples have been collected and analyzed, there are no guarantees that our projections of quality will hold true with respect to the polymetallic nodule deposits that we are able to collect from the seafloor. Actual grades may vary from our estimates, which could have a material adverse impact on our projections for future revenues, cash flows, royalties, and development and operating expenditures.

In addition, the precise form of mineral occurrence, grade, and tonnage, which is projected based on the mapping and analysis of samples, are not yet known. There is a risk that the sampling and imaging that has been completed to date, and that which will need to be completed in the future, has not and/or will not allow us to accurately quantify the tonnage and grade of identified polymetallic nodule deposits. Moreover, the projections or classifications based on such sampling could result in inaccurate environmental, geological or metallurgical assumptions (including with respect to the size, grade and/or recoverability of minerals) or incorrect assumptions concerning economic recoverability.

Uncertainty in our estimates of polymetallic nodule deposits could result in lower than expected revenues and higher costs.

We base our estimates of polymetallic nodule deposits on engineering, economic, and geological data assembled and analyzed by outside firms, which are reviewed by third-party expert consultants including engineers and geologists. Such estimates, however, are necessarily imprecise and depend to some extent on professional interpretation, including statistical inferences drawn from available data, which may prove unreliable. There are numerous uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities and qualities of the polymetallic nodules that we intend to collect and the costs associated therewith, including many factors beyond our control. Estimates of economically recoverable minerals necessarily depend upon a number of variable factors and assumptions, all of which may vary considerably from actual results, such as:

•        environmental, geological, geotechnical, collecting and processing conditions that may not be fully identified by available data or that may differ from experience;

•        changes to the strategic approach to collecting and processing, which will depend in large part on market demand, corporate strategy and other prevailing economic and financial conditions;

•        assumptions concerning future prices of products (including, most notably, battery metals) foreign exchange rates, production rates, process recovery rates, transportation costs, operating costs, capital costs and reclamation costs; and

•        assumptions concerning future effects of regulation, including the issuance of required permits and taxes by governmental agencies and foreign government policies relating to our collecting of the mineral resources from our contract areas.

Uncertainty in estimates related to the availability of polymetallic nodules could result in lower than expected revenues and higher than expected costs or a shortened estimated life for our projects. Fluctuations in factors out of our control such as changes in future product pricing, foreign government policies and foreign exchange rates can have a significant impact on the estimates of mineral resources and reserves and can result in significant changes in the quantum of our resources and/or reserves period-to-period.

The polymetallic nodules that we may recover will require specialized treatment and processing, and there is no certainty that such processes will result in a recovery of metals that is consistent with our expectations, or that we will be able to develop or otherwise access processing plants that are suitable for our purposes.

The polymetallic nodules that our subsidiaries may recover will comprise a mixture of base metals in varying proportions, which will likely necessitate specialized treatment by mineral processing plants or smelters. To date, no polymetallic nodule deposits have been collected and treated for recovery of metal products on a commercial scale, and there is a risk that such treatment may not be economically viable and/or that the nodules being treated will contain elements or compounds that would render them unsuitable for treatment.

To date, no commercial-scale plants have been built to process polymetallic nodules. While Hatch Ltd. (“Hatch”), a global engineering, project management, and professional services firm, has helped us to develop a processing flowsheet with zero solid waste and is working with us in the development of a pilot plant processing program, the actual percentage recovery of metals may vary significantly from that forecast, and we are in the process of conducting a pilot scale metallurgical test-work program to determine our ability to expand such program into a full operational system.

Should our nodule collection plans become successful, we intend to develop land-based processing plants or partner with existing land-based processing partners. Furthermore, our future needs with respect to such processing plants have yet to be fully determined, and as such, the capital costs, performance, reliability, and maintenance of such plants is currently uncertain. While we believe that we have identified specific sites for the potential construction of such plants (based on factors such as proximity to deep-water ports, cost and source of electric power and natural gas, and proximity to customers), there is a risk that we will be unable to secure one or more of these sites on suitable terms. In the event that we are unable to secure one or more of the sites we have identified, or if construction delays impact our ability to develop one or more of such sites, our ability to process polymetallic nodules would be detrimentally impacted. Additionally, there can be no guarantees that such plants can be developed, or if developed, that such plants will perform in an economically viable manner or provide the projected metal recovery rates at the estimated project capital and operating costs, which could impact projections for our future revenues, cash flows, royalties, and development and operating expenditures.

We have identified potential tolling facilities to process nodules to Cu-Ni-Co alloy and Mn silicate, and developed a marketing strategy to place these products into existing smelting and refining facilities. There is no guarantee that these facilities will be available at the required times or that we would be able to secure them at commercially attractive rates. Additionally, even if we are able to secure appropriate processing facilities (either through ground-up construction or tolling arrangements), there is no guarantee that we will be able to provide them with the required nodule feedstocks at the required times. Accordingly, the timing in which we expand our operations may vary depending on geological, operational and financial developments, in addition to regulatory approvals from the ISA, among other factors, and these may impact our revenue and financial performance.

Our exploration and polymetallic nodule collecting activities may be affected by natural hazards, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Deep-sea mineral exploration and collection activities are inherently difficult and dangerous and may be delayed or suspended by severe weather events and climate change, sea conditions or other natural hazards, including storms, hurricanes and unpredictable weather patterns. In addition, even though sea conditions in a particular location may be somewhat predictable, the possibility exists that unexpected conditions may occur that adversely affect our operations. Seafloor mineral collection activities may be subject to interruptions resulting from weather and related marine conditions that adversely affect our collection operations or the ports of delivery and any such delays could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Nodule Collection, development and processing operations pose inherent risks and costs that may negatively impact our business.

Collection, development and processing operations involve many hazards and uncertainties, including, among others:

•        metallurgical or other processing problems;

•        technical and operational challenges in the collection and expansion of maritime collection activities;

•        difficulties in transferring nodules to transport vessels and delivering nodules to port;

•        industrial accidents;

•        unusual and unexpected water conditions;

•        unexpected seafloor conditions

•        unexpected environmental conditions, including contamination or leakage;

•        periodic interruptions due to inclement or hazardous weather conditions or other acts of nature;

•        fires;

•        piracy and disruptive action by non-governmental actors opposed to deep sea collection;

•        organized labor disputes or work slow-downs;

•        mechanical equipment failure and facility performance problems;

•        the availability of financing, market demand, critical technology and equipment, and skilled labor; and

•        the inability of suppliers to provide key process inputs like electricity, gas, coal and processing reagents on a timely basis at the prices that have been forecast.

These occurrences could result in damage to, or destruction of, production facilities, personal injury or death, environmental damage, delays in processing, increased production costs, asset write downs, monetary losses and legal liability, any of which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition and adversely affect our projected development and production estimates. In addition, our operations could be interrupted by or negatively influenced by non-governmental actors which could negatively impact our or our subsidiaries’ ability to operate in the CCZ and international markets, obtain capital, collect, transport, process or sell metals, or otherwise conduct business.

There exist certain negative perceptions related to acquiring metals produced from deep sea minerals. Some market proponents have recently expressed opposition to acquiring deep-see mineral derived metals, and if this position gains broad traction in the marketplace for EV and Battery metals, it could have a material impact on our business and operations.

Fluctuations in transportation costs or disruptions in transportation services or damage or loss during transport could decrease our competitiveness or impair our ability to supply polymetallic nodules, processed minerals or products to our customers, which could adversely affect our results of operations.

Once our subsidiaries have been able to successfully develop their properties, they will be required to transport minerals to facilities for processing. Furthermore, once they have reached a point of commercialization, we will need to transport our products to our future customers, wherever they may be located. Finding affordable and dependable transportation is important because it allows us to supply customers around the world. Labor disputes, embargos, government restrictions, work stoppages, pandemics, derailments, damage or loss events, adverse weather conditions, vessel groundings inhibiting access to key navigation routes, other environmental events, changes to rail or ocean freight systems or other events and activities beyond our control could interrupt or limit available transport services, which could result in customer dissatisfaction and loss of sales potential and could materially adversely affect our results of operations.

Some of the equipment that we will need to accomplish our objectives has not been manufactured and/or tested.

Our subsidiaries will need to rely on high value equipment for collection and transport of materials. Much of this equipment, particularly as it pertains to sub-sea engineering and recovery systems, has yet to have completion of engineering, and has not been constructed and fully tested, and may not be suitable or may prove unreliable, and may not be delivered to us on a timely basis, thereby delaying our contemplated timetable. Moreover, our future needs with respect to sub-sea engineering and recovery systems have yet to be fully determined, and as such, the capital costs, performance, reliability, and maintenance associated with the necessary equipment is currently unknown. There can be no guarantees that the necessary sub-sea engineering and recovery systems can be developed, or if developed, that such systems will be deployable in an economically viable manner. Any equipment downtime or delayed mobilization of equipment may impact operations. Additionally, as we launch exploration, collection, and development initiatives, our subsidiaries may need to compete for the availability of suitable vessels and equipment, even though we have a close commercial relationship with our partners, Allseas and Maersk, there is a risk that certain vessels and equipment will be under long-term charter and will thus not be available to them when needed, if at all.

Risks Related to Our Operations and Industry

Actual capital costs, financing strategies, operating costs, production and economic returns may differ significantly from those we have anticipated and there can be no assurance that any future development activities will result in profitable collecting operations.

The actual operating costs of our subsidiaries to collect polymetallic nodules and transport and process such nodules on a commercial scale will depend upon changes in the availability of financing or partners who undertake capital developments in partnership with us, and prices of labor, equipment and infrastructure, shipping costs, variances in ore recovery from those currently assumed, operational risks, changes in governmental regulation, including taxation, environmental, permitting and other regulations and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. Due to any of these or other factors, our capital and operating costs may be significantly higher than those set forth in the NORI and TOML Technical Report Summaries prepared by AMC Consultants Ltd. (“AMC”) and filed with the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part (the “NORI Technical Report Summary” and the “TOML Technical Report Summary”). As a result of higher capital and operating costs, our financing ability may be impacted, and this may be further affected by lower commodity prices in the international markets that could impact production or economic returns which may differ significantly from those set forth in the NORI and TOML Technical Report Summaries and there can be no assurance that any of our development activities will result in profitable operations.

We have a limited operating history, and there can be no assurance that we will be able to commercially develop our properties or achieve profitability in the future.

We have a limited operating history, and we expect that our losses will continue until we achieve profitable commercial production. NORI currently intends to explore and collect mineral resources in the NORI areas identified in the Exploration Contract executed by NORI with the ISA (the “NORI Areas”), and we hope to expand such operations if viable in certain other parts of the CCZ, including by TOML in the TOML areas identified in the Exploration Contract executed between TOML and the ISA (the “TOML Areas”) and DGE in the Marawa areas identified in the Exploration Contract executed by Marawa with the ISA (the “Marawa Areas”). Although NORI expects to achieve early stage commercial production for NORI-D on or around 2024, there can be no assurance that it will be able to commercially develop these properties or that it will be able to generate profits in the future.

Our operating expenses and capital expenditures will increase in the future as consultants and new employees are engaged, equipment associated with advancing exploration is leased or purchased, and properties are developed. There can be no assurance that we will generate any revenues or achieve profitability, or that the assumed levels of expense associated with our exploration, development, and commercialization processes will prove to be accurate.

Our business is contingent on our ability to successfully identify, collect and process polymetallic nodules, and in doing so, we will need to rely on certain existing and future strategic relationships, some of which we may be unable to maintain and/or develop.

In conducting our business, we will rely on continuing existing strategic relationships as well as new relationships in a variety of disciplines, including the offshore equipment and services industries (such as our partnerships with Maersk and Allseas), the onshore mineral processing industry, and others involved in the mineral exploration industry. We will also need to continue to develop new relationships with third-party contractors, as well as with certain regulatory and governmental departments.

For example, we have been working with Hatch, a global engineering, project management, and professional services firm, to develop onshore processing technology for the production of readily saleable copper and manganese products, as well as products such as high-grade nickel and cobalt sulphates for the electric vehicle battery markets. In connection therewith, Hatch has developed a zero solid waste flowsheet. We are also party to certain agreements with Maersk and Maersk UK, pursuant to which Maersk and Maersk UK agreed to supply us with vessels and offshore services with respect to vessel operations and supplier management to support environmental studies within the NORI, TOML and Marawa Areas, though these arrangements are scheduled to terminate in 2022 unless extended by mutual agreement. Additionally, we are party to certain agreements with Allseas, pursuant to which, among other things, Allseas has agreed to design, engineer and construct an integrated offshore collection system to collect nodules from NORI Areas, and to assist with shipping efforts thereafter. Allseas

is contractually required to develop a test system to demonstrate this capability, but it is not certain that Allseas will convert, or will be able to convert such system into a full-scale commercial operation or that we will reach contractual terms with Allseas for such commercial arrangements.

There can be no assurance that we will be able to continue to maintain and develop our existing relationships, or that we will be able to form the new relationships that are required in order for our business to be successful. Additionally, one of our material agreements with a strategic partner includes performance-based metrics that will adjust depending on the success of our business and the trading activity in our shares. We issued the Allseas Warrant to Allseas, which shall vest upon certain milestones into such number of our Common Shares that is based on the formula described therein. As of June 1, 2022, the value of the Allseas Warrant will be determined by multiplying the total number of our Common Shares underlying the warrant by the price per Common Share (“Warrant Credit Value”). In the event that the Warrant Credit Value is greater than $150,000,000, then on the vesting date of the Allseas Warrant, we shall receive a “credit” for the amount by which such Warrant Credit Value exceeds $150,000,000. We will be able to exchange such credit value for future goods and services from Allseas. However, if our Common Shares do not perform well, there is a chance that we will receive little or no such credit, in which case we will be required to pay more than is currently anticipated to Allseas in connection with the services that it is expected to provide. In addition, there can be no assurance that services will be required from Allseas to utilize any such credit.

The prevailing market prices of nickel, manganese, copper, cobalt, and other commodities will have a material impact on our ability to achieve commercial success.

The profitability of our nodule collection operations is significantly affected by changes in the market price of battery metals (cobalt, nickel and copper) and manganese and the cost of power, petroleum fuels, and oil, among other commodities and supply requirements. Prices of such metals are affected by numerous factors beyond our control, including: prevailing interest rates and returns on other asset classes; expectations regarding inflation, monetary policy and currency values; speculation; governmental and exchange decisions regarding the disposal of metal stockpiles; political and economic conditions; available supplies of battery metals from mine production, inventories and recycled metal; sales by holders and producers of battery metals; and demand for products containing nickel, manganese, copper and cobalt. The price of nickel, manganese, copper, cobalt and other minerals and oil has fluctuated widely in recent years. Depending on the prevailing price of nickel, manganese, copper, and cobalt, and the cost of power, chemical reagents, petroleum fuels and oil, cash flow from our collection operations and commercialization may not be sufficient to cover our operating costs or the costs to servicing any outstanding debt. In addition, our proposed full scale production plans would involve placing a large percentage of global manganese production in the market, and we may be constrained in our ability to sell such large volumes, or such production may negatively impact the market price of manganese, which would, in either case, negatively impact our overall economic position.

We are not currently party to any commodity hedging contracts, as we do not yet have any production. Debt financing may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all.

We may be adversely affected by fluctuations in demand for nickel, manganese, copper, cobalt, and other commodities.

Because our revenue is expected to be from the collection and processing of minerals, changes in demand for, and taxes and other tariffs and fees imposed upon, such minerals and derived mineral products (most notably, nickel, manganese, copper, and cobalt) could significantly affect our profitability. A prolonged or significant economic contraction in the United States or worldwide could put downward pressure on market prices of minerals. Protracted periods of low prices for minerals could significantly reduce revenues and the availability of required development funds in the future. This could cause substantial reductions to, or a suspension of, our exploration, collecting and production operations, and impair asset values.

Demand for our minerals may be impacted by changes in supply dynamics and sources, and changes in demand for downstream products, including batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage that consume high volumes of the metals we intend to produce, as well as demand for manganese alloys used in steel-making, the targeted market for most of our manganese production. Lack of growth or material increases in new sources of supply in this or in any other related markets may adversely affect the demand for our minerals and any related

products, and if the market for these critical existing and emerging technologies does not grow as we expect, grows more slowly than we expect, or if the demand for our products in these markets decreases, then our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results could be harmed. Notably, our financial success will depend in part on the expansion of the global manganese market to consume the additional volume of manganese that we intend to produce.

In contrast, extended periods of high commodity prices may create economic dislocations that could be destabilizing to the supply and demand of minerals, and ultimately to the broader markets. Periods of high market prices for our minerals are generally beneficial to our financial performance. However, strong prices also create economic pressure to identify or create new sources of supply and alternate technologies requiring consumption of metals that ultimately could depress future long-term demand for nickel, cobalt, copper and related products, and at the same time may incentivize development of competing properties.

We may experience difficulty in creating market acceptance for a novel manganese product.

We will be producing a novel manganese silicate product which does not have recognition in the marketplace with customers. Metallurgical testwork, market studies by CRU International Limited (“CRU”) and initial engagement with customers indicate that this manganese silicate product will be a premium product as an input into silicomanagese alloy production that we believe will receive strong market acceptance. However mineral processing industries may be slow to change feed stocks and suppliers, even in the face of potential improvements.

Additionally, manganese silicate is not a conventional mineral product and may require additional approvals for export and import from our processing facilities to our future customers.

We operate in a highly competitive industry, and there are no assurances that our efforts will be successful.

The battery metals collection and processing industry is capital intensive and competitive. Production of battery metals and manganese alloys is largely dominated by Chinese competitors amongst other nation states and private contractors. These competitors may have greater financial resources, as well as other strategic advantages to operate, maintain, improve and possibly expand their facilities. Additionally, domestic Chinese resources firms have historically been able to produce minerals and/or process metals from land-based operations at relatively low costs due to domestic economic and regulatory factors, including less stringent environmental and governmental regulations and lower labor and benefit costs. Many contractors currently hold ISA exploration contracts to assess the value of polymetallic nodule fields for future collecting in the Area. Each of these various contractors are potential competitors with respect to the collection of polymetallic nodules and the production of nickel, manganese, copper and cobalt products. We will be competing with several other contractors that may possess greater financial and/or technical resources. There is increasing competition from new and existing players in the search for polymetallic nodule deposits, the availability of marine exploration and support vessels, related marine equipment and specialized personnel, desirable exploration leases, suitable processing equipment, and available funds. There is a risk that competitors may find more promising resources, identify or develop more economic technologies, enter into strategic partnerships that constrain our optionality, or may develop novel methods to process nodules into metals (either on the seafloor or on land) that are more economic than we currently contemplate.

We may become subject to pressure and lobbying from non-governmental organizations.

Like other businesses that operate in the resources industry, we may become subject to pressure and lobbying from non-governmental organizations, particularly with respect to environmental concerns, including potential damage to the deep-sea environment. There is a risk that the demands and actions of such non-governmental organizations may cause significant disruption to our business, which could have a material adverse effect on our operations and financial condition. It is possible that direct action from environmental groups could physically impact ongoing operation during exploration, project development and commercial operations.

Our profitability could be adversely affected if we fail to maintain satisfactory labor relations.

Our exploration and production initiatives will be dependent upon the efforts of our employees. Although none of our employees are currently subject to any collective bargaining arrangements, our employees could, in the future, choose to be represented as a collective unit, which may result in labor disputes, work stoppages or other disruptions in our production efforts that could adversely affect us.

Our business is subject to a variety of risks, some of which may not be covered by our future or existing insurance policies.

In the course of the exploration, development, and production of our mineral resource properties, we may be subject to a variety of risks that could result in (i) damage to, or destruction of, transportation vessels and processing facilities, (ii) personal injury or death, (iii) environmental damage, (iv) delays in collecting, transporting or processing, (v) monetary losses, (vi) natural disasters, (vii) environmental matters, and (viii) legal liability, among others. It is not always possible to fully insure against such risks, and we may determine not to insure against all such risks as a result of high premiums or for other reasons. Should such liabilities arise, they could reduce or eliminate any future profitability and result in an increase in cost and a decline in the value of our securities. We cannot be certain that insurance for some or all of these risks will be available on acceptable terms or conditions, if at all, and in some cases, coverage may not be acceptable or may be considered too expensive relative to the perceived risk.

Work stoppages or similar difficulties could significantly disrupt our operations, reduce our revenues and materially adversely affect our results of operations.

A work stoppage by any of the third parties providing services in connection with our operations or those of our strategic partners (such as for on-shore or off-shore operations) could significantly disrupt our activities, reduce our future revenues and materially adversely affect our results of operations.

A shortage of skilled technicians and engineers may further increase operating costs, which could materially adversely affect our results of operations.

Efficient collection, transport and processing using modern techniques and equipment requires skilled technicians and engineers. In addition, our optimization and eventual downstream efforts will significantly increase the number of skilled operators, maintenance technicians, engineers and other personnel required to successfully operate our business. If we are unable to hire, train and retain the necessary number of skilled technicians, engineers and other personnel there could be an adverse impact on our labor costs and our ability to reach anticipated production levels in a timely manner, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

We depend on key personnel for the success of our business. The loss of key personnel or the hiring of ineffective personnel could negatively impact our operations and profitability.

We depend on the services of our senior management team, our board of directors, our strategic partners and other key personnel. The loss of the services of any member of senior management, our board of directors or a key employee, or similar personnel within our strategic partners could have an adverse effect on our business. We and our partners may not be able to locate, attract or employ on acceptable terms qualified replacements for senior management, board of directors or other key employees if their services are no longer available.

Our growth will depend on our ability, and on the ability of our management team, board of directors and other employees, to execute on our plans and expand our operations and controls while maintaining effective cost controls.

Deep-sea exploration, collection, and production is a burgeoning industry, and our ability to implement our strategy requires effective planning and management control systems. Our plans may place a significant strain on our management and on our operational, financial and personnel resources. As such, our future growth and prospects will depend on our ability to manage this growth and to continue to expand and improve operational, financial and management information and quality control systems on a timely basis, while at the same time maintaining effective cost controls. Any failure to expand and improve operational, financial and management information and quality control systems in line with our growth could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. There are also risks associated with establishing and maintaining systems of internal controls.

The COVID-19 pandemic could have an adverse effect on our business.

The current COVID-19 pandemic has materially impacted the national and global economy and commodity and financial markets. The full extent and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is unknown and to date has included, among other things, extreme volatility in financial markets, a slowdown in economic activity, volatility in commodity prices, and an increased possibility of a global recession. The response to COVID-19 has led to

significant restrictions on travel, temporary business closures, quarantines, global stock market volatility and a general reduction in consumer activity and sentiment, globally. The outbreak has affected our business and operations and may continue to do so by, among others, increasing the cost of operations and reducing employee productivity, limiting travel of our personnel, adversely affecting the health and welfare of our personnel, or preventing or delaying important third-party service providers from performing normal and contracted activities crucial to the operation of our business.

The outbreak has resulted in significant governmental measures being implemented to control the spread of the virus, including, among others, restrictions on manufacturing and the movement of employees in many regions of the U.S. and other countries. These disruptions could continue to impact the market for minerals, which in turn could impact our business or business prospects.

Decisions beyond our control, such as canceled events, restricted travel, barriers to entry, temporary closures or limited availability of county, state or federal government agencies, or other factors, may affect our ability to perform collecting operations, corporate activities, and other actions that would normally be accomplished without such limitations. For instance, the final exploitation regulations were expected to be adopted by the ISA during 2020 but were delayed due to COVID-19. The extent to which the COVID-19 outbreak will further impact our operations, our business and the economy is highly uncertain. We cannot predict the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are dependent upon information technology systems, which are subject to cyber threats, disruption, damage and failure.

We depend upon information technology systems in the conduct of operations. Such information technology systems are subject to disruption, damage or failure from a variety of sources, including, without limitation, computer viruses, security breaches, cyber-attacks, natural disasters and defects in design. Cybersecurity incidents, in particular, are evolving and include, but are not limited to, malicious software, attempts to gain unauthorized access to data and other electronic security breaches that could lead to disruptions in systems, unauthorized release of confidential or otherwise protected information or the corruption of data. Various measures have been implemented to manage our risks related to information technology systems and network disruptions. However, given the unpredictability of the timing, nature and scope of information technology disruptions, we could potentially be subject to downtimes, operational delays, the compromising of confidential or otherwise protected information, destruction or corruption of data, security breaches, other manipulation or improper use of our systems and networks or financial losses from remedial actions, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.

Our ability to generate revenue will be diminished if we are unable to compete with substitutions for the minerals that we intend to process.

Technology changes rapidly in the industries and end markets that utilize our materials. If these industries introduce new technologies or products that no longer require the minerals that we intend to collect and process, or if suitable substitutes become available, it could result in a decline in demand for our materials. If the demand for our materials decreases, it will have a material adverse effect on our business and the results of our operations and financial condition.

We are reliant on third parties to conduct independent analyses with respect to our business, and any inaccuracies in such analyses could have a material adverse effect on our collection and development objectives.

We rely upon third-party consultants, engineers, analysts, scientists, and others to provide analyses, reviews, reports, advice, and opinions regarding our potential projects. For example, the NORI Technical Report Summary and TOML Technical Report Summary contain mineral resource estimates and other information with respect to our contract areas. There is a risk that such analyses, reviews, reports, advice, opinions, and projects are incorrect, in particular with respect to resource estimation, process development, and recommendations for products to be produced, as well as with respect to economic assessments, including estimating the capital and operating costs of our project and forecasting potential future revenue streams. Uncertainties are also inherent in such estimations.

We may become involved in litigation that may adversely affect us, including litigation related to non-performing PIPE investors.

Due to the nature of our business, we may be subject to regulatory investigations, claims, lawsuits and other proceedings in the ordinary course of our business. The results of these legal proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty due to the uncertainty inherent in litigation, including the effects of discovery of new evidence or advancement of new legal theories, the difficulty of predicting decisions of judges and juries and the possibility that decisions may be reversed on appeal. We can provide no assurances that these matters will not have a material adverse effect on our business. In the past, following periods of volatility in the market, securities class-action litigation has often been instituted against companies. Such litigation, if instituted against us, could result in substantial costs and diversion of management’s attention and resources, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.

In connection with the Closing of the Business Combination, we expected to receive approximately $330 million of proceeds in the PIPE Financing but only received $110.3 million due to two investors that failed to fulfill their funding obligations under their PIPE Investor Subscription Agreements. We have initiated litigation against the two non-performing investors in order to enforce the funding obligations under their PIPE Investor Subscription Agreements, but there can be no assurances that we will be successful in those efforts.

Our future growth may be dependent upon consumers’ willingness to adopt electric vehicles.

Given that the minerals we intend to collect and process are contemplated to be significantly linked to growing metals demand in batteries for electric vehicles, our growth is highly dependent upon the adoption by consumers of, and we are subject to an elevated risk of any reduced demand for, alternative fuel vehicles in general and electric vehicles in particular. While it has been projected that demand for such electric vehicles will surge over time, if the market for electric vehicles does not develop as we expect, or develops more slowly than we expect, our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results may be harmed. The market for alternative fuel vehicles is relatively new, rapidly evolving, characterized by rapidly changing technologies, price competition, additional competitors, evolving government regulation and industry standards, frequent new vehicle announcements and changing consumer demands and behaviors. Factors that may influence the adoption of alternative fuel vehicles, and specifically electric vehicles, include:

•        perceptions about electric vehicle quality, safety, design, performance and cost, especially if adverse events or accidents occur that are linked to the quality or safety of electric vehicles;

•        the material composition necessary for electric vehicle batteries and the potential of change in chemistry and engineering requirements that may move away from expected demand for nickel and cobalt;

•        perceptions about vehicle safety in general, in particular safety issues that may be attributed to the use of advanced technology, including vehicle electronics and regenerative braking systems;

•        the limited range over which electric vehicles may be driven on a single battery charge;

•        the decline of an electric vehicle’s range resulting from deterioration over time in the battery’s ability to hold a charge;

•        concerns about electric grid capacity and reliability;

•        the availability of alternative fuel vehicles, including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles;

•        improvements in the fuel economy of the internal combustion engine;

•        the availability of service for electric vehicles;

•        the environmental consciousness of consumers;

•        volatility in the cost of oil and gasoline;

•        consumers’ perceptions of the dependency of the United States on oil from unstable or hostile countries;

•        government regulations and economic incentives promoting fuel efficiency and alternate forms of energy;

•        access to charging stations, standardization of electric vehicle charging systems and consumers’ perceptions about convenience and cost to charge an electric vehicle;

•        the availability of tax and other governmental incentives to purchase and operate electric vehicles or future regulation requiring increased use of nonpolluting vehicles;

•        perceptions about and the actual cost of alternative fuel; and

•        macroeconomic factors.

Developments in alternative technologies or improvements in the internal combustion engine may materially adversely affect the demand for electric vehicles, and thus for the minerals that we intend to collect and process.

Significant developments in alternative technologies, such as advanced diesel, ethanol, fuel cells or compressed natural gas, or improvements in the fuel economy of the internal combustion engine, may materially and adversely affect demand for the minerals that we intend to harvest and process in ways we do not currently anticipate. Any such reductions in demand could have a material adverse effect on our business and prospects.

We may be required to take write-downs or write-offs, restructurings and impairments or other charges that could have a significant negative effect on our financial condition, results of operations and the share price of our securities, which could cause you to lose some or all of your investment.

We may be forced to write-down or write-off assets, restructure our operations, or incur impairment or other charges that could result in our reporting losses. Unexpected risks may arise and previously known risks may materialize which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations and could contribute to negative market perceptions about our securities or our company. Accordingly, our shareholders could suffer a reduction in the value of our Common Shares and Warrants. Our shareholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value unless they are able to successfully claim that the reduction was due to the breach by our officers or directors of a duty of care or other fiduciary duty owed to them, or if they are able to successfully bring a private claim under securities laws that the registration statement or proxy statement/prospectus relating to the Business Combination contained an actionable material misstatement or material omission.

Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property

We may not be able to adequately protect our intellectual property rights. If we fail to adequately enforce or defend our intellectual property rights, our business may be harmed.

Much of the technology used in the markets in which we compete is or may become protected by patents and trade secrets, and our commercial success will depend in significant part on our ability to access, obtain and maintain patent and trade secret protection for future products and methods or those of any of our strategic partners such as Allseas or onshore processing partners. To compete in these markets, we rely or may need to rely on a combination of trade secret protection, nondisclosure and licensing agreements, patents and trademarks to establish and protect our proprietary intellectual property rights. Our intellectual property rights (or those of our partners) may be challenged or infringed upon by third parties, or we may be unable to maintain, renew or enter into new license agreements with third-party owners of intellectual property on reasonable terms. In addition, our intellectual property may be subject to infringement or other unauthorized use outside of the United States. In such case, our ability to protect our intellectual property rights by legal recourse or otherwise may be limited, particularly in countries where laws or enforcement practices are undeveloped or do not recognize or protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as the United States. Unauthorized use of our intellectual property rights (or those of our partners) or our inability (or the inability of our partners) to preserve our existing intellectual property rights (or those of our partners) could adversely impact our competitive position and results of operations. The loss of our patents could reduce the value of the related products. In addition, the cost to litigate infringements of our patents, or the cost to defend ourselves against patent infringement actions by others, could be substantial and, if incurred, could materially affect our business and financial condition.

Proprietary trade secrets and unpatented know-how may become important to our business. We will likely rely on trade secrets to protect certain aspects of our business systems and designs, especially where we do not believe that patent protection is appropriate or obtainable. However, trade secrets are difficult to protect. Our employees, consultants, contractors, outside scientific collaborators and other advisors may unintentionally or willfully disclose our confidential information to competitors, and confidentiality agreements may not provide an adequate remedy in the event of unauthorized disclosure of confidential or proprietary information. Enforcing a claim that a third-party illegally obtained and is using our trade secrets is expensive and time consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. Moreover, our competitors may independently develop equivalent knowledge, methods and know-how. Failure to obtain or maintain trade secret protection could adversely affect our competitive business position.

We or our partners may not be able to obtain necessary patents and the legal protection afforded by any patents may not adequately protect our or our partners’ rights or permit us to gain or keep any competitive advantage.

Our ability (or that of our partners) to obtain necessary patents is uncertain, and the legal protection to be afforded by any patents we (or they) may be issued in the future may not adequately protect our (or their) rights or permit us (or them) to gain or keep any competitive advantage necessary for our operations or our partnerships. In addition, the specific content required of patents and patent applications that are necessary to support and interpret patent claims is highly uncertain due to the complex nature of the relevant legal, scientific and factual issues. Changes in either patent laws or interpretations of patent laws in the United States or elsewhere may diminish the value of our intellectual property or narrow the scope of our patent protection. Even if patents are issued regarding our products and processes, our competitors may challenge the validity of those patents. Patents also will not protect our products and processes if competitors devise ways of making products without infringing our patents.

If we infringe, or are accused of infringing, on the intellectual property rights of third parties, it may increase our costs or prevent us from being able to commercialize new products.

There is a risk that we (or our partners) may infringe, or may be accused of infringing, the proprietary rights of third parties under patents and pending patent applications belonging to third parties that may exist in the United States and elsewhere in the world that relate to our products and processes (or those of our strategic partners). Because the patent application process can take several years to complete, there may be currently pending applications that may later result in issued patents that cover our products and processes. In addition, our products and processes may infringe existing patents.

Defending ourselves against third-party claims, including litigation in particular, would be costly and time consuming and would divert management’s attention from our business, which could lead to delays in our exploration, collecting, processing, and commercialization efforts. If third parties are successful in their claims, we might have to pay substantial damages or take other actions that are adverse to our business. As a result of intellectual property infringement claims, or to avoid potential claims, we might:

•        be prohibited from, or delayed in, selling or licensing some of our products or using some of our processes unless the patent holder licenses the patent to us, which it is not required to do;

•        be required to pay substantial royalties or grant a cross license to our patents to another patent holder; or

•        be required to redesign a product or process so it does not infringe a third-party’s patent, which may not be possible or could require substantial funds and time.

In addition, we could be subject to claims that our employees, or we, have inadvertently or otherwise used or disclosed trade secrets or other proprietary information of third parties.

If we are unable to resolve claims that may be brought against us by third parties related to their intellectual property rights on terms acceptable to us, we may be precluded from offering some of our products or using some of our processes.

In addition, we have not obtained definitive global trademark protection for the name “The Metals Company” and we may not be able to secure such protection over time. If we are unable to secure such protection, we may need to rebrand or otherwise modify our name, which could result in costs, delays and loss of market recognition.

Risks Related to Our Securities and to Being a Public Company

We may issue additional Common Shares or other equity securities without shareholder approval, which would dilute your ownership interests and may depress the market price of our Common Shares.

As of September 30, 2021, we had 224,385,324 Common Shares and 24,500,000 Warrants to acquire Common Shares issued and outstanding. In addition, the Allseas Warrant is exercisable for up to 11,578,620 Common Shares subject to the terms and conditions thereof. Subject to the requirements of the BCBCA, our Articles authorize us to issue Common Shares and rights relating to our Common Shares for the consideration and on the terms and conditions established by our board of directors in its sole discretion, whether in connection with acquisitions or otherwise. In addition, 24,682,385 Common Shares are reserved for issuance under the TMC Incentive Equity Plan, subject to adjustment in certain events. In addition, up to 77,277,244 Common Shares, subject to adjustment in certain events, may be issued to the holders upon conversion of the Special Shares if certain Common Share price thresholds are met as described herein. Any Common Shares issued, including in connection with the exercise of warrants, upon conversion of the Special Shares or under the TMC Incentive Equity Plan, or other equity incentive plans that we may adopt in the future, would dilute the percentage ownership held by you.

Our issuance of additional Common Shares or other equity securities of equal or senior rank would have the following effects:

•        our existing shareholders’ proportionate ownership interest in the Company will decrease;

•        the amount of cash available per share, including for payment of dividends in the future, may decrease;

•        the relative voting strength of each previously outstanding Common Share may be diminished; and

•        the market price of our Common Shares may decline.

Our outstanding warrants will become exercisable for our Common Shares beginning on October 9, 2021, which if exercised, will increase the number of shares eligible for future resale in the public market and result in dilution to our stockholders.

We have 15,000,000 outstanding Public Warrants to purchase 15,000,000 Common Shares at an exercise price of $11.50 per share, which warrants will become exercisable beginning on October 9, 2021. In addition, there are 9,500,000 Private Placement Warrants outstanding exercisable for 9,500,000 shares of our Common Shares at an exercise price of $11.50 per share. In certain circumstances, the Public Warrants and Private Placement Warrants may be exercised on a cashless basis. To the extent such warrants are exercised, additional shares of our Common Shares will be issued, which will result in dilution to the holders of our Common Shares and increase the number of shares eligible for resale in the public market. Sales of substantial numbers of such shares in the public market could adversely affect the market price of our Common Shares, the impact of which is increased as the value of our stock price increases.

Our warrants are accounted for as liabilities and the changes in value of our warrants could have a material effect on our financial results.

On April 12, 2021, the Acting Director of the Division of Corporation Finance and Acting Chief Accountant of the SEC together issued a statement regarding the accounting and reporting considerations for warrants issued by special purpose acquisition companies entitled “Staff Statement on Accounting and Reporting Considerations for Warrants Issued by Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (“SPACs”) (the “SEC Statement”). Specifically, the SEC Statement focused on certain settlement terms and provisions related to certain tender offers following a business combination, which terms are similar to those contained in the warrant agreement governing our warrants. As a result of the SEC Statement, SOAC reevaluated the accounting treatment of its Public Warrants and Private Placement Warrants, and determined to classify the warrants as derivative liabilities measured at fair value, with changes in fair value each period reported in earnings.

As a result, included on SOAC’s balance sheet as of December 31, 2020 are derivative liabilities related to SOAC’s warrants. Accounting Standards Codification 815, Derivatives and Hedging (“ASC 815”), provides for the remeasurement of the fair value of such derivatives at each balance sheet date, with a resulting non-cash gain or loss related to the change in the fair value being recognized in earnings in the statement of operations. As a result of the

recurring fair value measurement, our financial statements and results of operations may fluctuate quarterly, based on factors that are outside of our control. Due to the recurring fair value measurement, it is expected that we will recognize non-cash gains or losses on the warrants each reporting period and that the amount of such gains or losses could be material.

We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. If we are unable to develop and maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results in a timely manner, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us and materially and adversely affect our business and operating results and the value of our Common Shares.

In the course of preparing our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2020, we identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting which relates to a deficiency in the design and operation of our financial statement close and reporting controls, including maintaining sufficient written policies and procedures and the need to use appropriate technical expertise when accounting for complex or non-routine transactions. We concluded that this material weakness is due to the fact that we were recently a private company with limited resources. We did not have the necessary business processes and related internal controls, or the appropriate resources or level of experience and technical expertise, that would be required to oversee financial reporting processes or to address the accounting and financial reporting requirements. Our management is in the process of developing a remediation plan. The material weakness will not be considered remediated until management designs and implements effective controls that operate for a sufficient period of time and management has concluded, through testing, that these controls are effective. The material weakness remains unremediated as of September 30, 2021.

Shortly before the Business Combination, we appointed a chief financial officer and we recently appointed a chief accounting officer, have hired and are currently recruiting additional finance personnel and have engaged a reputable independent accounting group to undertake a review and gap analysis of current systems and processes in order to develop a remediation plan. If not remediated, this material weakness could result in material misstatements to our annual or interim financial statements that would not be prevented or detected on a timely basis, or in the delayed filing of required periodic reports. If we are unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or when required in the future, if our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to express an unqualified opinion as to the effectiveness of the internal control over financial reporting, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, the market price of our securities could be adversely affected and we could become subject to litigation or investigations by Nasdaq, the SEC, or other regulatory authorities, which could require additional financial and management resources.

In addition, following this issuance of the SEC Statement, on May 24, 2021, after consultation with SOAC’s independent registered public accounting firm, SOAC’s management and its audit committee concluded that, in light of the SEC Statement, it was appropriate to restate SOAC’s previously issued audited financial statements as of and for the period ended December 31, 2020 (the “Restatement”). See “— Our warrants are accounted for as liabilities and the changes in value of SOAC’s warrants could have a material effect on its financial results.” As part of such process, SOAC identified a material weakness in its internal controls over financial reporting.

A material weakness is a deficiency or combination of deficiencies in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of its financial statements would not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

Effective internal controls are necessary for the combined company to provide reliable financial reports and prevent fraud. We continue to evaluate steps to remediate the material weaknesses. These remediation measures may be time consuming and costly and there is no assurance that these initiatives will ultimately have the intended effects.

If we identify any new material weakness in the future, any such newly identified material weakness could limit our ability to prevent or detect a misstatement of our accounts or disclosures that could result in a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements. In such case, we may be unable to maintain compliance with securities law requirements regarding timely filing of periodic reports in addition to applicable stock exchange listing requirements, investors may lose confidence in our financial reporting and our stock price may decline as a result. We cannot assure you that the measures we have taken to date, or any measures that may be taken in the future, will be sufficient to avoid potential future material weaknesses.

We may face litigation and other risks as a result of the material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting.

Following the issuance of the SEC Statement, after consultation with its independent registered public accounting firm, SOAC’s management and its audit committee concluded that it was appropriate to restate its previously issued audited financial statements as of and for the period ended December 31, 2020. See “— Our warrants are accounted for as liabilities and the changes in value of SOAC’s warrants could have a material effect on its financial results.” As part of the Restatement, SOAC identified a material weakness in its internal controls over financial reporting.

As a result of such material weakness, the Restatement, the change in accounting for the warrants, and other matters raised or that may in the future be raised by the SEC, we face potential for litigation or other disputes which may include, among others, claims invoking the federal and state securities laws, contractual claims or other claims arising from the Restatement and material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting and the preparation of our financial statements. We can provide no assurance that such litigation or dispute will not arise in the future. Any such litigation or dispute, whether successful or not, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

There can be no assurance that the Public Warrants and Private Placement Warrants will be in the money at the time they become exercisable, and they may expire worthless.

The exercise price for the outstanding Public Warrants and Private Placement Warrants is $11.50 per Common Share. There can be no assurance that such warrants will be in the money following the time they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, and as such, such warrants may expire worthless.

There are currently outstanding an aggregate of 24,500,000 warrants to acquire our Common Shares (not including the Allseas Warrant), which comprise 9,500,000 Private Placement Warrants held by SOAC’s initial shareholders at the time of SOAC’s initial public offering and 15,000,000 Public Warrants. Each of our outstanding whole warrants is exercisable commencing on October 9, 2021, for one Common Share in accordance with its terms. Therefore, as of September 30, 2021, if we assume that each outstanding whole warrant is exercised and one Common Share is issued as a result of such exercise, with payment of the exercise price of $11.50 per share, our fully-diluted share capital would increase by a total of 24,500,000 shares, with approximately $281,750,000 paid to us to exercise the warrants.

We are an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company within the meaning of the Securities Act, and if we take advantage of certain exemptions from disclosure requirements available to “emerging growth companies” or “smaller reporting companies,” this could make our securities less attractive to investors and may make it more difficult to compare our performance with other public companies.

We are an “emerging growth company” within the meaning of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act, and we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. As a result, our stockholders may not have access to certain information they may deem important. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years, although circumstances could cause us to lose that status earlier, including if the market value of our Common Shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of any second quarter of a fiscal year, in which case we would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the last day of such fiscal year. We cannot predict whether investors will find our securities less attractive because we will rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result of our reliance on these exemptions, the trading prices of our securities may be lower than they otherwise would be, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the trading prices of our securities may be more volatile.

Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a registration statement under the Securities Act declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered

under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such election to opt out is irrevocable. We have elected not to opt out of such extended transition period, which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, we, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of our financial statements with another public company that is not an emerging growth company or is an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.

Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (i) the market value of our Common Shares held by non-affiliates is greater than or equal to $250 million as of the end of that fiscal year’s second fiscal quarter, and (ii) our annual revenues are greater than or equal to $100 million during the last completed fiscal year and the market value of our Common Shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of that fiscal year’s second fiscal quarter. To the extent we take advantage of such reduced disclosure obligations, it may also make comparison of our financial statements with other public companies difficult or impossible.

Our business is capital intensive, and we may be required to raise additional funds in the future in order to accomplish our objectives.

The continuing exploration and development of the contract areas in NORI, TOML and Marawa may depend upon our ability to obtain dilutive and/or non-dilutive financing through debt financing, equity financing, joint ventures, or other means. Additionally, the actual amount of capital raised for our projects may vary materially from our current estimates, which could require that we raise additional funds. There is no assurance that we will be successful in obtaining the required financing for these or other purposes, including for general working capital, or that any funds raised will be sufficient for the purposes contemplated. We will not initially have any producing properties and will have no source of significant operating cash flow until 2024 at the earliest. There is no precedent for projects like ours, and therefore, debt financing may not be available in commercially available terms, or at all. Failure to obtain additional financing on a timely basis could cause us to reduce or terminate our operations. There can be no certainty that capital will be available to us on acceptable terms.

If additional funds are raised through further issuances of equity or convertible debt securities, existing shareholders could suffer significant dilution, and any new equity securities issued could have rights, preferences and privileges superior to those they possess prior to such issuances. Any debt financing secured in the future could involve restrictive covenants relating to capital raising activities and other financial and operational matters, which may make it more difficult for us to obtain additional capital and to pursue business opportunities, including potential acquisitions.

We may incur debt in the future, and our ability to satisfy our obligations thereunder remains subject to a variety of factors, many of which are not within our control.

We may seek to incur debt in the future in order to fund our exploration and operational programs, which would reduce our financial flexibility and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operation.

Should we incur debt, our ability to satisfy any resulting debt obligations and to reduce our level of indebtedness will depend on future performance. General economic conditions, mineral prices, and financial, business and other factors will have an impact on our operations and future performance, and many of these factors are beyond our control. As such, we cannot assure investors that we will be able to generate sufficient cash flow to pay the interest on any debt, or that future working capital, borrowings, or equity financing will be available to pay or refinance such debt or meet future debt covenants. Factors that will affect our ability to raise cash through an offering of securities or a refinancing of any debt include financial market conditions, the value of our assets, and our performance at the time we are seeking to raise capital. We cannot assure investors that we will have sufficient funds to make such payments. If we do not have sufficient funds and are otherwise unable to negotiate renewals of

our current borrowings or to arrange for new financing, we might be required to take measures to generate liquidity, such as selling some or all of our assets. Any such sales could have a material adverse effect on our business, operations and financial results. Moreover, failure to obtain additional financing, if required, on a timely basis, could cause us to reduce or delay our proposed operations.

We may need to raise additional capital in order to complete our programs and commence commercial operations and there is no assurance that we will be able to obtain adequate financing in the future or that such financing will be available to us on advantageous terms.

An active trading market for our Common Shares and Warrants may never develop or be sustained, which would adversely affect the liquidity and price of our securities.

An active trading market for our securities may never develop or, if developed, may not be sustained. In addition, the price of our securities could fluctuate significantly for various reasons, many of which are outside our control, such as our performance, large purchases or sales of our common shares, legislative changes and general economic, political or regulatory conditions. The release of our financial results may also cause our share price to vary. If an active market for our securities does not develop, it may be difficult for you to sell our Common Shares and/or Warrants you own or purchase without depressing the market price for our securities or to sell the securities at all. The existence of an active trading market for our securities will depend to a significant extent on our ability to continue to meet Nasdaq’s listing requirements, which we may be unable to accomplish.

There can be no assurance that we will be able to comply with the continued listing standards of Nasdaq.

In connection with the closing of the Business Combination, on September 10, 2021, our Common Shares and Public Warrants began trading on Nasdaq under the symbols “TMC” and “TMCWW,” respectively. If in the future Nasdaq delists our Common Shares from trading on its exchange for failure to meet the listing standards, we and our securityholders could face significant material adverse consequences including:

•        a limited availability of market quotations for our securities;

•        reduced liquidity for our securities;

•        a determination that our common shares are “penny stock” which will require brokers trading in our common shares to adhere to more stringent rules and possibly result in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our securities;

•        a limited amount of news and analyst coverage; and

•        a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future.

The market price of our securities may be volatile, which could cause the value of your investment to decline.

Even if a trading market develops, the market price of our securities may be highly volatile and could be subject to wide fluctuations. In addition, the trading volume in our Common Shares and Public Warrants may fluctuate and cause significant price variations to occur. Securities markets worldwide experience significant price and volume fluctuations. This market volatility, as well as general economic, market and political conditions (including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic), could reduce the market price of our securities in spite of our operating performance. If we are unable to operate as profitably as investors expect, the market price of our common shares post-Business Combination will likely decline when it becomes apparent that the market expectations may not be realized. In addition, our results of operations could be below the expectations of public market analysts and investors due to a number of potential factors, including variations in our quarterly or annual results of operations, operating results of other companies in the same industry, additions or departures of key management personnel, changes in our earnings estimates (if provided) or failure to meet analysts’ earnings estimates, publication of research reports about our industry, litigation and government investigations, changes or proposed changes in laws or regulations or differing interpretations or enforcement thereof affecting our business, adverse market reaction to any indebtedness we may incur or securities it may issue in the future, changes in market valuations of similar companies or speculation in the press or the investment community with respect to us or our industry, negative media coverage, adverse announcements by us or others and developments affecting us, announcements by our competitors of significant contracts, acquisitions, dispositions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments, actions

by institutional shareholders, the possible effects of war, terrorism and other hostilities, adverse weather conditions, changes in general conditions in the economy or the financial markets or other developments affecting the industry in which we operate, and increases in market interest rates that may lead investors in our common shares to demand a higher yield, and in response the market price of our common shares could decrease significantly.

These broad market and industry factors may decrease the market price of our common shares, regardless of our actual operating performance. The stock market in general has, from time to time, experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations. In addition, in the past, following periods of volatility in the overall market and the market price of a company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against these companies. Such litigation, if instituted against us, could result in substantial costs, a material negative impact on our liquidity and a diversion of our management’s attention and resources.

There may be sales of a substantial amount of our Common Shares after the Business Combination by former SOAC shareholders and/or former DeepGreen shareholders, and these sales could cause the price of our securities to fall.

As of September 30, 2021, we had 224,385,324 Common Shares and 24,500,000 Warrants to acquire Common Shares issued and outstanding. In addition, the Allseas Warrant is exercisable for up to 11,578,620 Common Shares subject to the terms and conditions thereof. All of our public shares are freely transferable (subject to any contractual lock-up agreements), except for the PIPE Shares and any shares held by our and Legacy DeepGreen’s “affiliates,” as that term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act. Our Common Shares issued to the Sponsor and the independent SOAC directors in exchange for their founder shares are subject to certain contractual lock-up agreements. In addition, an aggregate of 124,969,517 Common Shares held by DeepGreen shareholders (including 14,732,740 Common Shares held by DeepGreen management) are subject to certain lock-up arrangements ending on the earlier of (A) 180 days after the Closing (or 540 days after the Closing in the case of 1,943,963 Common Shares held by DeepGreen management) and (B) the date on which (x) the Common Shares have traded at a price that is greater than or equal to $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) during any 20 trading days within any 30 consecutive trading days after the Closing, or (y) we complete a liquidation, merger, stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our public stockholders having the right to exchange their Common Shares for cash, securities or other property. Further, up to 77,277,244 Common Shares may be issued to the holders upon conversion of the Special Shares if certain price thresholds are met as described herein and such Common Shares could be sold in the public market. Sales of substantial amounts of our Common Shares in the public market, or the perception that such sales will occur, could adversely affect the market price of our Common Shares.

We may redeem your unexpired warrants prior to their exercise at a time that is disadvantageous to you, thereby making your warrants worthless.

We have the ability to redeem outstanding warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.01 per warrant, provided that the closing price of our Common Shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to proper notice of such redemption and provided that certain other conditions are met. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. Redemption of the outstanding warrants could force you to (i) exercise your warrants and pay the exercise price therefor at a time when it may be disadvantageous for you to do so, (ii) sell your warrants at the then-current market price when you might otherwise wish to hold your warrants or (iii) accept the nominal redemption price which, at the time the outstanding warrants are called for redemption, is likely to be substantially less than the market value of your warrants. None of the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us on such terms so long as they are held by Sponsor or its permitted transferees.

Reports published by analysts, including projections in those reports that differ from our actual results, could adversely affect the price and trading volume of our Common Shares.

Securities research analysts may establish and publish their own periodic projections for us. These projections may vary widely and may not accurately predict the results we actually achieve. Our Common Share price may decline if our actual results do not match the projections of these securities research analysts. Similarly, if one or

more of the analysts who write reports on us downgrades our shares or publishes inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our share price could decline. If one or more of these analysts ceases coverage of us or fails to publish reports on us regularly, our share price or trading volume could decline. While we expect research analyst coverage, if no analysts commence coverage of us, the market price and volume for our Common Shares could be adversely affected.

As we are not a reporting issuer in Canada, our Common Shares and Special Shares may be subject to restrictions on resale in Canada.

Our Common Shares and Special Shares distributed pursuant to the Business Combination were distributed pursuant to an exemption from the prospectus requirements in Canada. As we are not a reporting issuer in Canada and we do not intend to become a reporting issuer in Canada in the future, any distributions of our securities following the completion of the Business Combination will be a distribution that is subject to the prospectus requirements in Canada unless an exemption therefrom is available. An exemption from the prospectus requirements would be available to holders of shares of a class (and any Underlying Shares of such class) in respect of a trade if residents of Canada (the “Canadian Owners”) own, directly or indirectly, not more than 10% of the outstanding shares of such class or any Underlying Shares of such class, and represent in number not more than 10% of the total number of owners, directly or indirectly, of shares of the applicable class or Underlying Shares, on any distribution date (collectively, the “Ownership Cap”) and the trade is made through an exchange or market outside of Canada or to a person or company outside of Canada. On September 7, 2021, we received exemptive relief from the prospectus requirements in Canada such that the Common Shares and Special Shares issued to Canadian Owners in connection with the Business Combination are not subject to resale restrictions in Canada, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the exemptive relief order. There can be no assurance that any future securities offerings held by Canadian Owners will be freely transferable by the Canadian Owners.

Because there are no current plans to pay cash dividends on our Common Shares for the foreseeable future, you may not receive any return on investment unless you sell your Common Shares for a price greater than that which you paid for it.

We intend to retain future earnings, if any, for future operations, expansion and debt repayment, and there are no current plans to pay any cash dividends for the foreseeable future. The declaration, amount, and payment of any future dividends on our Common Shares will be at the sole discretion of our board of directors. Our board of directors may take into account general and economic conditions, our financial condition and results of operations, our available cash and current and anticipated cash needs, capital requirements, contractual, legal, tax, and regulatory restrictions, implications on the payment of dividends by us to our shareholders, and such other factors as our board of directors may deem relevant. In addition, our ability to pay dividends may be limited by covenants of any future indebtedness we may in the future incur. As a result, you may not receive any return on an investment in our Common Shares unless you sell your common shares for a price greater than that which you paid for it.

Our actual financial position and results of operations may differ materially from the unaudited pro forma financial information included in this prospectus.

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information included in this prospectus is presented for illustrative purposes only and is not necessarily indicative of our future financial position or results of operations. See “Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Statements” for more information.

We are exposed to risks in our international operations, which could adversely affect our business.

We are exposed to foreign currency risk in connection with the business we conduct in foreign currencies to the extent that the exchange rates of the foreign currencies are subject to adverse change over time. It has not been our practice to enter into foreign exchange contracts to protect against adverse foreign currency fluctuations, and we cannot predict whether exchange rate fluctuations will significantly harm our operations or financial results in the future. In addition to adverse fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, we are exposed to further risks inherent in doing business abroad, including limitations on asset transfers, changes in foreign regulations and political turmoil, all of which could adversely affect us.

We are expected to be a PFIC, which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. Holders.

We are expected to be a passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”) for the tax year ended December 31, 2021. As a result, U.S. Holders (defined below) of our public shares and public warrants may be subject to certain adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences and may be subject to additional reporting requirements. See “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations — Tax Consequences of Ownership and Disposition of Public Shares and Public Warrants — Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules” for a more detailed discussion with respect to our PFIC status and the application of the PFIC rules. U.S. Holders of our public shares and public warrants are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the application of the PFIC rules to them.

Canadian law and our Notice and Articles contain certain provisions, including anti-takeover provisions, that limit the ability of shareholders to take certain actions and could delay or discourage takeover attempts that shareholders may consider favorable.

Provisions in our Notice and Articles, as well as certain provisions under the BCBCA and applicable Canadian laws, may discourage, delay or prevent a merger, acquisition or other change in control of TMC that shareholders may consider favorable, including transactions in which they might otherwise receive a premium for their Common Shares.

For instance, the Notice and Articles contain provisions that establish certain advance notice procedures for nomination of candidates for election as directors at shareholders’ meetings. See “Description of TMC Securities — Certain Important Provisions of TMC Notice and Articles and the BCBCA.”

Limitations on the ability to acquire and hold Common Shares may also be imposed by the Competition Act (Canada). This legislation permits the Commissioner of Competition, or Commissioner, to review any acquisition or establishment, directly or indirectly, including through the acquisition of shares, of control over or of a significant interest in TMC. Moreover, a non-Canadian must file an application for review with the Minister responsible for the Investment Canada Act and obtain approval of the Minister prior to acquiring control of a “Canadian business” within the meaning of the Investment Canada Act, where prescribed financial thresholds are exceeded.

Further, changes to critical minerals policies and regulations in Canada and the United States and elsewhere may impact our ability to conduct our businesses internationally, including processing and sales of minerals and metals, and the ability to negotiate or agree any merger, acquisition or change of control.

Our Notice and Articles will provide that any derivative actions, actions relating to breach of fiduciary duties and other matters relating to our internal affairs will be required to be litigated in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, and will contain an exclusive federal forum provision for certain claims under the Securities Act, which could limit your ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us.

Our Notice and Articles include a forum selection provision that provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Supreme Court of British Columbia, Canada and the appellate courts therefrom, will be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; (ii) any action or proceeding asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers, or other employees to us; (iii) any action or proceeding asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the BCBCA or TMC Notice and Articles (as either may be amended from time to time); or (iv) any action or proceeding asserting a claim otherwise related to the relationships among us, our affiliates and their respective shareholders, directors and/or officers, but excluding claims related to our business or of such affiliates. The forum selection provision also provides that our securityholders are deemed to have consented to personal jurisdiction in the Province of British Columbia and to service of process on their counsel in any foreign action initiated in violation of the foregoing provisions. The forum selection provision may impose additional litigation costs on securityholders in pursuing any such claims. This provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, or the rules and regulations thereunder.

Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all claim brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder and our Notice and Articles will provide that the federal district courts of the United States of America will, to the

fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act (the “Federal Forum Provision”). Application of the Federal Forum Provision means that suits brought by our securityholders to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act must be brought in federal court and cannot be brought in any state court.

Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all claims brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. Accordingly, actions by our shareholders to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder must be brought in federal court. Our shareholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with the federal securities laws and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring or holding any interest in any of our securities shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the aforementioned forum selection provisions, including the Federal Forum Provision. Additionally, our securityholders cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. These provisions may limit our securityholders’ ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum they find favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or other employees, which may discourage lawsuits against us and our directors, officers, and other employees. Alternatively, if a court were to find the choice of forum provision contained in our Notice and Articles to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could harm our business, operating results and financial condition. See “Description of TMC Securities — Certain Important Provisions of TMC Notice and Articles and the BCBCA — Forum Selection.”

Our Notice and Articles will permit us to issue an unlimited number of Common Shares and preferred shares without seeking approval of the holders of our Common Shares.

Our Notice and Articles will permit us to issue an unlimited number of Common Shares. Subject to the requirements of the BCBCA and applicable securities exchange, we will not be required to obtain the approval of shareholders for the issuance of additional Common Shares. Any further issuances of Common Shares will result in immediate dilution to existing shareholders and may have an adverse effect on the value of their shareholdings.

The TMC Notice and Articles will also permit us to issue an unlimited number of preferred shares, issuable in series and, subject to the requirements of the BCBCA, having such designations, rights, privileges, restrictions and conditions, including dividend and voting rights, as our board of directors may determine and which may be superior to those of the Common Shares. The issuance of preferred shares could, among other things, have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control and might adversely affect the market price of the Common Shares. Subject to the provisions of the BCBCA and the Nasdaq, we will not be required to obtain the approval of the holders of Common Shares for the issuance of preferred shares or to determine the maximum number of shares of each series of preferred shares, create an identifying name for each series and attach such special rights or restrictions as our board of directors may determine. See “Description of TMC Securities — Authorized Share Capital — Preferred Shares.”

As a company incorporated in British Columbia with some of our directors and officers residing outside of the U.S., it may be difficult for investors in the United States to enforce civil liabilities against us based solely upon the federal securities laws of the United States.

We are incorporated under the laws of British Columbia with our registered office located in British Columbia, Canada. Many of our directors and officers reside outside of the United States and all or a substantial portion of our assets and those of such persons are located outside the United States. Consequently, it may be difficult for U.S. investors to effect service of process within the United States upon us or our directors or officers who are not residents of the United States, or to realize in the United States upon judgments of courts of the United States predicated upon civil liabilities under the Securities Act. Investors should not assume that Canadian courts: (i) would enforce judgments of U.S. courts obtained in actions against us or such persons predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws or the securities or blue sky laws of any state within the United States or (ii) would enforce, in original actions, liabilities against us or such persons predicated upon the U.S. federal securities laws or any such state securities or blue sky laws.

USE OF PROCEEDS

All of the Common Shares and Warrants offered by the Selling Securityholders pursuant to this prospectus will be sold by the Selling Securityholders for their respective accounts. We will not receive any of the proceeds from these sales.

We will receive up to an aggregate of approximately $281,750,000 from the exercise of the Warrants, assuming the exercise in full of all of the Warrants for cash. We expect to use the net proceeds from the exercise of the Warrants for general corporate purposes. We will have broad discretion over the use of proceeds from the exercise of the Warrants. There is no assurance that the holders of the Warrants will elect to exercise any or all of such Warrants. To the extent that the Warrants are exercised on a “cashless basis,” the amount of cash we would receive from the exercise of the Warrants will decrease.

DETERMINATION OF OFFERING PRICE

The offering price of the Common Shares underlying the Warrants offered hereby is determined by reference to the exercise price of the Warrants of $11.50 per share. The Public Warrants are listed on Nasdaq under the symbol “TMCWW.”

We cannot currently determine the price or prices at which Common Shares or Warrants may be sold by the Selling Securityholders under this prospectus.

MARKET PRICE, TICKER SYMBOL AND DIVIDEND INFORMATION

Market Price and Ticker Symbol

Our Common Shares and Public Warrants are currently listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “TMC,” and “TMCWW,” respectively.

The closing price of the Common Shares and Public Warrants on October 6, 2021, was $4.14 and $1.01, respectively.

Holders

As of September 30, 2021, there were approximately 224,385,324 Common Shares issued and outstanding held of record by 197 holders, approximately 15,000,000 Public Warrants held of record by one holder and 9,500,000 private placement warrants issued in connection with SOAC’s initial public offering held of record by one holder, each exercisable for one Common Share at a price of $11.50 per share beginning on October 9, 2021.

Such numbers do not include beneficial owners holding our securities through nominee names.

Dividend Policy

We have not paid any cash dividends on our capital stock to date. The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition. The payment of any cash dividends will be within the discretion of the board of directors at such time.

UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Unless the context otherwise requires, “TMC” refers to TMC the metals company Inc. (f/k/a Sustainable Opportunities Acquisition Corp.) and its subsidiary after the Closing, “SOAC” refers to Sustainable Opportunities Acquisition Corp. prior to the Closing, and “Legacy DeepGreen” or “DeepGreen” refers to DeepGreen Metals Inc. prior to the Closing.

The following unaudited pro forma condensed combined balance sheet of TMC as of June 30, 2021 and the unaudited pro forma condensed combined statement of operations of TMC for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and the year ended December 31, 2020 present the combination of the financial information of SOAC and DeepGreen after giving effect to the Business Combination, PIPE Financing and related adjustments described in the accompanying notes. SOAC and DeepGreen are collectively referred to herein as the “Companies,” and the Companies, subsequent to the Business Combination and the PIPE Financing, are referred to herein as “TMC.”

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined statement of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and for the year ended December 31, 2020 give pro forma effect to the Business Combination and PIPE Financing as if they had occurred on January 1, 2020. The unaudited pro forma condensed combined balance sheet as of June 30, 2021 gives pro forma effect to the Business Combination and PIPE Financing as if they were completed on June 30, 2021.

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information is based on and should be read in conjunction with the audited historical financial statements of each of SOAC and DeepGreen and the notes thereto, as well as the disclosures contained in the sections titled “SOAC’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “DeepGreen’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” contained elsewhere in this filing.

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information has been presented for illustrative purposes only and does not necessarily reflect what TMC’s financial condition or results of operations would have been had the Business Combination and PIPE Financing occurred on the dates indicated. Further, the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information also may not be useful in predicting the future financial condition and results of operations of TMC. The actual financial position and results of operations may differ significantly from the pro forma amounts reflected herein due to a variety of factors. The unaudited pro forma adjustments represent management’s estimates based on information available as of the date of this filing and are subject to change as additional information becomes available and analyses are performed.

On March 4, 2021, SOAC entered into the Business Combination Agreement with DeepGreen. SOAC has changed its jurisdiction of incorporation by deregistering as an exempted company in the Cayman Islands and continuing as a company under the laws of British Columbia, Canada, upon which SOAC has changed its name to “TMC the metal company Inc.” On the Closing Date, promptly following the Continuance, pursuant to the Arrangement, (i) SOAC has acquired all of the issued and outstanding DeepGreen Common Shares, (ii) the shareholders and the optionholders of DeepGreen are entitled to receive, in exchange for their DeepGreen Common Shares or DeepGreen Options, as applicable, an aggregate of (a) 203,874,981 Common Shares, (b) the DeepGreen Earnout Shares, or, as applicable, options to purchase such Common Shares and DeepGreen Earnout Shares, (iii) DeepGreen has become a wholly-owned subsidiary of TMC and (iv) DeepGreen and NewCo Sub have amalgamated to continue as one unlimited liability company existing under the laws of British Columbia. In addition, the Allseas Warrant has been assumed by TMC and has become a warrant to purchase Common Shares upon the consummation of the Business Combination, in accordance with its terms.

The historical financial information of SOAC and DeepGreen has been adjusted in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information to give effect to events that are (1) directly attributable to the Business Combination and the PIPE Financing and (2) factually supportable. The pro forma adjustments are prepared to illustrate the effect of the Business Combination and the PIPE Financing and certain other adjustments.

The Business Combination was accounted for as a reverse recapitalization because DeepGreen was determined to be the accounting acquirer under Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Accounting Standards Codification Topic 805, Business Combinations (“ASC 805”). The determination is primarily based on the evaluation of the following facts and circumstances:

•        the pre-combination equityholders of DeepGreen hold the majority of voting rights in TMC;

•        the pre-combination equityholders of DeepGreen have the right to appoint the majority of the directors on the board of directors of TMC;

•        the senior management of DeepGreen comprise the senior management of TMC; and

•        the operations of DeepGreen comprise the ongoing operations of TMC.

Under the reverse recapitalization model, the Business Combination is treated as DeepGreen issuing equity for the net assets of SOAC, with no goodwill or intangible assets recorded. Transaction costs that were direct and incremental to the Business Combination are recorded in equity in the balance sheet to offset against proceeds.

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information does not reflect the income tax effects of the pro forma adjustments as any change in the deferred tax balance would be offset by an increase in the valuation allowance given that DeepGreen incurred significant losses during the historical periods presented.

The following summarizes the pro forma Common Shares outstanding based on actual redemptions of 27.3 million shares for $272.9 million:

____________

*        Excludes 873,953 Common Shares to be issued as equity consideration to settle certain transaction costs. These Common Shares were subsequently issued on October 7, 2021.

The following unaudited pro forma condensed combined balance sheet as of June 30, 2021 and the unaudited pro forma condensed combined statements of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and the year ended December 31, 2020 are based on the historical financial statements of SOAC and DeepGreen.

UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET
As of June 30, 2021
(Amounts in U.S. dollars, except per share data)

UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET
As of June 30, 2021 — (Continued)
(Amounts in U.S. dollars, except per share data)

UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
For the six months ended June 30, 2021
(Amounts in thousands of U.S. dollars, except per share data)

UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
For the year ended December 31, 2020
(Amounts in thousands of U.S. dollars, except per share data)

Note 1. Basis of Pro Forma Presentation

The historical consolidated financial statements have been adjusted in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements to give effect to pro forma events that are described elsewhere in this filing and are directly attributable to the Business Combination and factually supportable.

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements have been prepared for illustrative purposes only and are not necessarily indicative of what the actual results of operations and financial position would have been had the Business Combination and related transactions taken place on the dates indicated, nor do they purport to project the future consolidated results of operations or financial position of the combined company. They should be read in conjunction with the unaudited and audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto of each of SOAC and DeepGreen as at and for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and the year ended December 31, 2020, respectively, and included elsewhere in this filing.

There were no significant intercompany balances or transactions between SOAC and DeepGreen as of the date and for the periods of these unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements.

TMC is currently negotiating certain employment agreements. Based on the preliminary terms, these agreements would result in an increase in compensation cost on a pro forma basis. However, as these employment agreements are preliminary and not yet executed, no pro forma adjustment has been made because such amounts are not known and are deemed not factually supportable at this time.

The pro forma basic and diluted earnings per share amounts presented in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined statements of operations are based upon the number of ordinary shares outstanding, assuming the Business Combination and related transactions occurred on January 1, 2020.

Note 2. Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Balance Sheet Adjustments

The pro forma adjustments included in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined balance sheet as of June 30, 2021 are as follows:

a)      Reflects the reclassification of $300.1 million of cash and cash equivalents held in SOAC’s trust account offset by actual redemptions of 27.3 million shares for $272.9 million or net reclassification of $27.2 million that becomes available for transaction expenses and operating activities following the Business Combination.

b)      Reflects the gross cash proceeds from the PIPE Financing of 11.0 million Common Shares for $110.3 million from PIPE Investors.

c)      Represents the reclassification of 2.7 million shares ($27.2 million) of $0.0001 par value SOAC ordinary shares to permanent equity which were previously subject to redemption. Of the 30 million shares previously issued with a value of $300.1 million, shareholders redeemed 27.3 million shares for $272.9 million. The reclassified shares are converted to Common Stock with no par.

d)      Reflects the elimination of SOAC’s historical deficit.

e)      Reflects the reclassification of SOAC Class B ordinary shares. 6.8 million Class B ordinary shares were converted on a one-for-one basis to Common Shares, 0.7 million Class B common shares were converted to Class J Special Shares and 0.5 million Class I Special Shares, all of which were issued to the Sponsor group as part of the Business Combination.

f)      Reflects the issuance of 135 million DeepGreen Earnout Shares (Class A through Class H) issued to DeepGreen Shareholders and holders of DeepGreen Options upon the exercise of such DeepGreen Options, as additional consideration for the Business Combination, which will automatically convert in accordance with their terms based on certain Common Share price thresholds.

g)      Reflects the payment of SOAC and DeepGreen transaction costs of $33.5 million incurred related to the closing of the Business Combination. Of that amount, $10.5 million relates to the cash settlement of deferred underwriter compensation incurred as part of SOAC’s IPO to be paid upon the consummation of a Business Combination. The remaining transaction costs of $23.0 million include direct and

incremental costs, such as legal, third-party advisory, investment banking, other miscellaneous fees and equity financing fees associated with the PIPE Financing described at Note 2(b). Transaction costs previously incurred that are not direct and incremental to the transaction have been included within the historical statement of operations of DeepGreen and SOAC. Payments above exclude 873,953 Common Shares to be issued to settle certain transaction costs totalling $8.7 million. These Common Shares were subsequently issued on October 7, 2021.

h)      Reflects the recapitalization of DeepGreen, including the reclassification of historical equity to Common Shares and Additional Paid in Capital.

i)       Reflects the conversion of DeepGreen’s convertible debentures into DeepGreen Common Shares immediately prior to the Business Combination reflected in equity.

j)       Reflects the impact of the Third Amendment to the Pilot Mining Test Agreement (“PMTA”) executed on March 4, 2021. This agreement became effective upon the successful completion of the Business Combination and amends previous terms to the Second Amendment to the PMTA. Among other things, this amendment issued up to 10 million warrants of DeepGreen which then applies the exchange ratio similar to other DeepGreen Common Shares and allows for three potential milestone payments of $10 million each. The adjustment reflects the accumulated amortization from the beginning of the first amendment as the payments are for R&D related services being evaluated in accordance with ASC 730. The third milestone liability is not determined to be probable at the time of the Business Combination in accordance with ASC 450. The warrants are contingent upon a successful completion of the PMTA as defined therein and will be accounted for under ASC 718 as share based compensation for goods and services with a performance condition. The performance condition is not determined to be probable at the time of the Business Combination and therefore, no adjustment has been reflected related to the warrants. Refer to Note 3(b) for discussion of the impact to the statement of operations associated with this amendment.

k)      Reflects the reclassification of the public warrants from liability to equity. The public warrants have been determined to meet the indexation criteria and equity classification criteria in accordance with ASC 815-40. The primary change resulting in the reclassification is the change in capital structure whereby a tender offer for the common stock would result in a change in control, primarily resulting from TMC having a single voting class of common stock compared to the two classes of common stock at SOAC. Refer to Note 3(d) for the impact to the statement of operations associated with this reclassification.

Note 3. Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Statements of Operations

The pro forma adjustments included in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined statements of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and the year ended December 31, 2020, are as follows:

a)      Represents the elimination of interest income on SOAC’s trust account for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and the year ended December 31, 2020.

b)      Represents the amortization of the first two milestone payments associated with the third amendment to the PMTA over the effective life of the service period which was determined to start in July 2019 as the effective date of the first contract through September 2023 as the date of expected completion. The expense recognized for the year ended December 31, 2020 includes the expense from July 2019 through December 2020 while the expense included in the six months ended June 30, 2021 represents the amortization of expense for that period. Refer to Note 2(j) for further discussion.

c)      Represents the elimination of the historical interest expense associated with the convertible debentures which converted to DeepGreen common stock immediately prior to the closing of the Business Combination.

d)      Represents the elimination of $12.2 million of historical fair value gains and $19.1 million of historical fair value losses associated with the public warrants for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and year ended December 31, 2020, respectively. The elimination of these fair value adjustments to the public warrants is a result of the public warrants being classified within equity upon closing of the Business Combination. Refer to Note 2(k) for more information.

Note 4. Loss Per Share

Pro Forma Weighted Average Shares (Basic and Diluted)

The following pro forma weighted average shares calculations have been performed for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and for the year ended December 31, 2020. The unaudited condensed combined pro forma loss per share (“LPS”), basic and diluted, are computed by dividing loss by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period.

Prior to the Business Combination, SOAC had two classes of shares: Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares. The Class B ordinary shares are held by the Sponsor and directors. In connection with the closing of the Business Combination, each currently issued and outstanding SOAC Class B ordinary share not converted into Sponsor Earnout Shares automatically converted on a one-for-one basis, into SOAC Class A ordinary shares. Each currently issued and outstanding SOAC Class A ordinary share has been renamed and has the rights and restrictions attached to the Common Shares.

SOAC has 15 million outstanding public warrants sold during its initial public offering and 9.5 million warrants sold in a private placement, resulting in warrants to purchase an aggregate of 24.5 million Class A ordinary shares following the initial public offering. The warrants are exercisable at $11.50 per share which exceeded the average market price of SOAC’s Class A ordinary shares for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and the year ended December 31, 2020, and were considered anti-dilutive and excluded from the loss per share calculation. These warrants continued through to become warrants of TMC with the same rights.

In connection with the closing of the Business Combination, a total of 136.2 million Special Shares are outstanding (or are underlying outstanding options) and convertible into Common Shares if the Common Share applicable price threshold is exceeded following the closing of the Business Combination. Because these underlying Common Shares are contingently issuable based upon the price of the Common Shares reaching specified thresholds that are not currently met, these contingent shares have been excluded from basic loss per share. The Special Shares should be considered for diluted loss per share, however, these securities would be anti-dilutive given the historical pro forma net loss and have therefore, been excluded from diluted pro forma loss per share.

As part of the normal course of business, DeepGreen issued warrants to Allseas that were assumed by TMC upon consummation of the Business Combination and become exercisable into a variable number of Common Shares, contingent upon the successful completion of the PMTS. The amount of Common Shares to be issued upon exercise of the Allseas Warrant will vary depending on the date of successful completion of the PMTS. The Allseas Warrant has an exercise price of $0.01 per Common Share and is not considered dilutive until the successful completion of the PMTS.

As a result, pro forma diluted LPS is the same as pro forma basic LPS for the periods presented.

____________

*        Excludes 873,953 TMC Common Shares to be issued as equity consideration to settle certain transaction costs. These Common Shares were subsequently issued on October 7, 2021.

BUSINESS OF TMC

The following discussion reflects the business of TMC, as currently embodied by TMC. In this section, “we,” “us” and “our” generally refer to TMC in the present tense or TMC from and after the Business Combination.

Overview

Prior to September 9, 2021, we were a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands corporation and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. On September 9, 2021, we completed the Business Combination pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement dated March 4, 2021 that we entered into with Legacy DeepGreen. Upon the completion of the Business Combination, we changed our name to “TMC the metals company Inc.” and the business of DeepGreen became our business.

We are a deep-sea minerals exploration company focused on the collection, processing and refining of polymetallic nodules found on the seafloor of the CCZ. The CCZ is a zone of abyssal plains and other formations in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, with a length of around 4,500 miles (7,240 km) that spans approximately 4,500,000 square kilometers (1,700,000 sq mi). Polymetallic nodules sit unattached to the seafloor and are located in significant quantities on the seafloor of the CCZ, have high concentrations of nickel, manganese, cobalt and copper in a single rock. Our subsidiaries NORI and TOML possess the exclusive exploration rights to regions within the CCZ and operate under the effective supervision, regulation and sponsorship of Nauru and Tonga, respectively. These metals are the main raw material inputs into lithium NMC battery cathodes and electric wiring often used in EV and energy storage. We have identified the potential to recover metals from polymetallic nodules to support increasing demand from battery and electric vehicle production through the development of a process that produces metals from the polymetallic nodules with near-zero solid processing waste. We have a dual mission: (1) to supply metals for the clean energy transition with low environmental and social impact; and (2) to accelerate the transition to a circular metal economy. The primary application of our mission is to solve the primary metal supply problem required for the manufacture of EV batteries.

As compared to land-based sources, we believe that polymetallic nodule collection has many advantages that allow us to reduce the potential environmental and social impact of primary metal production, and a flow sheet that we expect could lead to the substantial reduction or elimination of tailings. Such advantages include that: (1) the nodules can be collected without the need for removing overburden to access the nodules or destructive rock cutting and excavation that is required on land; (2) land use and deforestation caused by land-based mining can be avoided when collecting nodules; (3) less ore needs to be processed to get at the same amount of metal if nodules are used as the source as compared to land-based sources; (4) unlike many land ores, nodules do not contain toxic levels of deleterious elements like arsenic and mercury, thereby making it possible to productize 100% of nodule mass and leave no solid waste streams behind; and (5) unlike with many land-based ores, in case of nodules, significant flexibility exists to transport them anywhere in the world with a deep-water port, existing infrastructure and access to renewable power. We believe that most of this reduction in potential environmental and social impact as compared to land-based mining results from the unique properties of the polymetallic nodule resource and the production design choices made by us. The explanation, supplemental support and material assumptions underlying this claim are described below under the heading “— Market Opportunity — Environmental Market Opportunity”. However, given that no seafloor polymetallic nodule deposits have been collected on a commercial scale to date, there is some uncertainty regarding the potential impact of commercial-scale operations on biodiversity and ecosystem function on the CCZ abyssal seafloor and overlying water column. We are still in the exploration phase of the project and have not yet obtained an exploitation contract from the ISA (“ISA Exploitation Contract”) to commence commercial-scale polymetallic nodule collection in the CCZ nor have we obtained the applicable environmental permits and other permits required to build and operate commercial scale polymetallic nodule processing and refining plants on land.

We, through our subsidiaries, hold (directly or indirectly) exploration or commercial rights to three polymetallic nodule contract areas in the CCZ regulated by the ISA and sponsored by the Nation States of Nauru, Tonga and Kiribati, respectively. Based on the NORI Technical Report Summary and the TOML Technical Report Summary, the NORI Contract Area (as defined below) and TOML Contract Area (as defined below), our current material mineral properties, represent an undeveloped aggregate area of 149,543 km2 and an estimated aggregated resource base of approximately 1.6 billion tonnes (wet) of polymetallic nodules. We believe that the mineral resource in these two contract areas alone is the largest estimated single undeveloped aggregated source of battery metals in the world, with enough estimated polymetallic nodules on the seafloor to support the electrification of approximately one quarter of the current global passenger vehicle fleet.

The ISA has issued a total of 17 polymetallic nodule exploration contracts in the CCZ covering 1.28 million km2, or 0.4% of the global seafloor. Our subsidiaries hold direct or indirect rights to three out of these 17 exploration contracts:

NORI.    Nauru Ocean Resources Inc. (“NORI”), our wholly-owned subsidiary, holds exploration rights to four blocks (NORI Area A, B, C, and D, the “NORI Contract Area”) covering 74,830 km2 in the CCZ that were granted by the ISA in July 2011. NORI is sponsored by Nauru pursuant to a certificate of sponsorship signed by the Government of Nauru on April 11, 2011. The D block of the NORI area (“NORI Area D”) is the seafloor parcel where we have performed the most resource definition and environmental work to date. NORI commissioned AMC to undertake a preliminary economic assessment (“PEA”) of the mineral resource contained in NORI Area D and to compile a technical report compliant with Canadian National Instrument (NI 43-101), which was completed in March 2021. AMC subsequently compiled the NORI Technical Report Summary, dated March 2021, which included an initial assessment and an economic analysis of NORI Area D prepared in accordance with the SEC Mining Rules. The NORI Technical Report Summary is filed as Exhibit 96.1 to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

TOML.    Tonga Offshore Mining Limited (“TOML”), our wholly-owned subsidiary which we acquired in March 2020, holds exploration rights to an area covering 74,713 km2 in the CCZ that were granted by the ISA in January 2012 (the “TOML Contract Area”). On March 8, 2008, Tonga and TOML entered into a sponsorship agreement formalizing certain obligations of the parties in relation to TOML’s exploration and potential exploitation of a proposed application to the ISA (subsequently granted) for the TOML Contract Area. TOML commissioned a Technical Report Summary by AMC, dated March 2021, which is filed as Exhibit 96.2 to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

Marawa.    DGE, our wholly-owned subsidiary, entered into agreements with Marawa Research and Exploration Ltd. (“Marawa”) and the Republic of Kiribati (“Kiribati”) which provide DGE with exclusive exploration rights to an area covering 74,990 km2 in the CCZ (the “Marawa Contract Area”). The exploration contract between Marawa and the ISA (the “Marawa Exploration Contract”) was signed on January 19, 2015. To date, very limited offshore marine resource definition activities in the Marawa Contract Area have occurred and we expect to commit future resources as contractually agreed with Marawa to evaluate the future commercial viability of any project in such area. We have not completed adequate research to establish the economic viability of any project in the Marawa Contract Area. Further work will need to be conducted in order to assess the viability of any potential project in the Marawa Contract Area and such work will take several years until such assessment can be made.

The ISA was established in 1994 pursuant to the UNCLOS. The ISA regulates the development of seabed resources in the Area beyond national jurisdiction. The ISA is in the process of finalizing regulations for the commercial exploitation of seabed minerals in the Area, including those necessary for the collection of polymetallic nodules. The ISA was intending to have these regulations finalized by July 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted ISA meetings and discussions. Once adopted, these regulations will create the legal and technical framework for exploitation of the polymetallic nodules in the NORI, TOML and Marawa Contract Areas.

Section 1, paragraph 15 of the 1994 Agreement relating to the Implementation of Part XI of the UNCLOS allows a member state whose national intends to apply for approval of a plan of work for exploitation to notify the ISA of such intention. This notice obliges the ISA to complete the adoption of exploitation regulations within two years of the request made by the member state.

On June 25, 2021, the Republic of Nauru submitted its notice to the ISA requesting that it completes, by July 9, 2023, the adoption of regulations necessary to facilitate the approval of plans of work for the commercial exploitation of polymetallic nodules. The notice submitted by the Republic of Nauru to the ISA has increased the likelihood that regulations will be adopted that will govern and enable commercial scale polymetallic nodule collection. If the ISA has not completed the adoption of such regulations within the prescribed time and an application for approval of a plan of work for exploitation is pending before the ISA, the ISA shall none the less consider and provisionally approve such plan of work based on: (i) the provisions of the UNCLOS; (ii) any rules, regulations and procedures that the ISA may have adopted provisionally at the time, (iii) on the basis of the norms contained in the UNCLOS and (iv) the principle of non-discrimination among contractors.

We are still in the exploration phase of the project and have not yet obtained an ISA Exploitation Contract to commence commercial-scale polymetallic nodule collection in the CCZ nor can it provide any assurance that it will be awarded an ISA Exploitation Contract in the future.

Polymetallic Nodules

Deep-ocean polymetallic nodules form on or just below the sediment-covered abyssal plains of the ocean. These nodules contain significant amounts of metals, and their unique characteristic compared to terrestrial deposits is the presence of multiple metals in one deposit. Additionally, polymetallic nodules in the CCZ possess a select number of key defining features such as:

•        far removed from human communities — no need for social displacement;

•        unattached to the seafloor — no need for drilling and blasting;

•        high-grades of four metals (nickel, copper, cobalt and manganese) in a single source — much less mass to process;

•        very low hazardous elements like arsenic, antimony and mercury — which with the processing flow sheet contemplated by us would result in no toxic processing tailings;

•        low head-grade variability — easy to process;

•        2-10 cm diameter — easy to handle; and

•        microporous — easy to smelt.

Market Opportunity

Battery Metals and EV Market Opportunity

Significant growth in EV demand is now widely expected, with many countries committing to phasing out cars that burn fossil fuels and many original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”) devoting significant resources to the electrification of their vehicle offerings. This transition to EVs will test the limits of the supply of certain metals where EVs require several times more of certain metals (such as nickel and cobalt) than cars with internal combustion engines.

The urgent transition away from fossil fuels is driving a very significant, transitional demand for base metals. While only 1.4 million EVs were sold globally in 2020, that number is expected to grow over 15 times to 21.8 million EVs annually by 2030 and then further accelerate to 55.5 million vehicles by 2040. The surge in electric vehicle demand is supported by shifting consumer preferences, technology advancements and government legislation.

There has been unprecedented capital allocation towards the development and commercialization of EVs. Eight of the leading OEMs have announced target investments that total approximately $400 billion for hybrid and pure EV development. In addition to internal combustion engine (“ICE”) OEMs and EV pioneers, in the last year alone, approximately $20 billion of capital was raised through SPAC mergers to support the development and commercialization of EVs. In addition to corporate investment, many national and regional regulatory bodies have adopted legislation to incentivize or require a shift to lower-emission and zero-emission vehicles. For example, China, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany, and France have announced plans to either increase applicable environmental targets or outright ban the sale of new ICE vehicles by 2030 or 2040. More recently, California passed regulations requiring half of the trucks sold in the state to be zero-emissions by 2035 and 100% by 2045.

Given the importance of battery metals such as nickel, manganese, cobalt and copper as critical components in the anticipated global development and commercialization of EVs, demand is expected to outpace supply and create a shortage in the coming years. By 2030, global battery demand is expected to reach 3,612 GWh, or 17 times greater than demand in 2019. The EV market is expected to drive approximately 85% of this demand. The remaining demand is comprised of energy storage applications (13%) and consumer electronics (2%).

Given the projected growth in global demand for large-scale lithium-ion batteries in connection with the EV transition, the current supply of battery metals such as nickel and copper is expected to be insufficient, with shortages projected to emerge by 2024. If no new greenfield developments are added to the pipeline, existing mining operations are predicted to fall short of meeting increased demand, and could result in a deficit of up to 40% in the supply of Class 1 nickel and up to 35% in the supply of copper.

Environmental Market Opportunity

Hundreds of millions of tons of nickel, cobalt, manganese and copper are required for the electrification of the global passenger fleet, and we believe there is a critical need to ensure that these large amounts of base metals are sourced with the lowest environmental, social, and economic impacts possible. As the global supply of high-grade ore remains limited and metal demand increases, we can expect a larger environmental footprint as well as potential increases in metal prices should land-based mining remain the only viable method of collection. A 2021 study by the International Energy Agency shows that the production of some minerals could increase by 600% by 2040 to meet the growing demand for clean energy technologies required to keep global warming at 1.5°C. we expect that a growing global population, rising standards of living, higher penetration of intermittent renewable energy and increased commitments to carbon neutrality will contribute to high demand for battery metals. All base metals going into EV batteries today are ultimately produced from land-based ores or recycled products. However, the land mining sector is fundamentally challenged — ore grades are falling, production is moving to some of the more biodiverse and conflict-laden regions in the world (such as DRC, Indonesia, and South Africa), and accessing ore bodies often requires a complete removal of ecosystems situated on and above such orebodies, and removing, breaking or tunneling through significant tonnage of waste rock. Toxic levels of heavy elements often found in land ore bodies often need to be removed, stored, and maintained indefinitely — a real challenge on seismically active and wet tropical islands in countries like Indonesia that is expected to account for most of future growth in nickel supply. While some market proponents have recently announced opposition to acquiring metals derived from deep-sea ore bodies on environmental grounds, we believe that deep-sea mineral production presents significant net aggregated environmental and social benefits compared to production of similar metals from land based resource deposits.

We believe that sourcing such a large transitional demand of base metals from polymetallic nodules provides an opportunity to dramatically compress most lifecycle ESG impacts associated with conventional metal production from land-based ores. Producing metals from CCZ nodules can help avoid common ESG impacts with conventional metal production, such as child labor, deforestation, toxic tailings, and dramatically reduce other footprints like CO2, sulphur oxide (SOx) and nitrogen oxide (NOx), water and land use. However, given that no seafloor polymetallic nodule deposit has been collected on a commercial scale to date, there is some uncertainty regarding the potential impact of commercial-scale operations on biodiversity and ecosystem function on the CCZ abyssal seafloor and overlying water column. We are still in the exploration phase of the project and have not yet obtained an ISA Exploitation Contract to commence commercial-scale nodule collection operations in the CCZ nor have we obtained the applicable environmental permits and other permits required to build and operate commercial scale polymetallic nodule processing and refining plants on land.

Most of this compression is made possible by the unique properties of the polymetallic nodule resource and supported by production design choices we have made. Polymetallic nodules sit unattached to the seafloor, with over 90% of nodule mass generally presenting in the top 5 cm unobstructed by overburden. This means that the nodules can be collected without the need for removing overburden to access the nodules or destructive rock cutting and excavation that is required on land. It also means that land use and deforestation caused by land-based mining can be avoided when collecting nodules. In order to extract nickel, copper, cobalt and manganese on land, at least three different types of ores would need to be excavated on land. Nodules contain rich concentrations of all four of these critical metals in a single rock, accounting for over one-third of nodule mass. This means that, on average, four times less ore needs to be processed to get at the same amount of metal if nodules are used as the source. Furthermore, unlike many land ores, nodules do not contain toxic levels of deleterious elements like arsenic and mercury — making it possible to productize 100% of nodule mass and leave no solid waste streams behind.

Nodule collection will also result in a new type of seafloor use in the CCZ abyssal plains. Some conventional projects producing metals from land ores do currently use the deep seafloor in the Coral Triangle and in the Atlantic Ocean for deposition of toxic tailings. If measured in terms of the used seafloor area (rather than the severity of impacts on the deep-sea ecosystems which are expected to be far more severe for deep-sea tailings placement), nodule collection will significantly increase the use of the seafloor. For context, it is also worth noting that if the entire CCZ area currently under exploration were to be exploited over a 30 year period, it would impact 40,000 km2 of the abyssal seafloor per year. This is less than 1% of the estimated 4,900,000 km2 of the seafloor impacted every year by trawling primarily in highly productive coastal waters.

The CCZ abyssal plains are one of the most common and least populated habitats on the planet, akin to barren deserts on land, and they on average support approximately 1,500 less biomass per km2 than Indonesian rainforests (the number one nickel producer today). The CCZ abyssal seafloor is plant-free, food-poor and dominated by bacterial life forms. While it has been studied extensively since the 1960s and more research is underway, some level of uncertainty about the full inventory of local biodiversity will necessarily remain; as a result, entirely eliminating the risk of biodiversity loss is not feasible. Potential future commercial-scale nodule collection operations in the CCZ are certain to disturb wildlife in the operating area. The nature and severity of these impacts on CCZ wildlife are expected to vary by species and are currently subject to significant uncertainty. Our studies cataloguing wildlife and ecosystem function, piloting the nodule collection system and assessing impacts arising from the use of this system are all currently in progress. Given the significant volume of deep water and the difficulty of sampling or retrieving biological specimens in the Area, a complete biological inventory might never be established. Accordingly, impacts on CCZ biodiversity may never be, completely and definitively known. For the same reasons, it may also not be possible to determine whether the impact of nodule collection on global biodiversity will be less significant than those estimated for land-based mining for a similar amount of produced metal.

The issue of biodiversity loss is also faced by conventional metal producers on land, with land-based mining featuring as a significant driver of biodiversity loss and deforestation today. As a precautionary environmental management and protection measure, the ISA has set aside 1.4 million km2 of the CCZ as preservation zones, or Areas of Particular Environmental Interest (APEIs) that will be preserved. As a result, more area in the CCZ is currently under protection than under exploration (1.4 million vs. 1.28 million km2, respectively). Additional marine impact mitigation measures such as setting aside more areas and leaving partial nodule cover inside collection areas to aid natural recovery of bacterial and other communities are also being evaluated. We are collaborating with certain of the world’s leading researchers to conduct environmental baseline and collection impact studies and to design plans that could further mitigate marine impacts of nodule collection through its collection system and adaptive management system.

It is also currently not definitively known how effectively the risk of biodiversity loss in the CCZ could be eliminated or reduced through mitigation strategies or how long it will take for disturbed seabed areas to recover naturally. Prior research indicates that the density, diversity and function of fauna representing most of the resident biomass (including mobile, pelagic and microbial life) are expected to recover naturally over years to decades. However, a high level of uncertainty exists around recovery of fauna that requires the hard substrate of nodules for critical life function. The extent to which planned measures, such as leaving behind 15% of nodule cover (by mass) and setting aside no-take zones, would aid recruitment and recovery of nodule-dependent species in impacted areas will depend on factors like habitat connectivity, which is an area that is still under study.

To understand comparative ESG footprints of metal production from nodules as compared to conventional land ores, we commissioned several lifecycle assessments (LCAs) looking at the cradle-to-gate impacts of producing nickel, copper, cobalt and manganese products for “1 billion EVs by 2050” scenario. An LCA white paper looking at a comprehensive set of impacts was commissioned by us and co-authored by certain of our executive officers in 2018 and reviewed by subject matter specialists and published in April 2020 and an LCA research paper derived from the LCA white paper focusing on climate change impacts went through peer-review and was published in the Elsevier Journal of Cleaner Production in December 2020. Based on these LCA assessments that we commissioned and certain of our executive officers’ co-authored, we believe that we are positioned to become one of the lowest ESG footprint metal companies in the industry, offering an expected 70-99% reduction of most lifecycle ESG impacts. While most of these reductions are attributable to the unique advantages of the polymetallic nodule resource as described above, the elimination of solid processing waste streams onshore is due to our investment in zero-waste flowsheet design and the 70% reduction in Global Warming Potential of operations are due to our commitment to locate its onshore processing facilities in places with access to renewable power. However, although we believe that the lifecycle ESG impacts of metal production from polymetallic nodules are significantly lower than land based mining, given that no seafloor polymetallic nodule deposit has been collected on a commercial scale to date, there is some uncertainty regarding the ultimate potential impact of commercial-scale operations on wildlife and ecosystem function on the CCZ abyssal seafloor and overlying water column. There can be no assurance that the ESG impacts of metal production from nodules are not greater than anticipated.

Lifecycle ESG Impacts from Studies we Commissioned
and Co-authored by Certain of our Executive Officers

Uncertainty around each LCA indicator is discussed at length in the April 2020 white paper and in the December 2020 climate change impacts paper. Land-based estimates were derived from public LCA databases that contain robust data for metals like nickel and copper; estimates for metals like manganese and cobalt where data in public LCA databases was sparse were augmented with more recent data from peer-reviewed research. Nodule-related estimates were based on technical scoping studies for our offshore and onshore production system that formed the basis of Canadian NI-43-101 compliant preliminary economic assessment for NORI-D (2019). The indicators with the highest level of uncertainty for both supply scenarios — land ores and nodules — were impacts on biodiversity and the risk of biodiversity loss. This type of data is not captured in public LCA databases and is further complicated by methodological difficulties of comparing marine and terrestrial life.

All extractive industries result in impacts to the receiving environment. Nodule collection is no exception and will impact the deep-sea marine environment through nodule removal, disturbance of seafloor sediment and return of seawater used for nodule transport that is expected to contain residual sediment and nodule fines back in the water column (“plumes”). Baselining the impacted marine environment by characterizing the ecosystem and then developing measures to avoid and mitigate these impacts is the central focus of our Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (“ESIA”) program currently being undertaken in partnership with some of the world’s leading deep-sea research institutions. Nodule removal will impact species that depend on the hard nodule substrate for attachment. The severity of the impact will depend on (1) the extent to which these species are represented in the APEIs set aside by the ISA and additional no-take zones set aside by us and (2) the extent to which residual nodule cover (expected at 15% of nodule mass) will aid recruitment and recovery of these species in impacted areas. Disturbance of the seafloor by collector robots is expected to disturb (mostly microbial) organisms living in and on the sediments. Impact severity will depend on the depth of disturbance (expected to be approximately 5 cm based on modelling and lab tests) and the impact this has on benthic ecosystem function. Over 90% of the entrained sediment is expected to be separated from nodules inside the collector robot and discharged behind the collector robot, most settling back to the seafloor within a few hundred meters. The impact of the residual plume will depend on how quickly the smaller mobile sediment particles re-settle, how far they travel and how the resulting sedimentation impacts the benthic organisms. Less than 10% of entrained sediment that evades separation inside the collector robot will be transported with nodules and seawater through the riser pipe to the surface production vessel where nodules get dewatered and residual water, sediment and nodules fines are returned at some depth in the water column. Potential impacts from the mid-water sediment plume include clogging of the delicate respiratory and filter feeding structures of pelagic zooplankton species, such as jellyfish and krill. However, the mid-water discharge is expected to have very low solid particle concentration and dilute to background sedimentation levels within hours. The depth of discharge will be selected based on ESIA results to minimize impact on life in the midwater column.

Competitive Strengths

For the following reasons, we believe that we are well positioned to compete in the global marketplace for the collection and production of certain critical metal inputs of lithium NMC (nickel-manganese-cobalt) batteries and electric wiring often used in electric vehicles:

•        The world’s largest estimated single aggregated source of battery materials — We, directly or indirectly, have the exploration rights to 224,533 km2 of CCZ seafloor that host an estimated 1.6 billion (wet) ton nodule resource.

•        Low cost of production — We intend to become the second lowest-cost nickel producer in the world, and we believe that we can achieve a negative cash cost for nickel as a result of being able to sell 100% of the byproducts created through the smelting and refining process.

•        Quality resource — the polymetallic nodules that are to be collected are rich in valuable metals, containing high grades of copper, nickel, cobalt and manganese in a single rock.

•        Positive ESG impacts — We believe that our business model will result in significant ESG benefits compared to our on-land mining counterparts, and is expected to yield a 70 – 99% improvement in most lifecycle ESG impacts. However, although we believe that the lifecycle ESG impacts of metal production from polymetallic nodules are significantly lower than land-based mining, given that no seafloor polymetallic nodule deposit has been collected and processed on a commercial scale to date, there is some uncertainty regarding the potential impact of commercial-scale operations would have on biodiversity and ecosystem function the CCZ abyssal seafloor and overlying water column. There can be no assurance that the ESG impacts of metal production from nodules are not greater than anticipated.

•        Best-in-class strategic partners — Our strategic partners, such as Allseas, Maersk and Glencore, are among the leaders in their respective fields, and we believe that such relationships will allow us to successfully pursue our asset-light model of development.

•        Highly qualified and knowledgeable management team — We are led by Gerard Barron, our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman who has a successful track-record as a serial company-builder (including battery manufacturing, telecoms and digital asset management technology) and as an investor in ocean resources; Dr. Greg Stone, our chief Ocean Scientist, who has over 30 years of experience in ocean research, conservation and policy, including approximately 10 years as Chief Scientist for Oceans at Conservation International; Erika Ilves, our Chief Strategy Officer, who has over 15 years in strategy, including six years at McKinsey & Co. and five years in technology development for mining in extreme environments; Anthony O’Sullivan, our Chief Development Officer, who has 30 years of experience in both land and ocean resource development projects, and was the former Head of Base Metals Exploration at BHP; and Craig Shesky, our Chief Financial Officer, who has 15 years combined experience in public investing, metals research and investment banking.

Business Strategy

Our contemplated business spans the entire lifecycle of the polymetallic nodule from the resource acquisition and definition stage through the collection and transportation phases into the processing and refining of nodules onshore and finally in product marketing and offtake. NORI and TOML, two of our subsidiaries, intend to operate under the effective supervision, regulation and sponsorship of Nauru and Tonga, respectively, in the CCZ. We intend to engage in processing operations in locations that have yet to be determined. We have chosen an asset-light approach to our operations and has focused on forming deep strategic partnerships with leading offshore companies in every aspect of our operations.

Our key strategic alliances include:

Allseas.    Allseas, a leading global offshore contractor, is developing the pilot collection system for us, which is expected to be modified into the initial smaller scale commercial production system and serve as the basis for the design of a full-scale commercial production system.

Maersk.    Maersk Supply Service, a leading offshore marine service company, has provided us with vessel operations and project management services for resource definition and environmental offshore campaigns in return for equity in our company.

Glencore:    Glencore holds offtake on 50% of the NORI nickel and copper production.

In addition, we have worked with an engineering firm (Hatch) and consultants (KPM) to develop a zero solid waste flowsheet, which includes a pilot plant program which is being completed at FLSmidth’s and Glencore’s facilities. The zero solid waste flowsheet is the process design that is expected to serve as the basis for our onshore processing facilities.

NORI has planned a phased development for NORI Area D. Offshore collection systems, comprising collector vehicles on the seafloor, a RALS, and a production support vessel, would collect polymetallic nodules. The nodules are expected to be transferred to transport vessels and shipped to on-shore processing facilities where established processing technology would be used to produce copper cathode, nickel sulphate and cobalt sulphate suitable for Li Ion battery cathode feedstock, nickel-copper-cobalt alloy, nickel matte, manganese silicate, and ammonium sulphate.

Through our strategic partnership with Allseas, a former oil and gas drilling vessel (the Hidden Gem) acquired by Allseas in February 2020 is being converted and modified to undertake a pre-production collector test in which a collector vehicle, RALS and other systems will be tested. The first phase of commercial production (“Project Zero”) would then be expected to commence after the Hidden Gem has been upgraded to become a production support vessel that can produce up to 1.3 Mtpa (wet) of nodules. The nodules collected in Project Zero are expected to be processed through existing third-party facilities on a tolling basis or alternatively to seek partnerships to construct new RKEF facilities. For the next phase of development (“Project One”), production is expected to be expanded with an additional converted drillship (Drill Ship 2), a second upgrade to the Hidden Gem, and the construction of a bespoke production support vessel (Collector Ship 1).

Ultimately, we expect that NORI will deploy a fleet of three production support vessels, each with a dedicated seafloor collection system that together would produce an average of ~11.3 Mtpa of wet nodules during steady state production. In Project One, we expect to process a majority of nodules at a new facility that has not yet been constructed, with the balance of production going to toll treatment at a third-party facility. We believe that this phased approach to development allows for management of risk and for progressive improvement of engineering and operating systems.

Currently, we are an exploration stage issuer with a completed initial assessment and currently working towards a prefeasibility study. We expect to enter into the feasibility study phase in 2023 following completion of the pilot collection test in the CCZ. NORI plans to begin its pilot collection test approximately 12 months after a collector test EIS is lodged with ISA, which was submitted in July 2021.

Summary of Mineral Resources

Below is a summary table of estimated mineral resources. Further information can be found in the following sections: “Properties — NORI Contract Area — Mineral Resource Estimates” and “Properties — TOML Contract Area — Mineral Resource Estimates.”

Summary Mineral Resources, In-Situ, at End of the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2020 at 4 kg/m2 abundance cut-off and based on nickel metal $16,472/t; nickel in nickel sulfate $18,807/t Ni; copper metal $6,872/t; cobalt metal $46,333/t; cobalt in cobalt sulfate $56,920/t Co; manganese in manganese silicate $4.50/dmtu Mn.

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Note: Tonnes are quoted on a wet basis and grades are quoted on a dry basis, which is common practice for bulk commodities. Moisture content was estimated to be 24% w/w for NORI and 28% w/w for TOML. These estimates are presented on an undiluted basis without adjustment for resource recovery.

As reflected in the economic analysis of NORI Area D contained in the NORI Technical Report Summary, a discounted cash flow analysis considering the intended pre-development work 2024, discounting at 9% per annum, indicates a NORI Area D project net present value (as of January 1, 2021) of $6.8 billion. The initial assessment included in the NORI Technical Report Summary is a conceptual study of the potential viability of NORI’s mineral resources. This initial assessment indicates that development of the NORI mineral resource is potentially technically and economically viable; however, due to the preliminary nature of project planning and design, and the untested nature of the specific seafloor production systems at a commercial scale, economic viability has not yet been demonstrated.

The NORI Technical Report Summary and TOML Technical Report Summary do not include the conversion of mineral resources to mineral reserves.

You are specifically cautioned not to assume that any part or all of the mineral deposits in these categories will ever be converted into mineral reserves, as defined by the SEC. You are also cautioned that mineral resources do not have demonstrated economic value. Inferred mineral resources have a high degree of uncertainty as to their existence and to whether they can be economically or legally commercialized. Under the SEC Mining Rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of an economic analysis. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. A significant amount of exploration must be completed in order to determine whether an inferred mineral resource may be upgraded to a higher category. Therefore, you are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource exists, that it can be economically or legally commercialized, or that it will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Approximately 97% of the NORI D Area resource is categorized as measured or indicated.

Likewise, you are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of measured or indicated mineral resources will ever be upgraded to mineral reserves.

Collection and Processing of Polymetallic Nodules

Collection and Shipping

The plan for the collection of polymetallic nodules includes offshore collection systems, which are comprised of collector vehicles on the seafloor, a RALS, and a production support vessel to collect the polymetallic nodules. The nodules would be expected to be collected from the seafloor by self-propelled, tracked collector vehicles. No rock cutting, digging, drill-and-blast or other breakage are expected to be required at the point of collection. The collectors would be remotely controlled and supplied with electric power via umbilical cables from the production support vessel.

The intended seafloor production system operated at 4km depth (picture not to scale)

Following collection by the production support vessel, the polymetallic nodules would be transferred to transport vessels and shipped to onshore processing facilities to produce copper cathode, nickel sulfate and cobalt sulfate suitable for Li-ion battery cathode feedstock, a manganese silicate product and ammonium sulfate.

In order to test the collection system, a contract has been entered into with Allseas to undertake a pre-production collector test. If such test is successful, we expect that commercial production would then commence after the upgrading of the Hidden Gem to produce a production support vessel that can produce 1.3 Mtpa (wet) of polymetallic nodules (Project Zero). Subsequent production expansions (Project One) would be expected to involve an additional converted drill ship, a second upgrade to the Hidden Gem, and construction of a bespoke production support vessel. We believe that a fleet of three production support vessels, each with a dedicated seafloor collection system, would be estimated to produce approximately 11.3 Mtpa of wet nodules, which we intend to be processed, either at a new facility to be constructed by us or potential processing partners, subject to available capital, or at third-party facilities pursuant to a toll treatment model.

We believe that this phased approach to development allows for management of risk and for progressive improvement of engineering and operating systems. The intention to implement the project in multiple phases that will allow the seafloor collection systems to be tested and then polymetallic nodule production to be gradually ramped up. We also believe that this approach will de-risk the project for a relatively low initial capital investment. Additionally, this phased development will allow for an adaptive approach to environmental management providing learning at small-scale which would be applied as the development increases scale.

Mineral Processing and Refining and Metallurgical Testing

Pyrometallurgical processing of polymetallic nodules has been extensively studied from the early 1970s until the present day and appears to have been the preferred process for many other nodule processing research groups. Many groups including Kennecott (now Rio Tinto), Inco (now Vale), Cuban/Bulgarian, German, Indian, Japanese and Korean teams have studied pyrometallurgical processing of nodules at a laboratory scale; Chinese teams have studied it at a pilot plant scale.

From an early stage, we have recognized that chemical and mineral processing represents a key to potentially commercializing seafloor polymetallic nodules and to becoming a low-cost producer of nickel, manganese, copper and cobalt products. Moreover, we believe that there is a commercial advantage in positioning ourselves as a leader in the onshore processing of seafloor polymetallic nodules. Consequently, we have been undertaking a process development program since 2011.

We have been working with a leading global process engineering group Hatch, and a professional services firm, to develop pyrometallurgical processing and hydrometallurgical refining technologies for the production of battery metals from nodules. Hatch has developed a zero solid waste flowsheet and is overseeing a pilot plant program which is in the process of being completed at FLSmidth’s and Glencore’s facilities. Pursuant to an engineering and consulting services agreement, Hatch is assisting and advising us during the development of the pilot test program and is analyzing and interpreting the testing results through reports provided by such test facilities. Based on the results of the pilot plant program, Hatch and we expect to expand the scope of work between us, including the development or modification of a processing plant for the recovery of battery metals from the polymetallic nodules collected.

We propose that the processing of the polymetallic nodules from the NORI Contract Area would also be ramped up in phases. This plan includes toll treating polymetallic nodules at existing Rotary Kiln-Electric arc Furnace (“RKEF”) plants, utilizing existing excess industry capacity. We believe that there is significant interest to deploy underutilised RKEF plants which may have become stranded as a result of the Indonesian government nickel laterite ore export ban restricting supply of the nickel laterite feedstock that they currently utilize. These RKEF plants were originally built to convert nickel laterite to nickel pig iron and could potentially be converted to smelt polymetallic nodules. While we have not negotiated any definitive agreements with RKEF plants, we believe that we may be able to do so in the future on commercially reasonable terms. In parallel, we are actively exploring a scenario of co-locating new RKEF capacity with a potential future offtaker of our manganese silicate product.

In the future, based on the work performed by Hatch and subject to available capital, it is contemplated that we shall construct a processing plant(s), which may include pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical circuits. Nodule production would be increased in phases by treatment in this new plant or plants.

Strategic Alliances and Key Commercial Agreements

Allseas Agreements

On March 29, 2019, DeepGreen and Allseas entered into a Strategic Alliance Agreement, whereby DeepGreen and Allseas conduct project development of an integrated offshore nodule collection system for use by the DeepGreen’s subsidiaries. As initially constituted, Allseas agreed to subscribe for (i) 6,666,667 DeepGreen Common Shares for a purchase price of $20,000,000 in cash (the “Subscription”), the entire amount of which was funded, and (ii) an additional 10,000,000 DeepGreen Common Shares in exchange for services rendered by Allseas in respect of the contemplated pilot mining test system (the “PMTS”), which would be designed and built by Allseas. The 10,000,000 shares would only be issued upon completion of the PMTS (the “Success Fee Shares”), along with an additional $30 million cash success fee that would be payable simultaneously therewith. The Strategic Alliance Agreement also contemplated that DeepGreen and Allseas would enter into other commercial arrangements following the successful completion of the PMTS.

On July 8, 2019, DeepGreen and Allseas entered into the Pilot Mining Test Agreement (the “PMTA”), which governed the terms, design specifications, procedures, and timetable under which Allseas agreed to complete the PMTS, to be used by NORI. The PMTA was subsequently amended on September 1, 2019, February 2, 2020, and March 4, 2021. The Strategic Alliance Agreement was also amended on March 4, 2021 (collectively with the PMTA amendment of the same date, the “Amendment”), which Amendment became effective upon closing of the Business Combination. Pursuant to the Amendment, the cash fee payable pursuant to the PMTA was amended such that DeepGreen would pay to Allseas (i) $10,000,000 on June 30, 2021 (which DeepGreen and Allseas agreed to change to within 10 business days of the Closing of the Business Combination in a further amendment), (ii) $10,000,000 on the later of January 1, 2022 and such time that confirmation is received with respect to the successful collection of the North Sea test, and (iii) $10,000,000 upon successful completion of the PMTS. Pursuant to the Amendment, except as provided therein, Allseas may not, without DeepGreen’s prior written consent, terminate the Strategic Alliance Agreement or the PMTA before DeepGreen or its applicable affiliate receives an ISA Exploitation Contract.

Also on March 4, 2021, DeepGreen issued the Allseas Warrant to Allseas, which shall vest upon successful completion of the PMTS and become exercisable for 10,000,000 DeepGreen Common Shares (as it may be adjusted based on the formula described therein) at a purchase price of $0.01 per share, and which became a warrant to purchase Common Shares upon the consummation of the Business Combination, in accordance with the terms of the Allseas Warrant. The Allseas Warrant was issued to Allseas in lieu of any future obligation to issue the Success Fee Shares. The Allseas Warrant shall vest only upon (and not before) the successful completion of the PMTS. The Warrant Credit Value shall be determined as of June 1, 2022 based on the closing trading price of the Common Shares. In the event that the Warrant Credit Value is greater than $150,000,000, then on the vesting date of the Allseas Warrant, TMC shall receive a “credit” for the amount by which such Warrant Credit Value exceeds $150,000,000. TMC will be able to exchange such credit value for future goods and services from Allseas. No amount will be due or receivable under the Allseas Warrant if the Warrant Credit Value is under $150,000,000 on June 1, 2022. The Allseas Warrant shall expire on September 30, 2026.

Supply Agreements with Maersk and Maersk UK

On March 21, 2017, we entered into four charter vessel agreements with Maersk and one charter vessel agreement with Maersk UK (together, the “Maersk Supply Agreements”) pursuant to which Maersk and Maersk UK agreed to supply us with vessels and offshore services for a total of five marine campaigns. By letter agreement on March 3, 2021, we agreed with Maersk to extend the arrangement until 2022.

Pursuant to the Maersk Investment and Participation Agreement dated March 15, 2017 (the “Participation Agreement”), we agreed, among other things, that in return for marine cruises and related project management services provided by Maersk and Maersk UK, we will issue that number of DeepGreen Common Shares as is equal to the final cost of each marine cruise divided by $1.25 (subject to adjustment as described therein), upon

completion of each marine cruise, and after agreement between the parties as to the calculation of the final cost to Maersk or Maersk UK for such cruise. As of March 2021, all unspent costs have now been agreed to be reimbursed in cash. Services valued at approximately $22.5 million have been delivered, with 17,982,123 DeepGreen Common Shares issued to Maersk under the contract.

On March 3, 2021, we entered into a letter agreement with Maersk and Maersk UK (the “Maersk Letter Agreement”), whereby Maersk and Maersk UK agreed to, among other matters, enter into certain commercial and other changes under the Participation Agreement. Pursuant to the Maersk Letter Agreement, Maersk irrevocably (i) waived certain pro rata participation rights that it may have under the Participation Agreement in connection with the Business Combination and contemplated PIPE transaction; (ii) acknowledged that all amounts owing to Maersk for services rendered through February 5, 2021 in the aggregate amount of $4.58 million had been satisfied by the issuance of 3,666,267 DeepGreen Common Shares at a price per share of $1.25; (iii) agreed that all final costs for services rendered from and after February 5, 2021 will be settled in cash, and that Maersk shall not be entitled to any further in-kind common share investment; and (iv) agreed to lower the charter vessel hire operational day rates.

As described herein, our agreement with Maersk is set to expire in 2022. With respect to Allseas, if the PMTS is successfully delivered, the PMTA will terminate by its terms in 2022, whereas the overarching Strategic Alliance Agreement will remain in place. While Allseas and Maersk have communicated their intention to negotiate in good faith in order to extend the applicable arrangements, there are no guarantees that we will be able to enter into new agreements on commercially reasonable terms, if at all. We do not currently have a collection and transport agreement with Allseas for the conduct of commercial operations using Allseas technology or the Hidden Gem, but principal terms have been considered in the Strategic Alliance Agreement and the parties intend to complete commercial negotiations in connection with such arrangement as soon as practicable. Nevertheless, no assurance can be given that definitive arrangements will be reached.

Offtake Agreements

On May 25, 2012, our wholly-owned subsidiary, DGE, and Glencore International AG (“Glencore”), entered into a copper off-take agreement and a separate nickel off-take agreement (together, the “Glencore Offtake Agreements”), pursuant to which Glencore has the right to purchase from DGE 50% of the annual quantity of copper material and 50% of the annual quantity of nickel material produced by DGE from ore derived from the NORI Contract Area at a metallurgical installation for processing owned by DGE. Pursuant to the Glencore Offtake Agreements, for London Metal Exchange (“LME”) Codelco registered Grade “A” copper cathodes, the delivered price is the official LME Copper Grade “A” Cash Settlement quotation as published in the London Metal Bulletin averaged over the month of shipment or the following month at Glencore’s choice, plus the official long-term contract premium as announced annually by Codelco, basis CIF Main European Ports (Rotterdam, the Netherlands). For LME Registered Primary Nickel, the delivered price is the official LME Primary Nickel Cash Settlement averaged over the month of shipping or the following month at Glencore’s choice. For other copper-bearing material and other nickel-bearing material, the parties shall agree a price annually for the forthcoming calendar year on the basis of prevailing market prices for such copper products and such nickel products. The Glencore Offtake Agreements are for the life of the NORI Contract Area, and either party may terminate the agreement upon a material breach or insolvency of the other party. Glencore may also terminate either agreement by giving 12 months’ prior written notice. The Glencore Offtake Agreements do not extend to other of our entities in the event other entities are the ultimate processing owners for metal products. The Glencore Offtake Agreements only apply with respect to metals processed and developed from the NORI license that are processed by a facility owned by DGE and do not apply to other projects (including for example Marawa or TOML). Concurrent with entering into the Glencore Offtake Agreements, Glencore made an equity investment of $5 million into our company.

Competition

Seventeen contractors currently hold ISA exploration leases to assess the value of polymetallic nodule fields for future extraction in the Area. The Government of India holds the only lease block in the Indian Ocean. Beijing Pioneer Hi-Tech Development Corporation sponsored by the government of China holds a lease block in the Western Pacific Ocean. In addition to the TOML contract sponsored by Tonga, and the NORI contract sponsored by Nauru, other leases are in the CCZ, including two contractors sponsored by China — China

Minmetals Corporation and China Ocean Mineral Resources Research and Development Association (who has two leases) — while two lease blocks for UK Seabed Resources Limited are sponsored by the UK. Belgium sponsors Global Sea Mineral Resources; Kiribati sponsors Marawa (which has a partnership with us); Germany sponsors Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources of Germany; France sponsors IFREMER; Japan sponsors Deep Ocean Resources Development Co. Limited; Jamaica sponsors Blue Minerals Jamaica Ltd, and the Russian Federation sponsors JSC Yuzhmorgeologiya. Other contractors, including Cook Islands Investment Corporation and Ocean Mineral Singapore Private Limited, are sponsored by their eponymous states. A coalition of six states, including Bulgaria, Cuba, Czech Republic, Poland, Russian Federation and Slovakia, sponsor Interoceanmetal Joint Organization. These contractors and any new entrants are potential competitors to us, NORI, TOML and Marawa with respect to the collection of polymetallic nodules and the production of nickel, manganese, copper and cobalt products.

We may be unable to compete successfully with other contractors, or other mineral resource companies that provide metals for the manufacture of batteries, or that produce large volumes of manganese as we plan to do. The mining industry is competitive in all of its phases and we expect to face strong competition from other companies in connection with the production of battery metals and manganese. Many of these companies have greater financial resources and a longer operating history than we do. In addition, competition for exploration resources at all levels is very intense. Increased competition could adversely affect our ability to attract necessary capital funding for mineral exploration in the future.

Government Regulation

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

The Area is defined as the seabed and subsoil beyond the limits of national jurisdiction (UNCLOS Article 1).

The principal policy documents governing the Area include:

•        the UNCLOS, of 10 December 1982; and

•        the 1994 Implementation Agreement.

UNCLOS deals with, among other things, navigational rights, territorial sea limits, exclusive economic zone jurisdiction, the continental shelf, freedom of the high seas, legal status of resources on the seabed beyond the limits of national jurisdiction, passage of ships through narrow straits, conservation and management of living marine resources in the high seas, protection of the marine environment, marine scientific research, and settlement of disputes.

Part XI of UNCLOS and the 1994 Implementation Agreement deal with mineral exploration and collection in the Area, providing a framework for entities to obtain legal title to areas of the seafloor from the ISA for the purpose of exploration and eventually collection of resources. UNCLOS became effective on November 16, 1994. A subsequent agreement relating to the implementation of Part XI of UNCLOS was adopted on July 28, 1994 and became effective on July 28, 1996. The 1994 Implementation Agreement and Part XI of UNCLOS are to be interpreted and applied together as a single instrument. As of August 20, 2020, UNCLOS had been signed by 167 States (countries) and the European Union. The United States of America is currently not a party to UNCLOS, though US membership of the ISA does not have an impact on the enforceability or effectiveness of any rights granted to us through the ISA.

International Seabed Authority

The ISA is an autonomous international organization established under UNCLOS and the 1994 Implementation Agreement to organize and control activities in the Area, particularly with a view to administering and regulating the development of the resources of the Area in accordance with the legal regime established under UNCLOS and the 1994 Implementation Agreement. The ISA is comprised of 167 Member States, and the European Union. All parties to UNCLOS are members of the ISA. The ISA is mandated as the organization through which parties to UNCLOS shall organize and control all mineral-related activities in the Area. Two principal organs establish the policies and govern the work of ISA: the Assembly, where all 168 members are represented (the “Assembly”), and a 37-member council elected by the Assembly (the “Council”). The Council has two advisory bodies: the LTC (30 members), which advises the Council on all matters relating to the exploration and collection of non-living marine resources, such as polymetallic nodules, polymetallic sulfides and cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts, and the Finance Committee (15 members), which deals with budgetary and related matters.

All rules, regulations, and procedures issued by the ISA to regulate prospecting, exploration, and collection of marine minerals in the Area are issued within a general legal framework established by UNCLOS and the 1994 Implementation Agreement. To date, the ISA has issued the following regulations (https://www.isa.org.jm/mining-code/Regulations):

•        The Regulations on Prospecting and Exploration for Polymetallic Nodules in the Area (adopted July 13, 2000, as amended in 2013; the Regulations).

•        The Regulations on Prospecting and Exploration for Polymetallic Sulphides (adopted May 7, 2010).

•        The Regulations on Prospecting and Exploration for Cobalt-Rich Ferromanganese Crusts in the Area (July 2012).

No commercial polymetallic nodule collection operations have started anywhere in the world. Currently, exploration activities undertaken in the Area are aimed at gathering the necessary information on the location and quality of the minerals of the seabed as well as collecting all the necessary environmental information. To date, the ISA has approved 17 contracts in the CCZ for exploration of nodules and covering more than 1.35 million square kilometers of the seabed including areas outside of the CCZ. This represents 0.7 percent of the Area and 0.3 percent of the world’s oceans. Twelve of these contracts are sponsored by developing countries (including the sponsors of our subsidiaries NORI — Nauru, and TOML — Tonga, and our partner Marawa which is sponsored by the Republic of Kiribati). Thirteen countries and one intergovernmental consortium currently have contracts for the exploration of polymetallic nodules, seven countries have contracts for the exploration of polymetallic sulphides, and five countries have contracts for the exploration of cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts. The ISA is currently working on the development of a legal framework to regulate the commercialization of mineral development activities in the Area, as described below.

In 2014, the ISA completed a study looking at comparative extractive regulatory regimes. This was followed in March 2014 with a stakeholder survey seeking comments on what financial, environmental, and health and safety obligations should be included under the framework (ISA 2014).

In August 2017, the Council released the first Draft Regulations on Exploitation of Mineral Resources in the Area, as subsequently amended. In March 2019, the Council released the advance and unedited text (English only) of the Draft Regulations on Exploitation of Mineral Resources in the Area (ISBA/25/LTC/WP.1) (ISA, 2018). The revised draft exploitation regulations incorporated the consideration of requests addressed to the LTC by the Council during the first part of the 24th Session in March 2018, as well as certain comments by the Commission, and also reflected the responses to the first draft from stakeholder submissions. The exploitation regulations will create the legal and technical framework for collection and related operations. Finalization of the exploitation regulations remains subject to the decision of the members of the ISA. Final exploitation regulations must be adopted by the Council. The ISA was intending to have these regulations finalized by July 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted ISA meetings and discussions.

However, Section 1, paragraph 15 of the 1994 Agreement relating to the Implementation of Part XI of the UNCLOS allows a member state whose national intends to apply for approval of a plan of work for exploitation to notify the ISA of such intention. This notice obliges the ISA to complete the adoption of exploitation regulations within two years of the request made by the member state.

On June 25, 2021, the Republic of Nauru submitted its notice to the ISA requesting that it complete, by July 9, 2023, the adoption of regulations necessary to facilitate the approval of plans of work for the commercial exploitation of polymetallic nodules. The notice submitted by the Republic of Nauru to the ISA has increased the likelihood that regulations will be adopted that will govern and enable commercial scale polymetallic nodule collection. If the ISA has not completed the adoption of such regulations within the prescribed time and an application for approval of a plan of work for exploitation is pending before the ISA, the ISA shall nonetheless consider and provisionally approve such plan of work based on: (i) the provisions of the UNCLOS; (ii) any rules, regulations and procedures that the ISA may have adopted provisionally at the time, (iii) the basis of the norms contained in the UNCLOS and (iv) the principle of non-discrimination among contractors.

We expect the Final Regulations to be approved within the next two years, but there can be no assurance that such regulations will be approved then, or at all. The Draft Regulations and several supporting standards and guidelines are at an advanced stage, but there remains uncertainty regarding the final form that these will take as well as the impact that such regulations, standards and guidelines will have on our ability to meet our objectives.

The NORI Exploration Contract

In July 2011, our wholly-owned subsidiary, NORI, was granted a polymetallic nodule exploration contract by the ISA, providing it exclusive rights to explore 74,830 km2 in the CCZ pursuant to the NORI Exploration Contract (“NORI Exploration Contract”). The NORI Exploration Contract was approved by the Council on July 19, 2011, and entered into on July 22, 2011 between NORI and the ISA, and terminates on July 22, 2026, subject to extension.

The NORI Exploration Contract, which was granted pursuant to the ISA’s Regulations on Prospecting and Exploration for Polymetallic Nodules in the Area (the “Regulations”), formalized a 74,830 km2 exploration area, has an initial term of 15 years (subject to renewal for successive five-year periods), and provides for certain obligations with respect to exploration, training, and other programs of activities for an initial five-year period. The NORI Exploration Contract also formalized the rights of NORI around future rights. Pursuant to the Regulations, NORI has the priority right to apply for an exploration contract to collect polymetallic nodules in the same area (Regulation 24(2)). Such preference or priority may be withdrawn by the Council if the contractor has failed to comply with the requirements of its approved plan of work for exploration within the time period specified in a written notice or notices from the Council to the contractor indicating which requirements have not been complied with by the contractor. After a hearing process, the Council would be required to provide the reasons for its proposed withdrawal of preference or priority and shall consider any contractor’s response. The decision of the Council shall take account of that response and shall be based on substantial evidence. As soon as practicable, NORI intends to submit an application to collect polymetallic nodules in the same area as its current exploration rights.

In March 2016, NORI submitted to the ISA its proposed activities for the second five-year period of its exploration contract. NORI indicated that work during such period would focus on:

•        reducing project uncertainties and technical risks;

•        optimizing the onshore processing and offshore production systems (including increasing performance and reliability); and

•        improving project economics, including decreasing estimated capital and operating expenditures as well as increasing projected revenues.

NORI proposed various activities under that submission, which have been undertaken and are continuing to be undertaken. Such work has included improving metal recovery from the hydrometallurgical process then being developed, including studies to improve efficiencies, reduce costs, and increase revenue streams. During the course of this second five-year period, the metallurgical process flow sheet was revised to result in perceived lower-risk and no solid waste, and a pyrometallurgical/hydrometallurgical flowsheet was developed. Studies have also been carried out to identify potential sites for the processing plant. A program of offshore campaigns has been and is in the process of being implemented, resulting in a comprehensive environmental baseline study program involving in excess of 100 separate studies and world leading researchers and institutions. This study is intended to inform NORI’s ESIA and EMMP submissions to the ISA and assist in its design and plans to manage and mitigate potential environmental impacts from operations.

NORI commenced a pre-feasibility study to analyze technical and economic viability of the collection system and metallurgical process, and revised capital and operating costs.

NORI also proposed and has implemented or will implement a range of activities pertaining to the collector test: (i) identification and ground truthing of areas potentially suitable for the collector test; (ii) confirmation of a collector test site; (iii) commencement of the environmental baseline studies pertaining to the collector test environmental impact assessment (“EIA”) programme; and (iv) commencing geotechnical studies pertaining to the collector test programme. On July 29, 2021, NORI submitted its EIS on the NORI Collector Test for consideration by the ISA.

The ISA Council may suspend or terminate the NORI Exploration Contract, without prejudice to any other rights that the ISA may have, if any of the following events should occur:

•        if, in spite of written warnings by the ISA, NORI has conducted its activities in such a way as to result in serious persistent and willful violations of the fundamental terms of the NORI Exploration Contract, Part XI of UNCLOS, the 1994 Agreement and the rules, regulations and procedures of the ISA;

•        if NORI has failed to comply with a final binding decision of the dispute settlement body applicable to it; or

•        if NORI becomes insolvent or commits an act of bankruptcy or enters into any agreement for composition with its creditors or goes into liquidation or receivership, whether compulsory or voluntary, or petitions or applies to any tribunal for the appointment of a receiver or a trustee or receiver for itself or commences any proceedings relating to itself under any bankruptcy, insolvency or readjustment of debt law, whether now or hereafter in effect, other than for the purpose of reconstruction.

Additionally, if the nationality or control of NORI changes or NORI’s Sponsoring State, as defined in the Regulations, terminates its sponsorship and NORI does not obtain another sponsor meeting the requirements prescribed in the Regulations, then the NORI Exploration Contract will terminate.

The NORI Sponsorship Agreement

NORI is sponsored by Nauru pursuant to a certificate of sponsorship signed by the Government of Nauru on April 11, 2011. NORI is a Nauruan incorporated entity and is subject to applicable Nauruan legislation and regulations. In 2015, the Nauruan government established the NauruSeabed Minerals Authority to regulate activities carried out by companies sponsored by Nauru.

Throughout the period of the NORI Exploration Contract, NORI must be sponsored by a State that is party to UNCLOS. If the nationality or control of NORI changes or NORI’s Sponsoring State, as defined in the Regulations, terminates its sponsorship, NORI must promptly notify the ISA. In either such event, if NORI does not obtain another sponsor meeting the requirements prescribed in the Regulations which submit to the ISA a certificate of sponsorship for NORI in the prescribed form within six months, the NORI Exploration Contract will terminate.

On June 5, 2017, Nauru, the Nauru Seabed Minerals Authority and NORI entered into a sponsorship agreement (the “NORI Sponsorship Agreement”) formalizing certain obligations of the parties in relation to NORI’s exploration and potential collection of the NORI Contract Area of the CCZ. The NORI Sponsorship Agreement will remain in force for the duration of the 15-year NORI Exploration Contract, and will automatically extend for a further 20 years upon NORI reaching the minimum recovery level under an ISA Exploration Contract, unless earlier terminated by the ISA as a result of NORI’s breach of the NORI Exploration Contract or pursuant to its terms. Upon reaching the minimum recovery level within the tenement area, NORI will pay Nauru a seabed mineral recovery payment based on the polymetallic nodules recovered from the tenement area. In addition, NORI will pay an administration fee each year to Nauru for such administration and sponsorship, which is subject to review and increase in the event that NORI is granted an ISA Exploitation Contract.

During exploration, NORI is required to, among other things:

•        submit an annual report to the ISA;

•        meet certain performance and expenditure commitments;

•        pay an annual overhead charge to cover the costs incurred by the ISA in administering and supervising the contract;

•        implement training programs for personnel of the ISA and developing countries in accordance with a training program proposed by NORI in its license application;

•        take measures to prevent, reduce, and control pollution and other hazards to the marine environment arising from its activities in the Area;

•        maintain appropriate insurance policies;

•        establish environmental baselines against which to assess the likely effects of its program of activities on the marine environment; and

•        establish and implement a program to monitor and report on such effects.

In 2016, NORI submitted to the ISA proposed activities for the second five-year period of its exploration contract. NORI indicated that work during this second five-year period would focus on:

•        reducing project uncertainties and technical risks;

•        optimizing the on-shore processing and off-shore production systems (including increasing performance and reliability); and

•        improving project economics, including decreasing estimated capital and operating expenditures as well as increasing projected revenues.

On July 29, 2021, NORI submitted its EIS on the NORI Collector Test for consideration by the ISA.

The TOML Exploration Contract

In March 2020, we acquired TOML, a subsidiary of the former Nautilus Minerals Group (“Nautilus”), from Deep Sea Mining Finance Limited, providing us with exclusive rights to explore a 74,713 km2 block of the CCZ seabed. TOML holds an exploration contract granted by the ISA and sponsored by Tonga pursuant to the TOML Exploration Contract (“TOML Exploration Contract”). The plan of work was approved by the Council, acting on the recommendation of the LTC, on July 19, 2011. The TOML Exploration Contract was then signed on January 11, 2012 between TOML and the ISA and terminates on January 11, 2027, subject to a potential extension under the terms of the agreement.

The TOML Exploration Contract was granted pursuant to the ISA’s Regulations, as well as Article 153 of UNCLOS, and formalized a 74,713 km2 exploration area. The TOML Exploration Contract includes an initial term of 15 years, which may be extended under the contract, and a program of activities to be completed within the first five-year period of the term. The TOML Exploration Contract also formalized the rights of TOML around future rights. Pursuant to the Regulations, TOML has the priority right to apply for an ISA Exploitation Contract to collect polymetallic nodules in the same area (Regulation 24(2)). The Regulations state that a contractor who has an approved plan of work for exploration only shall have a preference and a priority among applicants submitting plans of work for collection of the same area and resources. Such preference or priority may be withdrawn by the Council if the contractor has failed to comply with the requirements of its approved plan of work for exploration within the time period specified in a written notice or notices from the Council to the contractor indicating which requirements have not been complied with by the contractor. After a hearing process, the Council shall provide the reasons for its proposed withdrawal of preference or priority and shall consider any contractor’s response. The decision of the Council shall take account of that response and shall be based on substantial evidence.

In October 2016 TOML submitted to the ISA its proposed activities for the second five-year period of its exploration contract. TOML indicated that work would focus on:

•        continued development and collection of environmental baseline data;

•        completing pilot testing;

•        completing geotechnical studies;

•        completing feasibility studies;

•        drafting of the first EIA/EMMP; and

•        continuing training.

Based on an expectation that the forthcoming environmental regulations pertaining to obtaining an ISA Exploitation Contract were to be completed, TOML submitted a plan that included a substantive program of environmental baseline survey and pilot collection monitoring. It also included fabrication and trials of pilot scale collection equipment, metallurgical test work, and other engineering and marketing studies as well as report drafting for environmental permitting and feasibility study purposes. The designing of TOML’s collection system called the Decoupled Underwater Collection Concept (“DUCC”) did progress to prefeasibility study state. TOML continued to advance its project design by conducting land-based tests and closing technology gaps in areas not previously piloted. A preliminary collection plan and collection equipment/schedule was completed for the TOML preliminary collection areas, but such plans are now subject to change by TOML.

The ISA Council may suspend or terminate the TOML Exploration Contract, without prejudice to any other rights that the ISA may have, if any of the following events should occur:

•        if, in spite of written warnings by the ISA, TOML has conducted its activities in such a way as to result in serious persistent and willful violations of the fundamental terms of this contract, Part XI of UNCLOS, the 1994 Agreement and the rules, regulations and procedures of the ISA;

•        if TOML has failed to comply with a final binding decision of the dispute settlement body applicable to it; or

•        if TOML becomes insolvent or commits an act of bankruptcy or enters into any agreement for composition with its creditors or goes into liquidation or receivership, whether compulsory or voluntary,

•        or petitions or applies to any tribunal for the appointment of a receiver or a trustee or receiver for itself or commences any proceedings relating to itself under any bankruptcy, insolvency or readjustment of debt law, whether now or hereafter in effect, other than for the purpose of reconstruction.

Additionally, if the nationality or control of TOML changes or TOML’s Sponsoring State, as defined in the Regulations, terminates its sponsorship and TOML does not obtain another sponsor meeting the requirements prescribed in the Regulations, then the TOML Exploration Contract will terminate.

The TOML Sponsorship Agreement

On March 8, 2008, Tonga and TOML entered into a sponsorship agreement (the “TOML Sponsorship Agreement”) formalizing certain obligations of the parties in relation to TOML’s exploration and potential collection of a proposed application to the ISA (subsequently granted) known as the TOML Area. In March 2020, we acquired TOML, a subsidiary of the former Nautilus, from Deep Sea Mining Finance Limited, providing exclusive rights to explore a 74,713 km2 block of the CCZ seabed. TOML holds the TOML Exploration Contract granted by the ISA and sponsored by Tonga. Tonga recently updated the sponsorship agreement with TOML, harmonizing the terms of its engagement with TOML with those held by the Republic of Nauru. The sponsorship agreement will remain in force for the duration of TOML’s Exploration Contract and will automatically be extended for an additional term of 25 years should TOML be granted an ISA Exploitation Contract. Upon reaching the minimum recovery level within the tenement area, TOML has agreed to pay Tonga a seabed mineral recovery payment based on the polymetallic nodules recovered from the tenement area. In addition, TOML has agreed to pay the reasonable direct costs incurred by Tonga to administer the ISA obligations of Tonga to the ISA.

Marawa Agreements

On March 17, 2012, our wholly-owned subsidiary, DGE, entered into an Option Agreement (the “Option Agreement”) with Marawa and Kiribati. In consideration of the $250,000 option fee, Marawa granted DGE an option to purchase tenements, as may be granted to Marawa by the ISA or any other regulatory body, for $300,000, or in consideration of DGE waiving any loan and other debt obligation pursuant to the Services Agreement (as defined below), if a default event occurs. The exercise period for the option is a maximum of 40 years after the date of the execution of the Option Agreement.

On July 26, 2012, the ISA Council approved a plan of work for exploration submitted by Marawa covering the Marawa Contract Area.

On October 1, 2013, DGE entered into an agreement (the “Services Agreement”) with the Republic of Kiribati and Marawa granting DGE the exclusive right for 40 years to carry out exploration and collection in the Marawa Contract Area as well as purchase polymetallic nodules collected from the Marawa Contract Area. The Marawa Exploration Contract was signed on January 19, 2015. Mineral resource definition work began in 2020 for the Marawa Contract Area and we expect to continue undertaking such work in the near future.

DGE has the right to terminate the Services Agreement for convenience at any time at its election by giving written notice to Marawa and Kiribati and such termination shall take effect two months following the date of the termination notice, provided that DGE shall pay to the ISA on behalf of Marawa the fees or payments legally owed to the ISA by Marawa (including the Annual ISA Exploration Fee and ISA Royalties and Taxes) that are outstanding at the date of termination or that are incurred within 12 months of the date of such termination, provided that Marawa shall have an obligation to minimize such fees and payments to the extent practicable after the date of said termination. DGE and Marawa have considered the potential to amend the current contractual arrangements to provide additional mutual benefits in the conduct of operations, though no assurances may be given that any changes will be agreed.

Royalties and taxes

Royalties and taxes payable on any future production from the Area will be stipulated in the ISA’s exploitation regulations. While the rates of payments are yet to be set by the ISA, the 1994 Implementation Agreement (Section 8(1)(b)) prescribes that the rates of payments “shall be within the range of those prevailing in respect of land-based mining of the same or similar minerals in order to avoid giving deep seabed miners an artificial competitive advantage or imposing on them a competitive disadvantage.”

An ad hoc ISA working group workshop has met several times including most recently in February 2020 to discuss a number of potential royalty and taxation regimes supported by modelling conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. No final recommendations were made. However, a 2% ad valorem royalty increasing to 6% after a period of five years of production was discussed as well as a 1% ad valorem environmental levy. Additional discussions have considered capping any proposed environmental levy once an agreed total value has been reached and might no longer be collected once sufficient funds are in trust. We cannot assure you that any such royalties or levies will not be greater than those discussed and could be significantly greater.

Environmental Regulation

The ISA is mandated through UNCLOS to “preserve and protect the marine environment” while developing the resources within CCZ. Given that the NORI Contract Area is in the Area, the ISA is responsible for assessing any environmental and social impact assessment (“ESIA”) prepared by NORI and for granting the relevant permits. NORI is currently one of 17 contractors with a license to explore for polymetallic nodules in the CCZ (refer ISBA/23/C/7, 5 June 2017). Historically, a significant amount of technical work has been undertaken within the CCZ by such contractors and a significant body of information has been acquired during the past 40 years on the likely environmental impacts of collecting nodules from the sea floor. To date, no licenses for the commercial collection of polymetallic nodules within the CCZ have been granted by the ISA.

Between 1998 and 2019, the ISA held workshops and developed a number of documents to provide guidance to contractors with respect to its expectations for responsible environmental management during the exploration and collection phases of mineral development. Regulations for exploration have been established, and environmental standards and guidelines (together with environmental provisions in the Draft Regulations for Exploitation) to apply to operations are currently under development. The ISA held a workshop “towards an ISA environmental management strategy for the Area” in March 2017 in Berlin, Germany. The results of the workshop were published as ISA technical Study 17 (ISA 2017). The ISA has developed various Standards and Guidelines which are expected to be finalized and adopted by the Council when completed by the Legal and Technical Commission, and are expected to include standards concerning an environmental management and monitoring program that will be required by each contractor.

The ISA has issued Regulations on Prospecting and Exploration for Polymetallic Nodules (adopted on July 13, 2000, updated on July 25, 2013). The regulations were complemented by the LTC’s recommendations for the guidance of contractors on assessing the environmental impacts of exploration. The draft exploitation regulations on deep-seabed collection were discussed at the 25th Session of the ISA in early 2020 in Kingston, Jamaica. The ISA is developing various Standards and Guidelines which are expected to be finalized by the Legal and Technical Commission and adopted by the Council, and are expected to include standards concerning the submission requirements for an ESIA that will be required by each contractor.

Although the environmental impact review process has not yet been finalized, all contractors have been made aware that the ISA requires the completion of baseline studies and EIA, culminating in an environmental impact statement (“EIS”), prior to collection. Guidance for contractors in terms of what will be expected in the EIS has been provided in ISA Technical Study No. 10 (ISA 2012a). The EIS, along with an EMMP, will be required as part of the application for an ISA Exploitation Contract for operations in the contract Area. Environmental impacts of exploration and potential collection activities have been studied, and NORI is working with several of the deep-sea research institutions that are contributing to our environmental and social impact assessment program, consisting of over 100 discrete studies.

NORI’s off-shore exploration campaigns have included sampling to support environmental studies, collection of high-resolution imagery, full column physical and chemical oceanographic data and environmental baseline studies. A number of future campaigns are planned to collect data on ocean currents and water quality to assist plume modelling, environmental baseline studies, box core and multicorer sampling focused on benthic ecology and sediment characteristics. NORI intends to manage the project under the governance of an EMS, which is to be developed in accordance with the international EMS standard, ISO 14001:2004. The EMS will provide the overall framework for the environmental management and monitoring plans that will be required.

NORI’s EMMP will specify the objectives and purpose of all monitoring requirements, the components to be monitored, frequency of monitoring, methods of monitoring, analysis required in each monitoring component, monitoring data management and reporting. The EMMP will be submitted to the ISA as part of the ISA Exploitation Contract application.

Through a consultation process initiated by the ISA in 2013 and the feedback that was obtained from multiple stakeholder groups, the environmental permitting process is expected to involve a series of checks and balances with reviews being conducted by the ISA and LTC. The recommendations of these groups will then go before the ISA Council, which will then review and, if it deems appropriate, approve the exploitation application.

The sponsoring State has a responsibility to put in place legislation to ensure the entity it has sponsored complies with UNCLOS and ISA rules and regulations. Nauru implemented the Nauru International Seabed Minerals Act in 2015.

As of the date of this prospectus, we believe, based on NORI’s assessment that it is in compliance with existing exploration permits and contracts. NORI is in the middle stages of the exploitation permitting process. In addition to working on key engineering aspects of the project such as designing the nodule collector and the dewatering facility, NORI is also continuing the following tasks:

•        delineating nodule mineralization;

•        characterizing the nature of the seabed, water column and biology;

•        conducting environmental baseline studies and impact assessments;

•        characterizing the nature of any materials returned to the environment;

•        developing oceanographic and physical information to inform models (e.g., sediment plume models); and

•        developing other plans, including the EMMP and the various subordinate plans.

The potential future on-shore environmental impacts have not yet been assessed because the processing plant that we expect to create or to partner with through a tolling or other arrangement has not been determined or otherwise has not been designed in detail, and the location and host country (and hence regulatory regime) has not been confirmed. The planned metallurgical process is not expected to generate solid waste products, and the deleterious elements (for example, cadmium and arsenic) content of the nodules is understood to be very low, indicating that with careful management, the environmental impacts of the processing operation could potentially be low.

Intellectual Property

Our success depends in part upon its ability to obtain and maintain patent protection of its core technology and intellectual property, as well as that of its strategic partners, and particularly that it maintains its freedom to operate not being restricted by patents lodged by others. We maintain a portfolio of issued patents and pending patent applications, which relate to offshore collection systems and to the processing of polymetallic nodules for recovering metals. As we rely on a number of patents to establish and protect its intellectual property, it has obtained and filed patent applications in countries throughout North America, Europe and Asia.

We cannot conclusively state that any pending applications, existing patents or future patents will be definitively useful in protecting or promoting our business and growth plans. In addition, we cannot guarantee that it will be able to obtain trademark protection of the name, “The Metals Company.” Please see the section entitled “Risk Factors” for additional information on the risks associated with our intellectual property strategy and portfolio.

Corporate Information

Founded in 2021, TMC is a corporation existing under the laws of British Columbia, Canada. TMC’s registered office is currently located at 595 Howe Street, 10th Floor, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6C 2T5, and its telephone number is: (574) 252-9333. The following chart illustrates our simplified corporate structure as of the date of this prospectus.1

Legal Proceedings

From time to time, we may become involved in legal proceedings or be subject to claims arising in the ordinary course of its business. There is no material litigation, arbitration or governmental proceeding or any other legal proceeding currently pending or to our knowledge, threatened against us or any members of our management team in their capacity as such.

Employees

We have approximately twenty-eight (28) employees and contractors. As of April 1, 2021, five of our staff were located in the United States, four were located in Canada, eight were located in Australia, one was located in each of Nauru and Tonga, and the rest were located in Europe and the UAE. None of our staff are represented by a labor union or subject to a collective bargaining agreement.

Properties

NORI Contract Area

The information that follows relating to the NORI Contract Area of the CCZ is derived, for the most part, from, and in some instances is an extract from, the NORI Technical Report Summary prepared in compliance with the SEC Mining Rules. Portions of the following information are based on assumptions, qualifications and procedures which are not fully described herein. Reference should be made to the full text of the NORI Technical Report Summary, which has been filed as Exhibit 96.1 to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. The NORI Technical Report Summary is incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof.

Location of the NORI Area and access

The NORI Contract Area is located within the CCZ of the northeast Pacific Ocean. The CCZ is located in international waters between Hawaii and Mexico. The western end of the CCZ is approximately 1,000 km south of the Hawaiian island group. From here, the CCZ extends almost 5,000 km east-northeast, in an approximately 600 km wide trend, with the eastern limits approximately 2,000 km west of southern Mexico. The region is well-located to ship nodules to the American continent or across the Pacific to Asian markets. The NORI Contract Area comprises four separate blocks (A, B, C and D) in the CCZ with a combined area of 74,830 km2.

NORI Contract Area extents

____________

DD — Decimal degrees, UTM — Universal Transverse Mercator map projection

As the CCZ deposit does not include any habitable land and is not near coastal waters, there is no requirement to negotiate access rights from landowners for seafloor collection operations. All personnel and material will be transported to the project area by ship.

See Section 3 of the NORI Technical Report Summary for further specific information of the location of the NORI Contract Area.

Tenements and permits

In July 2011, NORI was granted the NORI Exploration Contract. The NORI Exploration Contract, which was granted pursuant to the ISA’s Regulations on Prospecting and Exploration for Polymetallic Nodules in the international seabed area (the “Regulations”), formalized a 74,830 km2 exploration area, has an initial term of 15 years (subject to renewal for successive five-year periods), and provided for certain obligations with respect to exploration, training, and other programs of activities for the initial period of five-year period. The NORI Exploration Contract also formalized the rights of NORI around future rights. Pursuant to the Regulations, NORI has the priority right to apply for an ISA Exploitation Contract to collect polymetallic nodules in the same area (Regulation 24(2)). To date, no exploitation licenses for extracting minerals from the seafloor within the Area have been granted. The ISA is currently working on the development of a legal framework to regulate the exploitation of polymetallic nodules in the Area, as described below. ISA participants set an intention of July 2020 to have the regulations finalized; however, the July 2020 session was deferred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Section 1, paragraph 15 of the 1994 Agreement relating to the Implementation of Part XI of the UNCLOS allows a member state whose national intends to apply for approval of a plan of work for exploitation to notify the ISA of such intention. This notice obliges the ISA to complete the adoption of exploitation regulations within two years of the request made by the member state.

On June 25, 2021, the Republic of Nauru submitted its notice to the ISA requesting that it complete, by July 9, 2023, the adoption of regulations necessary to facilitate the approval of plans of work for the commercial exploitation of polymetallic nodules. The notice submitted by the Republic of Nauru to the ISA has increased the likelihood that regulations will be adopted that will govern and enable commercial scale polymetallic nodule collection. If the ISA has not completed the adoption of such regulations within the prescribed time and an application for approval of a plan of work for exploitation is pending before the ISA, the ISA shall nonetheless consider and provisionally approve such plan of work based on: (i) the provisions of the UNCLOS; (ii) any rules, regulations and procedures that the ISA may have adopted provisionally at the time, (iii) the basis of the norms contained in the UNCLOS and (iv) the principle of non-discrimination among contractors.

For more information about UNCLOS, the ISA and the NORI Exploration Contract, see “Business of TMC — Government Regulation — The NORI Exploration Contract.”

NORI obligations and sponsorship

During exploration, NORI, is required under the NORI Sponsorship Agreement to, among other things:

•        submit an annual report to the ISA;

•        meet certain performance and expenditure commitments;

•        pay an annual overhead charge (currently $60,000) to cover the costs incurred by the ISA in administering and supervising the contract;

•        implement training programs for personnel of the ISA and developing countries in accordance with a training program proposed by NORI in its license application and five-year work plans;

•        take measures to prevent, reduce, and control pollution and other hazards to the marine environment arising from its activities in the Area;

•        maintain appropriate insurance policies;

•        establish environmental baselines against which to assess the likely effects of its program of activities on the marine environment; and

•        establish and implement a program to monitor and report on such effects.

NORI is sponsored to carry out its mineral exploration activities in the Area by Nauru, pursuant to a certificate of sponsorship signed by the Government of Nauru on April 11, 2011. Sponsorship of an entity requires the sponsoring State to certify that it assumes responsibility for the entity’s activities in the Area in accordance with UNCLOS. NORI is a Nauruan incorporated entity and is subject to applicable Nauruan legislation and regulations.

In 2015, Nauru enacted the International Seabed Minerals Act, which establishes the Nauru Seabed Minerals Authority to administer Nauru’s sponsorship of activities carried out in the Area by companies sponsored by Nauru.

In June 2017, Nauru and NORI entered into the NORI Sponsorship Agreement formalizing certain obligations of the parties in relation to NORI’s exploration and potential exploitation of the NORI Contract Area of the CCZ.

In 2016, NORI submitted to the ISA proposed activities for the second five-year period of its exploration contract. NORI indicated that work would focus on:

•        reducing project uncertainties and technical risks;

•        optimizing the on-shore processing and off-shore production systems (including increasing performance and reliability); and

•        improving project economics, including decreasing estimated capital and operating expenditure as well as increasing projected revenues.

Royalties and taxes

Royalties and taxes payable on any future production from the NORI Area will be stipulated in the ISA’s exploitation regulations. While the rates of payments are yet to be set by the ISA, the 1994 Implementation Agreement. Section 8(1)(b) prescribes that the rates of payments “shall be within the range of those prevailing in respect of land-based mining of the same or similar minerals in order to avoid giving deep seabed miners an artificial competitive advantage or imposing on them a competitive disadvantage.”

An ad hoc ISA working group workshop has met several times including most recently in February 2020 to discuss a number of potential royalty and taxation regimes supported by modelling conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. No final recommendations were made. However, a 2% ad valorem royalty increasing to 6% after a period of five years of production was discussed as well as a 1% ad valorem environmental levy. These amounts were used for the economic analysis included in the initial assessment included in the NORI Technical Report Summary.

Under the NORI Sponsorship Agreement between Nauru and NORI, upon reaching a minimum recovery level within the tenement area, NORI has agreed to pay Nauru a seabed mineral recovery payment for polymetallic nodules recovered from the tenement area, annually adjusted (from year 5 of production) on a compounding basis based on the official inflation rate in the United States.

History of previous exploration activities in the NORI Contract Area

Prior to the implementation of UNCLOS, many offshore exploration campaigns were completed by international organizations and consortia. A number of at-sea trial collection operations were successfully carried out in the CCZ in the 1970s to test potential collection concepts. These system tests evaluated the performance of a self-propelled and several towed collection devices, along with submersible pumps and airlift technology for lifting the nodules from the deep ocean floor to the support vessel. Certain pioneer investors include those entities that carried out substantial exploration in the Area prior to the entry into force of UNCLOS, as well as those entities that inherited such exploration data.

NORI Area D was originally explored by Arbeitsgemeinschaft Meerestechnisch Rohstoffe (“AMR”). AMR subsequently joined Ocean Management Inc. (“OMI”). The OMI consortium comprised Inco Ltd (Canada), AMR (Federal Republic of Germany), SEDCO Inc. (US), and Deep Ocean Mining Co. Ltd (Japan). OMI completed a successful trial collection operation in 1978. Hydraulic pumps, an air lift system, and towed collectors were tested in approximately 4,500 m of water. Approximately 800 tonnes of nodules were recovered.

Kennecott consortium (now a division of Rio Tinto) first became seriously interested in seafloor polymetallic nodules in 1962 (Agarwal et al. 1979). In the 1970s, Kennecott developed and tested components and subsystems of a seafloor collection system, and also carried out significant polymetallic nodule metallurgical processing test work.

Using a different system to OMI, Ocean Mining Associates recovered approximately 500 tonnes of nodules during its trial collection in the 1970s.

Between 1969 and 1974, Deepsea Ventures Inc. carried out 16 survey cruises of three to four weeks’ duration each, to define the extent of the polymetallic nodule deposit discovered by them in 1969 in the CCZ. As reported by Deepsea Ventures Inc:

“These activities included the taking of some 294 discrete samples, including the bulk dredging of some 164 tons of manganese nodules from some 263 dredge stations, 28 core stations and three grab sample stations, cutting of some 28 cores, approximately 1000 lineal miles of survey of seafloor recorded by television and still photography, etc. As a result, the deposit of nodules identified with the discovery has been proved to extend generally throughout the entire area (American Society of International Law, 1975).”

Also active in the CCZ was the Ocean Minerals Company (“OMCO”), comprising Amoco Minerals Co. (United States), Lockheed Missiles and Space Company Inc. (United States), Billiton International Metals BV, and dredging company Bos Kalis Westminster (Netherlands). In a program lasting 16 years, OMCO collected thousands of free-fall grab and box core samples of nodules from its claim area and carried out trial collection operations. Lockheed’s design efforts resulted in over 80 patents, a seafloor production system that consisted of a remote-controlled collector and crusher, a seafloor to surface slurry riser system, the first industrial-scale dynamic positioning system for a vessel, and a metallurgical processing plant.

Upon making an application, the pioneer investors were required to submit sufficient data and information to enable designation of a reserved area based on the estimated commercial value. These sample data provide the basis of a database held by the ISA and were used initially to define the areas of the NORI application.

See Section 5 of the NORI Technical Report Summary for further specific information of the history of previous exploration of the NORI Contract Area.

Geology and sampling

Seafloor polymetallic nodules occur in all oceans but the CCZ hosts a relatively high abundance of high Ni and Cu grade nodules. The CCZ seafloor forms part of the Abyssal Plains, which are the largest physiographic province on Earth.

The average depth of the seafloor in the Project Area is 3,800 to 4,200 m. Overall, the seafloor slopes at approximately 0.57˚ (1 m per km) but the Abyssal Plains are traversed by ridges, with amplitude of 50 to 300 m (maximum 1,000 m) and wavelength of 1 to 10 km. The Abyssal Plains are punctuated by extinct volcanoes rising 500 to 2,000 m above the seafloor.

Seafloor polymetallic nodules rest on the seafloor at the seawater — sediment interface. Such nodules are composed of nuclei and concentric layers of manganese and iron hydroxides and are formed by precipitation of metals from the surrounding seawater and sediment pore waters. Nickel, cobalt and copper are also precipitated and occur within the structure of the manganese and iron minerals.

Nodules are abundant in abyssal areas with oxygenated bottom waters and low sedimentation rates (less than 10 cm per thousand years). Nodules generally range from about 1 to 12 cm in their longest dimension. Nodules of 1 to 5 cm are typically the most common in NORI Area D, where they have been classified as Type 1 nodules.

The specific conditions of the CCZ (water depth, latitude, and seafloor sediment type) are considered to be the key controls for the formation of polymetallic nodules.

Information on the mineralization within NORI Area D comprises a combination of sampling undertaken by NORI as well as free-fall grab sampler (“FFG”) and box core sampler (“BC”) data supplied by the ISA at the time of the NORI application and also supplied by the ISA to NORI in 2012. Additional regional data, assembled by the ISA

as part of its Geological Model Project during 2008 to 2010 (“ISA 2010”), are available. The data provide significant coverage over NORI Area D and indicate a high abundance of nodules in this region, as has been confirmed by NORI’s exploration.

During the 2018 NORI campaign, 91% of nodules sampled were situated at surface. These include nodules on the surface and nodules with their top surfaces in the upper 1 cm of sediment. A few nodules were found at depth; most of these were usually clustered around the edges of the box core and are considered to have been pushed below surface by the box coring process. Significant nodule abundance below surface was only recorded in one out of 45 samples. The nodules vary in abundance, in some cases touching one another and covering more than 70% of the seafloor. They can occur at any depth, but the highest concentrations have been found on abyssal plains between 4,000 and 6,000 mbsl. Data analysis in Section 9 of the NORI Technical Report Summary shows that nodule abundance variability is significantly higher than metal grades, suggesting that abundance estimation will be the key variable in mineral resource estimation.

NORI completed offshore exploration campaigns in 2012, 2013, 2018, 2019 and 2020. During these campaigns a variety of data was collected including:

•        bathymetric mapping of the whole of NORI Area D using a hull-mounted Kongsberg Simrad EM120 12 kHz, full-ocean depth multibeam echo-sounding system (MBES). This system also provided backscatter data with which seafloor characteristics could be interpreted;

•        detailed seafloor survey work with an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), utilizing an MBES, Side Scan Sonar (SSS), Sub-Bottom Profiler (SBP), and camera payload; and

•        a total of 252 box core samples collected using a 0.75 m2 box corer, mainly on a 10 km by 10 km square grid.

The nodules in the box cores were collected, and their characteristics measured and recorded in detail. Samples of nodules were collected in duplicate and assayed at two reputable, well-qualified laboratories: ALS and Bureau Veritas. Certified reference material, and blank samples were inserted to provide additional levels of quality control. No significant issues were identified with the assay results.

The backscatter data and the sidescan sonar and seafloor photography indicate strong continuity of nodule abundance across NORI Area D. There is a clear relationship between nodule long axis length and nodule weight and therefore it is possible to estimate nodule abundance from photographs. Several estimation techniques were tested, and methodologies were developed that are suitable for closely-packed (Type 1) and less closely-packed (Type 2 and 3) nodules.

For more information about the NORI exploration campaigns in 2012, 2013, 2018, 2019 and 2020, see Section 7 of the NORI Technical Report Summary.

Mineral resource estimate

The mineral resource was classified on the basis of the quality and uncertainty of the sample data and sample spacing, in accordance with the definitions of “inferred mineral resource,” “indicated mineral resource” and “measured mineral resource” under the SEC Mining Rules.

Mineral resources were estimated using a two-dimensional block model. Estimates of nodule abundance and nickel, manganese, cobalt, and copper grades were performed using kriging. A variety of methods was used to validate the estimates, including conditional simulation. The estimates of nodule abundance were used to calculate the tonnage of the mineral resources.

The bathymetric mapping enabled the interpretation of parts of seafloor that are possibly too steep for recovery of nodules using the systems considered by the NORI Technical Report Summary. Seafloor areas with slopes steeper than 6° were excised from the 2020 mineral resource estimate.

The measured mineral resource was assigned to the area within NORI Area D where box-core sampling was conducted on a nominal 7 km by 7 km spacing and infilled with estimates of nodule abundance from seafloor photography to a spacing of 3.5 km by 3.5 km.

The indicated mineral resource was assigned to the area within NORI Area D where box-core sampling was conducted on a nominal spacing of 7 km by 7 km or 10 km by 10 km but without additional photo-estimates of nodule abundance.

The inferred mineral resource was assigned to the areas of abyssal plain in the southeast corner of NORI Area D that are largely unsampled. The volcanic high in the southeast corner was excluded from the mineral resource estimate due to the high level of uncertainty about nodule abundance and grades in this domain.

The mineral resource estimate for NORI Area D, with an effective date of December 31, 2020, and at a 4 kg/m2 abundance cut-off is set forth below. This cut-off is derived from the estimates of costs and revenues presented in the NORI Technical Report Summary, generalized as follows: 1.7 Mt minimum annual tonnage mined; $0.25 Million/km2 for offshore operating costs; 1,036 km2 collected area processed; $95/dry tonne for transport costs; $119/dry tonne for processing costs; $15/dry tonne for corporate, general and administrative costs; $33/dry tonne for ISA and state royalties; 95% recovery of nickel at an assumed price of nickel metal $16,472/t; 86% recovery of copper at an assumed price of $6,872/t copper metal; 77% recovery of cobalt at an assumed price of $46,333/t cobalt metal; and 99% recovery of manganese at an assumed price of $4.50/dmtu manganese in manganese silicate. The method of calculation for the cut-off determines the minimum average nodule abundance needed during steady state operations such that the revenue minus costs (excluding capital) is greater than zero. Revenue includes metal pricing and metallurgical processing recoveries, and the costs include the collection, transport, processing, corporate costs and royalties.

NORI December 31, 2020 In-Situ Mineral Resource estimate for NORI Area D at 4 kg/m2 abundance cut-off