Released Geological and Geophysical Data

The Marine Minerals Administration permits and regulates all geological and geophysical exploration for oil, gas, and mineral resources on America’s Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). This exploration is primarily carried out by private companies operating under MMA permits.

Geologic and geophysical data collected by private companies are generally confidential; however, companies are required to share these data with the MMA. The MMA keeps selected data confidential for a set proprietary term—currently 25 years. After this period expires, MMA is authorized to release certain geophysical data and information to the public. The released data listed below are now in the public domain and have no restrictions on usage or publication.

MMA releases seismic reflection data (both 2D, 3D, and TIFF images) suitable for deep geologic investigations to the National Archive of Marine Seismic Surveys (NAMSS). NAMSS is a collaborative initiative between MMA and the U.S. Geological Survey. It offers a public platform for accessing seismic data collected by or contributed to U.S. Department of the Interior agencies.

High resolution seismic data (such as Multi-beam Echosounder, Side-Scan Sonar, and Sub-bottom Profiler), along with geologic data, are released by MMA to NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). Some 2D seismic reflection data is still hosted at NCEI as it was released prior to the NAMSS partnership.

MMA plans additional legacy data releases on a rolling basis. The table below reflects data released by the Alaska Region. For questions about data releases, or to report missing or broken links, please contact the Alaska Regional Office at AKOCS.GGPermits@boem.gov.