Advancing National Offshore Sand Inventory (NOSI) - National Planning and Program Implementation

The Advancing National Offshore Sand Inventory National Planning and Program Implementation project, managed by the Department of the Interior, is a national initiative focused on enhancing the identification and assessment of offshore sand and heavy mineral sand deposits. The first primary objective involves the creation of an atlas and the development of probabilistic resource assessment methodologies to analyze co-located Outer Continental Shelf sand and heavy mineral sand deposits. This desktop analysis aims to identify geophysical targets with restoration-quality materials, thereby reducing the need for expensive surveys and geological sampling during reconnaissance. The second component of the project focuses on collaboration with state geological surveys to improve data infrastructure and mapping. This includes efforts toward data retrieval, conditioning, and resampling, as well as the development of methodologies for mapping heavy mineral sand prospectivity across the coastal plain and adjacent shelf. Additionally, the scope encompasses the creation of integrated onshore-offshore geological maps to provide a more comprehensive understanding of national resource distribution.