American Ocean and Odyssey Marine merge to form $1 billion critical minerals platform

April 8 (Reuters) - American Ocean Minerals will merge with Odyssey Marine Exploration OMEX.O in an all-stock deal valuing the combined company at about $1 billion, the firms said on Wednesday, as they seek to create a U.S.-controlled deep-sea critical minerals platform.

Shares of Odyssey Marine were up 153% to $2.11 in premarket trade.

Following the deal's close, the combined company will operate as American Ocean Minerals Corporation and is expected to trade on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "AOMC".