Largest US tungsten discovery hits NASA roadblock

A newly identified tungsten deposit in Nevada could become the largest in the US, but a long-standing NASA land withdrawal is preventing exploration across a large portion of the project despite growing concern over the country’s reliance on Chinese supply, the Financial Times reported.Critical minerals developer 3 Proton Lithium (3PL) says its Railroad Valley Minerals Project hosts an inferred tungsten resource of 1.78 million tonnes, more than five times larger than the next biggest known US deposit if it proves commercially viable. The company estimates the in-situ value at about $152 billion based on current prices, although the blocked area has not yet been included in the resource estimate.“This is not a mining story. It is a national security story,” 3PL chair and chief financial officer Kevin Moore told FT, arguing the US abandoned domestic tungsten mining about a decade ago and now relies on imports while China dominates global supply.NASA opposes mining on about one-third of the company’s claims. The agency uses the flat Nevada desert to calibrate satellite instruments and says mining would interfere with a unique site used to receive and verify satellite signals. The Bureau of Land Management withdrew roughly 17 square miles from mining and exploration in 2023 at NASA’s request.Strategic raceThe discovery comes as tungsten prices have surged nearly 600% since early 2025 on rising demand from the aerospace, defence and industrial sectors and tighter supply following Chinese export controls. China controls about 80% of global tungsten production.The Trump administration has identified critical minerals as a strategic priority and placed Railroad Valley into the FAST-41 federal permitting programme to help accelerate project approvals. Separately, Washington is considering up to $1.6 billion in support for a proposed tungsten mine in Kazakhstan as it seeks to diversify supply.Moore said 3PL is lobbying the Trump administration and Congress to reverse the federal land withdrawal, arguing the restriction was imposed without complete geological information. NASA said its position remains unchanged.Analysts cautioned the discovery’s strategic significance does not guarantee rapid development. Strong tungsten prices are attracting junior miners worldwide but estimated production remains at least five years away, according to market experts, even if permitting and land access issues are resolved.Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Mining.com Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Mining.com