Major Critical Minerals Deposit Found in Nevada

A critical minerals company has reported a record reserve of tungsten in Nevada (Interesting Engineering). Tungsten has numerous uses in aerospace and defense manufacturing, but the U.S. largely relies on foreign sources for its supply.

The details: According to 3 Proton Lithium, its Railroad Valley Minerals project could contain about 1.78 million tons of tungsten, alongside substantial amounts of lithium, potash and boron.

• The deposit is five times larger than the current biggest tungsten deposit in the U.S., according to the company.
• “Its in-situ value is estimated at about USD 152 billion based on current market prices,” Reuters notes.

A wrinkle: About 17 square miles of the project can’t be explored due to a NASA land withdrawal; the agency says that mining might interfere with its satellite calibration project in the area.

Other minerals: The company’s report also says that the area contains 31 million tons of “measured lithium carbonate equivalent,” as well as 533 million tons of measured potash and 87 million tons of measured borate minerals.

Critical mineral needs: The NAM has been urging policymakers to invest in building up and securing America’s critical minerals supply chains, both through domestic exploration and international partnerships.

• The U.S. depends heavily on adversarial foreign sources for many minerals, including tungsten, making diversification of sources a critical priority.
• The NAM’s recently released critical minerals policy agenda contains a comprehensive list of policy solutions, on everything from streamlining permitting for new mining and processing projects, to expanding federal tax credits, to engaging in joint financing and project development with reliable partner nations.

The NAM says: “Developing new sources of critical minerals is essential for manufacturing and the production of cutting-edge defense and aerospace capabilities in the U.S.,” said NAM Senior Director of Energy and Resources Policy Michael Davin.

• “The U.S. is blessed with abundant natural resources, and we must use them sustainably for the benefit of all Americans.”