A huge discovery of at least 1.78 million tons of tungsten in Nevada promises to change the data in the global supply chain and challenge China's sovereignty.
The American company 3 Proton Lithium (3PL) announced the updated results of its research into the project Railroad Valley, confirming the existence of a giant deposit Tungsten.
This stock is more than five times greater than the second largest known tank of that metal on USA, with its total estimated value in the subsoil touching 152 billion dollars.
At the same time, large quantities were found in the same area. lithium, potash and boron, which are critical raw materials for technology and the chemical industry.
Critical material for the US in «war» with China
This development is considered to be central as the China controls today about 80% the global production of tungsten. At the same time, the USA has not produced this metal on a commercial scale since 2015, depending on almost 100% of imports.
Tungsten is one of the toughest, densest and heat resistant metals on the planet. Its importance to the defender and Aerospace industry is decisive as it is used in construction Armors, Passive ammunition, rockets, jet engines, as well as electronic devices and heavy Industrial tools.
3PL companies point out that this discovery is not just a business success in the mining sector, but a major national security issue for the United States, which is attempting to be independent of imports.
The obstacles NASA has put in the use of the deposit
Despite the great importance of the deposit, its use faces obstacles. About a third of the concession area has been blocked by Land Management Service (BLM) at its request NASA.
American space service uses its dry plains Railroad Valley for calibration of the optical instruments of its satellites, arguing that mining activities may alter soil morphology and affect its measurements.
For its part, 3PL continues the procedures for obtaining the necessary licences, while pushing for the revision of the restrictions imposed for the benefit of NASATo open the way for domestic production.
A newly identified tungsten deposit in Nevada could be the largest in the US, but a long-standing NASA land withdrawal is undergoing expansion across a large portion of the project despite growing concert over the country’s restoration on Chinese supply, the Financial Times...
— Oliver Groß (@minenergybiz) August 4, 2026
