US Hits Jackpot with 1.78 Million Tons of Tungsten in Nevada Desert
3PL said the deposit could supply U.S. tungsten for hundreds of years and is seeking to lift a NASA land withdrawal that still limits exploration.
- On Friday, August 7, 2026, 3 Proton Lithium confirmed an inferred resource of 1.78 million tons of tungsten at its Railroad Valley Minerals Project in Nye County, Nevada, despite a long-standing National Aeronautics and Space Administration land withdrawal restricting exploration.
- Washington designated tungsten a critical mineral to reduce industrial dependence on China, with the United States government recently signaling an additional US$1.28 billion in lending support for domestic critical minerals projects.
- The updated geological assessment confirmed 31 million tons of measured lithium carbonate equivalent, 533 million tons of measured potash, and 87 million tons of measured borate within the same salt complex, with combined resources valued at approximately USD 3.5 trillion.
- 3PL seeks to reverse the 17-square-mile NASA restriction, arguing it was imposed before the site's full resource potential was understood, while the company holds a FAST-41 Transparency designation to accelerate federal permitting.
- Tungsten prices surged 622% between January 2025 and April 2026, driven by demand in defense and aerospace applications where China controls global supply. Domestic production is now critical to stabilizing markets for these strategic materials.
11 Articles
11 Articles
The US is wrestling for additional sources of critical raw materials. Now a company has found a massive deposit.
Sydney Morning Herald
Viking unearths high-grade tungsten in old US waste dumps
Viking Mines has hit high-grade tungsten trioxide up to 1.8 per cent in sampling of historical waste stockpiles at its Linka project in Nevada, USA. Tungsten is now designated a critical metal.
Why Tungsten Prices Soared 622% Since 2025
Why Tungsten Prices Soared 622% Since 2025 Key Takeaways Tungsten prices surged 622% between January 2025 and April 2026, more than three times the increase for any other mineral shown. Battery materials and magnet rare earths also posted major gains, led by cobalt, neodymium, lithium, and praseodymium. Export restrictions and concentrated supply chains contributed to sharp price increases across several critical minerals. Critical mineral pri…
US hits jackpot with 1.78 million tons of tungsten in Nevada Desert
A U.S. critical minerals company has recently confirmed the nation’s largest known tungsten resource at its Railroad Valley Minerals Project in Nye County, Nevada, despite a NASA land withdrawal restricting exploration across part of the site. In its updated resource report, 3 Proton Lithium (3PL) said that the project hosts an inferred resource of 1.78 million tons of tungsten. The company revealed that the deposit is part of a mineral system t…
A 1.78 million ton tungsten deposit has been discovered in Nevada, USA. NASA opposes mining in part of the area.
US hits jackpot after finding multi-million-ton critical mineral reserve in Nevada – by Georgina Jedikovska (Interesting Engineering – August 5, 2026)
https://interestingengineering.com/ The deposit holds 1.78 million tons of inferred tungsten. A U.S. critical minerals company has recently confirmed the nation’s largest known tungsten resource at its Railroad Valley Minerals Project in Nye County, Nevada, despite a NASA land withdrawal restricting exploration across part of the site. In its updated resource report, 3 Proton Lithium (3PL) ...
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
