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Author: Admin | 2025-04-28
China’s tungsten reserves are the highest in the world, and the country is consistently the world’s top producer of the metal by a long shot. In 2016, it put out 71,000 MT of tungsten, far ahead of second-place Vietnam.Even so, the Asian nation is by no means the only place that produces and holds tungsten. Tungsten is produced throughout Europe, and many companies are now exploring the continent in hopes of unearthing more sources of the metal.In particular, companies are mining and exploring for tungsten in Spain, Portugal and the UK, all of which were top tungsten producers last year. Here’s a brief overview of the tungsten landscape in those regions, plus a look at some of the tungsten companies operating there.Tungsten mining in SpainSpain’s tungsten reserves stand at 32,000 MT, and last year it was the sixth-largest tungsten producer in the world with output of 800 MT. That’s compared to 835 MT in 2015. Most tungsten mining in Spain takes place on the western side of the country.Tungsten producers in Spain currently include Almonty Industries (TSXV:AII), which prides itself on acquiring distressed and underperforming tungsten assets and applying its know-how to make them better. Its main asset in Spain is the open-pit Los Santos tungsten mine, which opened in 2008 and was commissioned in 2010 by its former owner. Almonty also holds the Valtreixal tungsten project in Spain, which is currently in the permitting stage.W Resources (LSE:WRES), which operates the La Parrilla mine, is another company producing tungsten in Spain. Tungsten concentrate production began at La Parrilla in September 2016, and the company said at the time that output was expected to reach a run rate of 400 tonnes per year in the second quarter of 2017.Aside from Almonty and W Resources, Spain is home to a slew of companies exploring for tungsten and developing tungsten projects. Those include:Ormonde Mining (LSE:ORM) — Ormonde Mining and its partner Oaktree Capital Management are currently developing the Barruecopardo tungsten project in Spain. Ormonde says that once the project is in production, it will deliver about 12 percent of current non-Chinese tungsten concentrate supply. In 2015, Almonty attempted to acquire Ormonde.Plymouth Minerals (ASX:PLH) — Plymouth Minerals holds the Morille tin-tungsten project in Spain together with partner Aurum Mining (LSE:SWG). The company describes the project as “grossly underexplored,” and while it has done some first-pass exploration there it is currently more focused on its potash and lithium assets.Metal Tiger (LSE:MTR) — Metal Tiger and Mineral Exploration Network (Finland) together own the Logrosan tungsten project in west-central Spain. While they have completed some work there, like Plymouth they are currently focused on other non-tungsten assets.Tungsten mining in PortugalPortugal’s tungsten reserves are significantly lower than Spain’s
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