PFS confirms Tungsten Mining's Mt Mulgine as potentially world's lowest cost operation
A prefeasibility study (PFS) for ASX-listed Tungsten Mining's Mt Mulgine project, in Western Australia, confirms the potential for the world's largest, lowest-cost tungsten development.
The company intends to move to a definitive feasibility study and final investment decision by the first quarter of 2028, with first production envisioned for the second quarter of 2029.
At a base case eight-million-tonne-a-year scenario, Mt Mulgine has a net present value (NPV) of A$6.8-billion (before tax) and internal rate of return (IRR) of 55%, should prices average $1 509/t. In a higher spot price scenario, the project's NPV increases to A$15.5-billion and the IRR widens to 113%.
The eight-million-tonnes processing scenario requires initial capital of A$870-million, while a Stage 2 expansion that ramps up to 16-million tonnes a year requires an additional A$420-million.
Under the expansion case, the project's NPV and IRR increase to A$8.1-billion and 57%, respectively, at base case prices and A$18.3-billion and 113%, respectively, at spot prices.
The PFS estimates a mine life of 21 years for Mt Mulgine, producing up to 12 000 t/y of tungsten trioxide at the world's lowest C1 cash cost of $53/t and all-in sustaining cost of $127/t.
From a market perspective, Tungsten Mining explains Chinese export restrictions, tighter quotas and dependence on imported concentrate have cut primary availability, shifting the market into a structural deficit that is expected to be sustained through 2028 and beyond. This while demand continues to grow from a current base of 154 000 t up to 215 000 t in 2035, which equates to a compounded annual growth rate of 3.4%, driven by increasing defence and manufacturing requirements.
Additionally, the ammonium paratungstate price has remained at $3 000/t following a sharp increase in 2025 and early 2026.
Article Enquiry
Email Article
Save Article
Feedback
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
Rentech provides renewable energy products and services to the local and selected African markets. Supplying inverters, lithium and lead-acid...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Roytec Global is an international company specializing in liquid / solid and mineral separation technologies for the Mining and Industrial sectors.
VISIT SHOWROOM
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
