Biggest US tungsten deposit faces roadblock over NASA satellite operations

The United States has discovered what could become its largest tungsten deposit in history, with an estimated value of around $152 billion. However, efforts to develop the resource are facing an unexpected hurdle, as restrictions imposed by NASA prevent mining on part of the site.

The discovery was made at the Railroad Valley Minerals Project in eastern Nevada, where developing firm 3 Proton Lithium estimates the deposit contains around 1.78 million tonnes of tungsten. Additional resources, including lithium, boron and potash, were also identified in underground salt formations at the site, as reported by the Financial Times.

The company’s leadership described the project as strategically significant for the US, which ended domestic tungsten production about a decade ago and has since relied heavily on imports for the critical mineral.

“Strategically, this is a very important project because the United States stopped producing tungsten about ten years ago and now depends on foreign supplies,” 3PL Chairman and Chief Financial Officer Kevin Moore said.

However, approximately 44 square kilometres of the deposit remain inaccessible due to a 20-year mining restriction introduced in 2023 by the Bureau of Land Management following a request from NASA. The space agency uses the area for satellite calibration and signal-tracking activities.

Moore said 3PL is seeking to lift the restrictions through discussions with US lawmakers and officials, including representatives in Congress and the White House. NASA, however, has maintained its opposition to opening the area for mining.

Even if the company succeeds in gaining access to the restricted land, analysts caution that bringing the project into commercial production would be a lengthy process. Eurasia Group analyst Timothy Puko estimated that development would take at least five years after regulatory approval.

The discovery comes at a time of growing global demand for tungsten, a critical metal used in industries ranging from defence and aerospace to manufacturing. Prices have surged nearly 600% since February 2025, fuelled by rising demand and export controls from China, which currently dominates the global market with around 80% of production capacity.

The Nevada project could eventually help reduce US dependence on foreign tungsten supplies, but regulatory challenges and lengthy development timelines mean the country is unlikely to see new domestic production in the immediate future.

By Nazrin Sadigova