Tungsten is a rather important element. Bearing Atomic Number 74, Tungsten is used in a wide range of applications including the production of LCD screens to internal parts of high-performance engines such as crankshafts. There are mines around the globe that supply the planet with its tungsten, and most of it comes from China. In fact, China produces 85 percent of the world's tungsten ore. Some of this tungsten, however, comes from sources that aren't exactly on the up and up and that's putting it mildly. It may be less than one percent of the global supply of tungsten ore, but Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (aka FARC) is mining the tungsten ore and selling it allegedly to fund guerrilla warfare.

This group wears the terrorist label. That means that any tungsten ore they sell is officially a conflict material.. and it's winding up in the global supply, which is then potentially purchased by many companies. This includes automakers like Volkswagen, BMW, and Ferrari. Of course, the automakers state that they only purchase their tungsten ore from official and legal sources. This is increasingly harder to confirm 100 percent, however, because some of the largest supplies of tungsten might wind up purchasing portions of the element from conflict mines.

All of the tungsten ore coming from Columbia doesn't necessarily come from the FARC-operated mine of Tiger Hill. Still, Colombian officials believe that a portion of the exported commodity does and they are working to stop this. It's not an easy battle as you might imagine.


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H.C. Starck, a leading worldwide manufacturer of technology metals and one of the biggest companies in the global tungsten industry, and Nui Phao Mining Company (“Nui Phao”), a subsidiary of one of Vietnam’s largest private sector business groups, Masan Group Corporation (HOSE: MSN, “Masan Group”), have announced the signing of definitive agreements to establish a joint venture for the production of value-added tungsten chemicals in Vietnam.

Nui Phao and H.C. Starck will own 51% and 49% respectively of the joint venture, which will process all of Nui Phao’s tungsten concentrate into higher value-add tungsten chemicals, including ammonium paratungstate (APT) and blue tungsten oxide (BTO). The joint venture company will have an installed capacity of 6,500 tons tungsten trioxide per annum. H.C. Starck will manage the joint venture and has committed to buy a significant share of the production for its own internal use. The company will also support marketing of the remaining product through the joint venture.

Andreas Meier, President and CEO of H.C. Starck said, “Masan has developed a world-class mining operation and the Nui Phao mine will be a stable source of material for the joint venture. For H.C. Starck this joint venture strengthens our leading position as a global tungsten producer and increases our manufacturing footprint in Asia. Based on the secured supply of tungsten concentrate and our recycling capabilities, we can provide our customers long-term supply security independent from regulatory restrictions and we expect less price volatility for tungsten.”

H.C. Starck has significant experience in the tungsten processing business, which is a niche and technologically intensive industry, and will therefore be responsible for the industrial management of the joint venture.

Dominic Heaton, CEO of Masan Resources, a subsidiary of Masan Group and the parent company of Nui Phao, commented, “H.C Starck has world-class expertise in the processing of tungsten chemicals and oxides. With H.C. Starck’s specialized know-how and technology, Masan Group is able to contribute to Vietnam’s objective of becoming more of a manufacturer of value-added products.”

Madhur Maini, CEO of Masan Group, said: “H.C Starck is the technology leader in the production of several high-technology metals. The partnership with H.C. Starck, one of the world’s largest tungsten players, will help Masan capture more of the tungsten value chain and is a testament to the quality of Nui Phao’s tungsten deposit and processing plant.”

H.C. Starck is a leading global manufacturer for technology metals. Besides being one of the largest global tungsten companies in the world, it also holds top market positions with its tantalum, molybdenum, niobium, and rhenium products. All of these metals require advanced technology and know-how to process.

Nui Phao, the tungsten concentrate supplier of the joint venture, has developed one of the largest known tungsten deposits outside of China with an expected mine life of more than 15 years. The construction of the tungsten chemical plant that will be part of the joint venture is in progress. The first stage of the tungsten chemical plant will start production next month, with further stages expected to be completed in 2014.

Tungsten is one of the hardest metals and has the highest melting point. As a strategic resource, it is used in a variety of applications requiring high strength. APT and BTO are intermediary chemicals used for the production of high speed cutting and drilling tools which are in high demand from growing industries such as mining and mechanical engineering, medical technology, and the automotive and energy industries. APT is also used for catalyst production in the chemical industry. The European Union identified tungsten as one of the critical raw materials that have high strategic value and yet for which there are only limited natural resources.

The establishment of the joint venture and closing of the definitive agreements are subject to customary corporate and regulatory approvals.


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"Big companies are struggling to maintain tungsten concentrates prices, while the downstream demand  is not too good." Hunan smelter said.

At the same time, the guidance prices of Jiangxi Ganzhou Tungsten Industry Association are still unchanged in August, 65% black tungsten concentrate 155000 yuan / ton.

The spot market price is still at a historic high of 155000-158000 yuan / ton, which is  flat with last week.

"The current tungsten market is more cautious, the transaction is not active, most market participants took a wait-and-see attitude." a Jiangxi businessmen said.
 

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China Minmetals Nonferrous Metals (CMN) raised its delivery price of tungsten concentrates in August, trying to boost confidence in the market.

The price of black tungsten concentrate contenting 65% tungsten is 160000 yuan / ton (25922 dollars / ton).

White tungsten concentrate price is 159000 yuan / ton, compared with July up 5000 yuan / ton.
 

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Some APT manufacturers pause quotations,the operating rate of ferrotungsten manufacturers operating rate is low.

The producers mentality of scrap tungsten is relatively good, the price will not be strong.The amout of high scrap is low.

The price is strong. The price of scrap tungsten is expected to be stable in short-term.
 

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Tungsten market dominated by smooth. The high price of tungsten concentrate was cutted, less than 1.9 yuan / degrees.

By double effects of short funds and the negative purchase of downstream tungsten smelting factory.

Some APT manufacturers pause quotations,the operating rate of ferrotungsten manufacturers operating rate is low.

The market turnover is in general.The offer of tungsten carbide suppliers is strong.
 

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Tungsten market is smooth as the whole. The high price of tungsten concentrate was cutted, less than 1.9 yuan / degrees.

By double effects of short funds and the negative purchase of downstream tungsten smelting factory.
 

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Bloomberg Markets is reporting that BMW, Volkswagen and Ferrari have been using tungsten ore sourced from Colombia's FARC rebel terrorists. The extensive story focuses on Colombia's illegal mining trade and calls into question the provenance of the rare ore that is used not only in crankshaft parts production, but is also found in the world's computing and telecommunications industry for use in screens.

The tungsten ore is mined by the FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People's Army), and exported to Pennsylvania, where it is refined. The tungsten ore is then sent over to Austria, where a company called Plansee turns it into a finished product. Now, it's important to note that we aren't talking about the world's supply of tungsten here. In 2012, Plansee's American refinery purchased 93.2 metric tons of tungsten, valued at $1.8 million. That's peanuts, with the entire Colombian tungsten mining industry producing just one percent of the world's supplies.

That doesn't make indirectly supporting FARC any more acceptable, though. BMW, VW and Ferrari are all committed to not accepting mineral supplies from the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is also in the grips of a guerrilla insurrection funded, in part, by illegal mining. The same commitment would figure to extend to Colombian mining, but as BMW points out, it's difficult for a multi-national manufacturer to know where every item in its supply chain comes from. A company spokesperson says as much, telling Bloomberg, "These few grams out of the billions of tons of raw materials passing through the BMW supply chain are of no practical relevance."

This response is perhaps somewhat blasé, but BMW, Ferrari and Volkswagen aren't directly negotiating with the FARC rebels, and we'd be stunned if the three manufacturers were even aware of where the tungsten was coming from. By the time it arrives in their respective factories, it's traveled from Colombia, to Pennsylvania to Austria, making for a rather difficult web of countries and networks to track. Even so, with Bloomberg drawing a spotlight on the activities, we're assuming a few phone calls are going to be made.


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Although China produces the most tungsten -- about 85 percent of global output -- authorities there impose tight controls on the metal to assure domestic manufacturers have enough. That’s forcing companies to scour the globe for mines elsewhere, the USGS says.

One company that buys and processes Colombian wolframite, or tungsten ore, supplies some of the world’s leading multinational corporations -- including the makers of BMWs, Ferraris, Porsches and Volkswagens as well as Siemens AG (SIE) and the producer of BIC pens, these companies say.

Apple Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) and Samsung Electronics Co. purchase parts from a firm that buys from the company that imports tungsten ore from Colombia, company records show.

Since 2008, there have been 40 shipments of tungsten ore from Colombia by 14 companies, according to government export documents. Although none of the records from these shipments say the tungsten ore comes from FARC-run Tiger Hill, Colombian authorities are convinced that it does.

Cesar Melendez, the Environment Ministry’s director whose jurisdiction includes much of Colombia’s Amazon region, says the shippers are hiding the tungsten ore’s true origins.


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Downstream customers inactive in purchasing tungsten carbide powder.

The demand from the downstream market keeps weak and the customers are cautious in making deals with watching attitudes.

According to market participants, the metallurgical grade tantalum oxide prices are stable tentatively, but the market sees some lower offers.

You can visit the following links for more information about tungsten carbide powder prices.

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