Tungsten just doesn’t have the sex appeal that made investors fall for the rare earth story. But maybe that’s its trump card, considering the boom/bust cycle that swept rare earths didn’t touch tungsten’s slow, steady price increases. Analyst Mark Seddon of Tungsten Market Research has long been watching the often ignored metal, and asserts that tungsten is a harder sell, but a better buy for investors. In this The Metals Report interview, Seddon outlines tungsten’s finer points and suggests miners are poised to reap rewards.

The Metals Report: Mark, what is the supply situation with tungsten?

Mark Seddon: China accounts for approximately 80% of global tungsten supply, so it’s the clear dominant player when it comes to both tungsten and rare earth elements (REEs), both of which are on most national lists of strategic or critical materials. The Chinese government has recently taken an active role in managing supply for a broad range of strategic metals, including tungsten, through export quotas, mining quotas and licensing systems. These actions have reduced the availability of ores, concentrates and intermediate products available for export. China’s goal is to add value to their natural resources by serving its own domestic markets rather than export these materials—and refining and manufacturing jobs along with it. That dynamic applies to both tungsten and REEs.

Another similarity is the fairly significant price rises in both markets. But while REE price hikes have been labeled a bubble, that’s not the case with tungsten, simply because there has not been a lot of interest from the investment community. It is possible that a bubble in tungsten will happen in the future as investors see prices for products rising and that feeds a self-reinforcing investment case and increases investor interest. But we are not anywhere near that now.

There are notable differences between the two markets as well. One of the big differences between tungsten and REEs is their applications. Tungsten is a very industrial metal. It’s mainly used as a carbide or “hard metal” in drilling and cutting tools used in heavy industry. Tungsten is not sexy in that sense. It’s a very solid industrial market. This contrasts with REEs, which are used in a lot of newer, high-tech applications that are much easier for the investment community to make into an exciting story.

TMR: So, the tungsten narrative is a little more staid.

MS: Absolutely. Here in the U.K., the national press was running articles about REE production in China and how the Chinese might cut off supplies. The result would be no more wind turbines. That narrative is the type that gets lots of attention. Meanwhile, tungsten is used in industrial applications that people don’t get as excited about. The image of the market is quite different. Another thing to keep in mind is that tungsten is just a single element with a few critical applications, whereas REEs include a number of different elements with many applications.

TMR: How large is the tungsten market?

MS: I evaluate it in terms of volume. The global market is approximately 80,000 tons of tungsten metal content. When looking at supply/demand statistics, it is important to make sure that you are using consistent units. For clarity, I use tungsten metal content (W) rather than WO3 or other intermediaries.

TMR: Is the tungsten market growing?

MS: The largest segment of the market is in cemented carbides or hard metals, which probably accounts for about a quarter of the market. Tungsten demand growth, over time, has consistently outperformed GDP. In the mid- to late eighties, for example, tungsten demand increased up to 8–10% a year when global GDP was growing at between 4–5%. The historical use of tungsten metal in mill products like filaments for light bulbs accounts for around 15% of the market. The demise of the incandescent light bulb is not a major problem for the tungsten market, as tungsten is still used in some of the newer light bulbs.


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Wolfram is a high value mineral from which tungsten carbide (a wear-resistant material used in metalworking, mining, petroleum, military construction, and jewelry industries) is made. Tungsten is also used in light bulb and vacuum tube filaments, as well as electrodes.

Coltan is a crucial raw material in the manufacturing of critical components of electronic equipment such as radios, television sets, computers, jet engines, missiles, ships, weapons, and cellular phones.

It may not be as well known as gold or diamonds, but experts say that without Coltan, the digital economy would grind to a complete halt. Luckily for Rwanda, Coltan is a mineral it has in plenty, and the earlier the banks recognize this significance, the better in redeeming its potential.

The high demand for Coltan by the manufacturing sector in developed and industrialized countries means that there is minimum risk to any commercial bank that choose to finance projects related to it. Also in demand is Wolfram, a mineral that, if supported, has the potential to fetch the country large sums of foreign exchange.

Between January and June 2013, the country exported about 1,000 tons of the mineral, earning $14.4 million. Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo are the major producers of Wolfram in Africa.


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The global supply of tungsten has been scarce for years, causing the European Union to categorize it as a “critical raw material.”

China currently has most tungsten reserves  in the world, but notable deposits can also be found throughout Europe. Many companies are exploring the continent in the hope of finding valuable assets to help meet worldwide demand. Tungsten is primarily used for industrial drilling and cutting tools, as well as for electronics and specialized steels.

The United Kingdom

The majority of tungsten reserves in the United Kingdom are in the southwest of England, primarily Western Devon and Cornwall. Both of these locales have long histories of mining, though operations have declined in recent years. There are currently not enough reserves in the area to be reported by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Specialty metals company Wolf Minerals (ASX:WLF) is one of the major companies operating tungsten projects in the United Kingdom. Its primary asset is the Hemerdon mine, which produces tungsten and tin. It is located near the Plymouth in Devin County in the Southwest UK.

Hemerdon has been identified as a “highly economic potential producer of low-cost tungsten,” the company’s website states. Recent research determined it has measured, indicated and inferred resources of 401.4 million tons at 0.13 percent WO3, which is tungsten trioxide.

Spain

There are currently not enough tungsten reserves in Spain to be reported by the U.S. Geological Survey, but the western side of the country is home to the most mining of the metal. Three companies engaged in exploration, development and mining of tungsten assets in Spain are Almonty Industries (TSXV:AII), Ormonde Mining (LSE:ORM) and W Resources (LSE:WRES).


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Inadequate funding is limiting the potential of the mining industry to become Rwanda's major export earner and source of much-needed foreign currency.

Over the years, there have been persistent calls for funding from commercial banks, but local lenders, who have yet to warm up to the sector that keeps growing against odds, have largely ignored these calls.

Francois Kanimba, the Minister of Trade and Industry, sounds rather perturbed that the banking sector remains reluctant to extend credit to the mining sector, despite its major potential role in creating new jobs and reducing Rwanda's dependency on traditional agricultural exports such as tea, coffee and pyrethrum.

"The mining industry is complaining that banks are reluctant when it comes to financing their activities. I want to call upon commercial banks to look into this and help this sector grow," Kanimba said.

Kanimba was reacting to the presentation of the Monetary Policy and Financial Stability Statement for the first half of 2013, presented last Tuesday by BNR Governor, John Rwangombwa.

The report indeed highlighted the growth potential of the mining sector and its benefits to the Rwandan economy.

According to figures, the cash-constrained sector exported about 4,500 tons of minerals between January and June this year, earning the country an estimated $114.8 million in foreign exchange.

This represented a 77.7% increase in value and 23.8% increase in volume compared to the same period of the previous year. Coltan and Wolfram performed particularly well, with export volumes growing by 191% and 28% respectively.


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