Great Western Mining, long associated with copper and gold assets in Nevada, has shifted its strategic centre of gravity. What began as an exploration footnote is fast becoming one of its most promising vectors: tungsten. In mid-2025, the company released a set of tungsten assays from its Pine Crow and Defender properties that not only surpassed expectations but redefined them. Historical grades in the region rarely edged beyond 0.3 per cent WO₃; the latest grab samples delivered as much as 1.75%, more than five times the previous highs.
Beyond the grade uplift, the company expanded its claim area to cover a 1.2 kilometre stretch that may unify the two previously distinct sites into a single, potentially continuous mineralised zone. For a metal as strategically sensitive as tungsten, this scale and coherence are not merely geological curiosities, they are commercial catalysts.
Field identification of scheelite-rich skarn structures using ultraviolet fluorescence confirmed visible mineralisation, offering visual support for the assays. The next stage is more methodical and far-reaching: a programme of trenching, soil sampling, gravity surveys, and the first round of drilling, all designed to test both grade continuity and structural controls. This multi-stage campaign is being led by an experienced technical advisor, and its outputs will go far in determining whether Great Western can transition from explorer to defined-resource holder in the tungsten space.
Crucially, this activity coincides with a broader global narrative: rising tungsten prices, fuelled by constrained Chinese exports and intensifying Western demand. Prices for ammonium paratungstate, a key benchmark, recently touched 12-year highs, with market dynamics now underpinned not only by industrial demand but by state-level policy. In both the US and Europe, tungsten has been designated a critical mineral, with defence departments, carmakers, and chip foundries all watching supply chains with increasing concern.
Great Western’s timing, therefore, is far from incidental. With most Western tungsten players already in advanced development or production, early-stage assets in safe jurisdictions are becoming harder to find. Nevada, with its mining-friendly regulation and strong infrastructure, offers a premium location, particularly when matched to a commodity with national-security dimensions.
In terms of capital, Great Western has backed this exploration shift with £1.25 million in new funding. While the company maintains a broader focus, pursuing copper porphyry targets at Huntoon and refining gold holdings, the decision to allocate capital and personnel towards its tungsten portfolio signals clear intent. For investors, this pivot enhances portfolio optionality: it offers exposure to a critical mineral with high price support, alongside longer-term value in precious and base metals.
The coming months will be pivotal. Should drilling validate the grade and continuity suggested by initial sampling, the Pine Crow–Defender corridor could evolve into a strategic asset, particularly if policy-backed offtake or partnership discussions follow. While still at the exploration stage, the project is moving with speed, purpose, and increasingly favourable conditions.
Great Western Mining Corporation Plc (LON:GWMO) is a mineral exploration and development company, incorporated in Ireland with operations in the USA.
