China's stranglehold on tungsten

Marketwatch ^ | Nov 10, 2006 7:49 AM ET | Myra P. Saefong, MarketWatch

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Used in everything from light bulbs to bullets, tungsten is a metal that's all but monopolized by China, which produces about 85% of the world's supply -- leaving the U.S. at a handicap.

Tungsten is actually "one of those seldom considered metals that contribute broadly to modern life," said Eric Coffin, editor of the HRA Journal and other publications focused on metals exploration, development and production stocks.

And the "the need for new tungsten supplies has created a business opportunity for new suppliers," said Lawrence Roulston, editor of the investment newsletter Resource Opportunities.

Unfortunately, the U.S. does not mine tungsten, though it does have a few "large plants that take tungsten concentrate and produce intermediate products and finished products from it," said Coffin. Some companies like lighting manufacturer OSRAM Sylvania have "long-term supply contracts that ensure at least some of the concentrate will keep showing up," but "this doesn't guarantee supply per se."

Tungsten's used in light filaments and in the military to make armor-piercing bullets, but the biggest use is as cemented carbides, or "hardmetals," in industrial applications such as tools and dies.

The metal's extremely-high melting point also means that it's useful for things like drill bits, where hardness and ability to withstand high heat and friction are a must, said Coffin. That's particularly important given the growth in drilling in the oil and mining industries.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Tungsten's increasing uses and growing economic demand for the metal has helped prices climb more than 300% in almost 10 years to average $254.50 per metric ton unit of ammonium paratungstate, as of Nov. 8, according to Maria Smirnova, a research associate at Sprott Asset Management Inc. Ammonium paratungstate, or APT, is a product of tungsten concentrates, according to the International Tungsten Industry Association. See the Web site.

Prices are up around 180% in just the last two years, said Smirnova, emphasizing that prices didn't really begin to rise until about 2005. See Metal Bulletin for subscription-based pricing.

And China "has by far the largest resources base" in the world for tungsten, said Coffin. It's been the dominant supplier for decades and that's unlikely to change.

[Anti-Bubba182]

Tungsten bullets, when we also use Depleted Uranium munitions
is a joke. War is not a tree hugging operations.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Light bulb recycling?

[lesser_satan]

It's absoluty critical in precision manufacturing as well.

[TexasRepublic]

This country's dependence upon any strategic material that can't be produced here is a recipe for military and economic disaster. Imagine the day when China suddenly withholds everything we imported from them; someday when it suits them, they will do it.

[beaver_tail]

tungsten is hardly a 'strategic material' and it is abundant
in North Amrican mines. It's not economically viable for
the ones here to mine tungsten.

[Quix]

YUP

IN A FLASH.

[SpaceBar]

Here is an eye opening article from 2002. Read carefully and note the names named.

[TChris]

Another item to add to your list of reasons to despise environmentalists. (With the DDT ban at the top of the list...) They are successfully--in their eyes--making mining in the USA financially inviable.

I happen to work at a mine. The micro-management and red tape from the govt. is very, very real for us every single day here. It costs real money. It has real consequences.

Some examples:

• A single, used aerosol can was discovered in our EPA-monitored landfill. It hadn't been properly punctured and drained. Consequence: $25,000 fine.
• We have a building, a hydraulic machine and a significant chunk of a $60,000/yr employee's time devoted to puncturing and crushing aerosol cans and oil filters to comply with EPA regulations.
• We have three permanent employees, roughly $50,000/year each and three rooms full of expensive computerized monitoring equipment simply to comply with EPA monitoring requirements.
• We have a large and growing stack of dead inkjet printers in a corner of our parking lot. Reason? The cartridges and heads may still have liquid ink in them. Therefore, we are not permitted to put them in the landfill.

This guy woke up and finally got it. I wish more would.

[arthurus]

Didn't we start making bullets out of tungsten to avoid lead poisoning? I think that was one of Clinton's bright ideas.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks for the link!

[TChris]

Didn't we start making bullets out of tungsten to avoid lead poisoning? I think that was one of Clinton's bright ideas.

Clinton fully understands the law of supply and demand. He wanted bullets to cost $25.00 each.

[dr_who_2]

Ripper: "Mandrake, have you ever seen a commie drink a glass of water?"

Mandrake: "No, Jack. I can't say that I have."

Ripper: "Vodka. That's what they drink, isn't it? Never water?"

Mandrake: "Well, I believe that's what they drink, Jack. Yes."

Ripper: "On no account will a commie drink water? And not without good reason?"

Mandrake: "I don't quite see what you're getting at, Jack."

Ripper: "Water. That's what I'm getting at. Water, Mandrake. Water is the source of all life. Seven-tenths of the earth's surface is water. Why, do you realize that 70% of you is water?"

Mandrake: "Odd."

Ripper: "And as human beings, you and I need fresh, pure water to replenish our precious bodily fluids."

Mandrake: "Yes."

Ripper: "Are you beginning to understand?"

[null and void]

tungsten is hardly a 'strategic material' and it is abundant
in North Amrican mines. It's not economically viable for
the ones here to mine tungsten.

Only because of envrionmental restrictions.