OVERVIEW OF THE GLOBAL TUNGSTEN MARKET. PART 1. MINERAL RESOURCE BASE AND MINING

Abstract

The relevance of the work is caused by the need to study the problems of quite volatile world market of tungsten raw materials. Objective: to study the state of the world mineral resource base of tungsten and its extraction, to assess the criticality of the tungsten raw material world supply. Methods: content analysis of information collected from open sources on the dynamics of mining tungsten raw materials, as well as information on its reserves and resources. Results. 3,9 million tons of tungsten were mined in the world from 1913 to 2020. World production volumes increased from 4 to 7 thousand tons/year in 1913–1915 to 75 to 90 thousand tons/year in 2011–2020. China is the leader in the production of tungsten products, which supplied 25–35 % of the world production of tungsten raw materials until the 1980s, and since 1983 has occupied a dominant position in the supply of tungsten products (75–85 %). Russia supplies 5–10 % of the world supply of tungsten concentrates. New countries-suppliers of tungsten raw materials: Vietnam (up to 6,5 % of the world supply), Mongolia, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, have emerged. In the XXI century, in the conditions of high prices for tungsten products, there has been a tendency to revive old tungsten production facilities in Britain, Spain, Bolivia, Australia, Canada, Myanmar. A project of resumption of operation of the Tyrnauz Mining in Russia is under consideration. The world's existing reserves (3,66 million tons W) and resources (10,92 million tons W) of tungsten raw materials are enough for more than 70 years at the current level of consumption. 32,7 % of these reserves and 57,5 % of potential resources fall on China. Five of ten largest tungsten deposits in the world are located in China. Russia, Kazakhstan, Canada and Bolivia have significant reserves and forecast resources of tungsten. New deposits may be discovered in the little-explored territories of Myanmar, Mongolia and India in Asia, Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Zimbabwe in Africa. Due to the significant share of tungsten raw material world production and a very high share of world trade in tungsten products from their production in one country – China, both tungsten raw materials and other commercial tungsten products will continue to be critical goods in industrialized countries in the foreseeable future.

Keywords

• tungsten
• mineral resource base
• reserves
• resources
• extraction from deposits
• secondary raw materials
• china