Critical mineral tungsten, used in electric car battery production, has been discovered during exploration at a mine in Cornwall. Owner Cornish Metals said it found deposits of tungsten, a rare chemical element, while drilling at its South Crofty project near Pool.
Discovery details
The AIM-listed company is currently targeting the mine, which closed in 1998 after 400 years of continuous production, for its tin. During a recent programme of works, the firm discovered a new high-grade tungsten zone intersected with copper. Several previously unmodelled tin-bearing structures were also found, Cornish Metals said.
Lauren Beverage, chief geologist of South Crofty, said: "Several new structures were discovered that we had not previously modelled, which adds to our understanding of this part of the deposit and gives us confidence in the potential to grow the Mineral Resource to the west."
Strategic significance
"The new high-grade tungsten zone was not what we were drilling for, but is a welcome addition. Grades of this scale are not often seen in tungsten exploration, and they come at a time when tungsten has become a strategically significant critical mineral in the Western world," she added.
Tungsten is a hard mineral used in war machinery and electronic items such as smartphones. China currently controls more than 80 per cent of the mined supply, and the price of the mineral has risen over the last year after tungsten export controls were introduced by China in February 2025.
Focus remains on tin
Tungsten and copper were not targets of the Roskear West programme, and Cornish Metals said on Thursday its focus remained "firmly on tin". "These intercepts do not change the company's development plans," the firm told investors. "They do, however, represent a potentially significant new opportunity that the company intends to evaluate as part of its wider exploration work."
Tungsten concentrate was previously produced at South Crofty, and the potential for future tungsten production is now being considered, Cornish Metals said. The news comes two weeks after Cornish Metals, which acquired the mine a decade ago, appointed a new managing director. Juan Kemp will be based at South Crofty and will report to Don Turvey, Cornish Metals' chief executive.
