Almonty Starts Tungsten Production at Sangdong Mine
Event summary
- Almonty Industries Inc. began processing operations at its Sangdong Mine in South Korea on July 1, 2026.
- The company has approximately 139,700 tonnes of stockpiled ore with a blended grade of 0.25% WO₃.
- The current stockpile represents about 2.6 months of Phase I throughput feed with an illustrative gross in-process value of US$68 million.
- Sangdong's low-grade ore is approximately three times higher than that of the Panasqueira mine in Portugal.
The big picture
Almonty's Sangdong Mine marks a critical step in diversifying global tungsten supply away from China, aligning with Western defense and technology sectors' needs for secure supply chains. The mine's strategic importance is underscored by recent U.S. procurement bans and China's export restrictions, positioning Almonty as a key player in the non-China tungsten market.
What we're watching
- Production Ramp-Up
- How quickly Almonty can transition from lower-grade to higher-grade ore processing at Sangdong.
- Market Dynamics
- Whether Western governments will continue to prioritize non-China tungsten supply amid geopolitical tensions.
- Integration Strategy
- The pace at which Almonty advances its planned downstream tungsten oxide plant and secures long-term offtake agreements.
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