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Tungsten does not occur, by itself, in nature. It is only present in various chemical compounds. For industrial purposes, the two most important tungsten-bearing minerals are wolframite ((Fe,Mn)WO4) - or, as some would like to call it Ferberite-Huberite, and scheelite (CaWO4). These are the two minerals that are most commonly mined to produce tungsten.
China now dominates world primary tungsten output. The U.S. Geological Survey's [USGS] estimates for world mine production in 2007 have China producing some 77,000 tonnes of the metal, 86% of global production.
Note: The Andrew Mine, northeast of Los Angeles, operated by Curtis Tungsten, started shipping tungsten concentrates in October 2007, but figures for these shipments are not disclosed.
Chinese Tungsten Concentrate Output 1996-2007 (Tonnes)
In addition, the USGS calculates that China's reserve base accounts for some 67% of the world's total reserve base.
| World Tungsten Reserves (Tonnes) |
Country |
Reserves |
Reserve Base |
China |
1,800,000 |
4,200,000 |
Other Countries |
420,000 |
740,000 |
Canada |
260,000 |
490,000 |
Russia |
250,000 |
420,000 |
US |
140,000 |
200,000 |
Bolivia |
53,000 |
100,000 |
Portugal |
4,700 |
62,000 |
North Korea |
NA |
35,000 |
Austria |
10,000 |
15,000 |
Total |
2,937,700 |
2,262,000 |
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