# Nevada tungsten find worth $152 billion, but Nasa blocks mining

2026-08-08T15:41:44+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 1 independent outlet

3 Proton Lithium says its Railroad Valley project in Nevada contains an inferred 1.78 million tonnes of tungsten, valued at roughly $152 billion. If confirmed, it would be the largest known US tungsten deposit, five times bigger than the next largest, reports Mining.com. China produces 80% of global tungsten, which is used in defence and aerospace. The US stopped commercial mining a decade ago, making this find strategically important. However, Nasa has blocked exploration on 17 square miles of the site to protect satellite calibration work. The Bureau of Land Management withdrew the land from new mining in 2023 at Nasa's request, leaving part of the deposit untested. The company has raised $50 million and is lobbying the Trump administration to reverse the restriction, arguing mining and calibration can coexist.

## Coverage

- timesofindia.indiatimes.com <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/china-controls-about-80-of-the-tungsten-market-a-nevada-company-says-it-has-found-1-78-million-tonnes-but-nasa-is-blocking-mining-on-part-of-the-site/articleshow/133054510.cms>

Tags: China dominance, critical minerals, NASA, Nevada mining, tungsten, US supply chain
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