Trigg Minerals Limited (ASX: TMG) has announced a strategic move into the tungsten sector with the acquisition of 100% of the Tennessee Mountain Tungsten Project in Elko County, Nevada. Trigg Minerals is advancing antimony development across two Tier-1 jurisdictions, with a strategic vision to become a vertically integrated, conflict-free supplier to Western economies. The acquisition aligns with Trigg’s objective of building a portfolio of critical mineral assets and reinforces its commitment to becoming a leading, diversified critical minerals and defence metals company. The project is located in a mining-friendly jurisdiction.
The Tennessee Mountain Tungsten Project includes the historic Garnet Mine, which saw previous tungsten production in the 1970s. The project is underpinned by a historical resource estimate reported by the U.S. Defence Minerals Exploration Administration (DMEA) of 780,000 short tons (708,602 tonnes) grading between 0.3% and 0.5% WO₃. The company notes that this estimate is based on work completed before the introduction of the JORC Code and advises that it should not be relied upon for current economic evaluation without further verification. Trigg Minerals plans to undertake verification work to assess the potential for reporting a JORC-compliant Mineral Resource.
According to the announcement, the United States relies heavily on foreign imports to meet its growing domestic tungsten demand. Tungsten is a critical mineral used in military-grade penetrators, kinetic energy weapons, and aerospace applications. Recent market dynamics, including supply disruptions in China, have driven tungsten prices to 14-year highs. Trigg Minerals is well-funded with approximately A$15.8 million in cash to advance both the Antimony Canyon Project in Utah and the newly acquired Tennessee Mountain Tungsten Project.
Managing Director Andre Booyzen commented that the acquisition marks a strategic entry into the tungsten sector and expands the company’s critical minerals portfolio. The acquisition terms include a cash payment of US$100,000 and the issuance of US$125,000 worth of Trigg Minerals shares to the vendors. The vendor will also be entitled to a 1% net smelter return royalty on future production from the claims.
