Something that might make up for the abandonment of tungsten for lights is tungsten ammunition for the US forces. Perhaps some other nations will follow their lead. I would not know how to estimate the quantities needed for this, but I imagine the use in ammunition would not only be for light arms ammunition, but also for the big stuff too.
Aug 6, 2007 10:54 PM (117 days ago) by The Washington DC Examiner Newspaper Washington DC (Map, News) - As a result of increasing environmentalist pressure, the U.S. military is re-designing its bullets to be "more green." U.S. soldiers will soon be firing so-called "Green Ammo." These bullets, which are composed mostly of the mineral tungsten but are mixed, too, with a bit of tin or nylon, are much more environmentally-friendly than lead-based bullets. They cost more to produce but are just as effective in killing the enemy. [Excerpt from ‘Will China sell us tungsten after we get the lead out?’ http://www.examiner.com/a-867414~Will_China_sell_us_tungsten_after_we_get_the_lead_out_.html ]
Just as an aside, it is also interesting to read in the same article that “… not only is the Chinese Prime Minister, Wen Jiabao, a former geologist but his wife is a well-regarded practicing one. China's top ruler, Hu Jintao, also has a degree in mining and engineering. Both men probably know, unlike our own Department of Defense, the power of minerals.” *************
The long-term price of $8 per pound for tungsten remains intact for resource estimation, the current price is $12.50/lb. (Marshall Himes, COO of Galway Resources Ltd. (GWY: TSX-V) October 25, 2007 - http://www.moly.com/news.aspx?NewsID=82 )
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Tez
I hold some RAUO and so have an interest in the tungsten price.
