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- Metso engaged for APT production circuit study
- Proposed phase 1 design capacity of 2,500 tonnes per annum
- APT circuit to fit within existing permitted Del Sol facility
- Supporting applications under US critical minerals funding program
American Tungsten & Antimony (ASX: AT4) has engaged minerals processing and metals refining industries specialist Metso to complete a scoping study for an ammonium paratungstate (APT) production circuit at the Del Sol Refinery in Nevada.
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The refinery is the subject of the company’s conditional acquisition announced in late July 2026.
APT is a vital chemical intermediate used primarily as the main industrial source to produce high-purity tungsten oxides, tungsten metal powder and tungsten carbide
Tungsten is designated as critical to US national security, defence and advanced manufacturing and APT is an intermediate product required for the downstream tungsten supply chain.
Domestic conversion capacity for tungsten concentrate to APT in the US is limited, and the company considers that establishing tungsten conversion capability advances its goal to becoming a vertically integrated supplier of tungsten critical minerals for US defence and industrial needs.
AT4 CEO, Casper Adson, has commenced a program of meetings in Washington, DS, including at the White House, with US government agencies and key stakeholders.
The meetings are intended to initiate new conversations and advance those already underway between AT4 and core stakeholders, with particular focus on the government agencies with which the company is seeking to partner in relation to grant and funding instruments, both in the near term and over the longer term.
A key focus of this engagement is to continue and expand on the progress made with the US Department of Energy in relation to the ASCEND-Sb Project, for which AT4 was selected to enter award negotiations under the Mines & Metals Capacity Expansion program.
The company is concurrently progressing existing applications with other agencies and initiating new applications where opportunities are identified, including in connection with the tungsten APT capability described in this announcement.
“Tungsten is one of the most strategic commodities for the United States. Defence, aerospace and industrial manufacturing are all exposed as its supply is offshore and controlled by adversaries,” Mr Adson said.
“Rebuilding the ability to convert tungsten concentrate into tungsten APT on US soil is a question of national interest.
“Del Sol is a constructed and permitted hydrometallurgical plant on American soil. Putting an APT circuit inside an existing footprint rather than building on a greenfield site has the potential to materially reduce the capital required and the timeline to commence producing a domestic tungsten product.”
The proposed Phase 1 circuit is to be sized at 2,500 tonnes per annum (tpa) APT, with a potential future Phase 2 expansion to be proposed for 5,000 tpa APT.
Mr Adson said the capital and operating cost estimates from the study will enable the company to engage US funding programs available for the support of domestic critical minerals sovereignty and independence.”
AT4 was steady at 7.3¢ with a Mkt cap of $131.0M prior to markets opening.
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