NEW YORK — Colt Resources Inc. is in talks with possible joint-venture partners for what could become Europe’s largest tungsten mine.
"We have been in very active discussions with both European and Asian industry players," president and chief executive officer Nikolas Perrault told AMM Monday. He declined to name any potential parties.
The Tabuaço project in northern Portugal could add about 1.5 percent to global tungsten mine output, projected to be about 76,850 tonnes annually by the International Tungsten Industry Association after its projected startup in the first half of 2015, according to Perrault.
That means production of about 1,153 tonnes per year of tungsten, according to AMM’s calculations, which the mine will likely produce in an intermediate form, such as tungsten trioxide, Perrault said.
The Montreal-based company is currently drilling the property to determine the extent of its deposits and expects to release an updated 43-101-compliant resource estimate in September, according to Perrault.
The deposit’s ore grades, which are up to four times higher than those found at the nearby Panasqueira tungsten mine, have played a big part in attracting potential joint-venture partners, Perrault said.
"It’s testimony to the quality of the project," he said.