Reviving the Victory Mine and domestic tungsten production
Tungsten production in the United States ceased entirely about 10 years ago but with the market for this hard metal growing once again, one Nevada family is ready to revive domestic tungsten mining.
Ben Viljoen of Nevada Rand LLC and his three sons are aiming to reopen the old Victory Mine located eight miles north of the tiny town of Gabbs. They are currently undergoing Nevada Dept. of Environmental Protection reviews and as part of that process, the company is required to notify the county of its activities. Rather than simply send a letter, Viljoen went before the Nye County Commission himself, preferring the more personal face-to-face interaction.
“Scheelite prices are going up all the time,” Viljoen told the board at its Sept. 3 meeting, referring to the ore of tungsten which will be produced at the Victory Mine. “I’ve talked with the U.S. Defense Dept. and the Dept. of Logistics and they are projecting a tungsten market for 20 or 30 years, so that should be a big shot in the arm to Gabbs.”
The Victory Mine was once the largest producer of scheelite in the county, Viljoen detailed, producing up to 100 tons per day at its peak. However, the mine was shuttered following the federal government’s decision to drop its support price of tungsten in the mid-1950s.
Nevada Rand LLC then acquired the Victory Mine in August 2024 and Viljoen said there is plenty of valuable ore left for the mine to give. He is expecting to produce a 60%-70% concentrate of scheelite and already has plans in place to sell the ore to a company in Fallon.
“It’s kind of neat that the only tungsten mine in the U.S. will be in Nye County and the market for this stuff will be in Churchill County. It keeps everything pretty close to home,” Viljoen remarked.
To start, Nevada Rand will aim to mill around 20 tons of scheelite per day and gradually ramp up to the historically generated amount of up to 100 tons per day. “I think it would be pretty easy to achieve 100 tons a day but, we need to work our way into it slowly, because again, we’re financing this out of our own pockets,” Viljoen said.
The benefits for the community of Gabbs and Nye County overall – by way of tax revenue as well as an influx of employees – were obviously exciting for county officials, both past and present.
Former Nye County Commissioner and well-known Tonopah resident Joni Eastley said she has known Viljoen for decades, having served as a commissioner in Nye at the same time he served as one in Esmeralda County.
“I can absolutely attest to his character and his knowledge of the mining industry. What a valuable project this would be for Nye County,” Eastley enthused.
“Dig it up! Make it happen and good luck,” commissioner Debra Strickland said with approval, while commissioner Bruce Jabbour chimed in, “I hope things go well with NDEP and I am certain the people of Gabbs and the surrounding area, as well as ourselves, are appreciative of your endeavor.”
The U.S. Geological Survey identifies scheelite as a vital source for the mineral tungsten.
According to the National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biotechnology Information, tungsten has the highest melting point of all metallic elements and as such, it has a number of commercial applications. These include filaments in incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs, X-ray production and heating elements in electric furnaces. As a material that expands at nearly the same rate as borosilicate glass, tungsten is used to make metal-to-glass seals. Its ability to withstand high temperatures also makes it useful in spacecraft and missiles. When alloyed with steel, tungsten is used for items such as high-speed cutting tools and rocket engine nozzles as well.
The price per ton for scheelite is dependent on its tungsten concentration. China is the largest global producer of tungsten today and the Shanghai Metals Market estimated the price at approximately $35,277 per ton as of this month.
For more information on the revival of the Victory Tungsten Mine, email NevadaRand@yahoo.com or call 775-842-4284.
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com
