Guardian Metal Resources plc (NYSE.A: GMTL, LON: GMET, OTCQB: GMTLF) has reported strong progress on the Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) for its wholly owned Pilot Mountain tungsten project in Nevada, as the company advances plans to establish the first new hard-rock tungsten mine in the US in more than a decade.
The PFS is being supported by a $6.2 million investment under the US Defense Production Act Title III programme, awarded to Guardian’s subsidiary Golden Metal Resources USA LLC. Engineering work is being carried out alongside Samuel Engineering Inc. and specialist environmental consultants.
At the Pilot Mountain Project, all drilling required for ongoing resource evaluation at the Desert Scheelite and Garnet zones has now been completed, with updated resource outcomes expected to form part of the final PFS.
Mine planning is progressing around a conventional open-pit operation targeting feed from both the Desert Scheelite and Garnet zones, while permitting work is also advancing. The company expects to submit its mine Plan of Operations to the Bureau of Land Management in August 2026, formally initiating the environmental review process.
Metallurgical studies indicate the project is likely to utilise a conventional flotation circuit to produce scheelite concentrate, with additional work underway assessing potential silver and zinc by-product recovery.
Exploration activity continues to generate encouraging results across the broader property. At the Garnet and Good Hope zones, recent drilling intersected visible scheelite mineralisation, while first-ever drilling at the Gunmetal Zone is scheduled to begin before the end of June.
Meanwhile, exploration at Desert Scheelite East has extended mineralisation beyond the anticipated open-pit boundary, reinforcing the project’s resource growth potential.
Chief executive Oliver Friesen said the company intends to move rapidly into mine permitting and Definitive Feasibility Study work following completion of the PFS, as it advances toward domestic tungsten production in the US.
