Redeveloping One of the World’s Highest-Grade Historic Tungsten Mines
The Pasto Bueno mine, located in the Ancash region of Peru, is one of the most historically significant tungsten-producing districts in the Western Hemisphere. Situated in the northern extension of the Cordillera Blanca, the project benefits from a well-established mining legacy, existing infrastructure, and a highly prospective geological setting.
Pasto Bueno is distinguished by its exceptionally high-grade tungsten mineralization, hosted in steeply dipping quartz veins associated with a quartz monzonite intrusive system. Historically, operations produced ore averaging approximately 0.7–0.8% WO₃, placing it among the highest-grade tungsten mines globally. These grades are materially above most operating tungsten mines worldwide, where lower-grade bulk-tonnage deposits are more common.
With over more than a century of production, the mine has demonstrated both grade continuity and metallurgical recoverability, producing high-quality tungsten concentrates through conventional gravity and magnetic separation processes. This combination of high grade and proven processing performance is a key competitive advantage as the project is redeveloped.
Importantly, Pasto Bueno is not a single deposit but a district-scale system comprised of multiple mineralized zones, including the Huayllapón, Huaura, and Consuzo areas. The principal veins—such as Consuelo and Loreto—extend over kilometers and remain open at depth and along strike. Drilling has confirmed extensions of mineralization hundreds of meters below historical workings, highlighting the potential for substantial resource expansion.
Geologically, the deposit exhibits a classic zoned mineralization system, with early molybdenite mineralization followed by high-grade tungsten deposition and later base-metal sulfides. This zonation not only supports the robustness of the tungsten system but also indicates potential for additional by-product credits, including copper, silver, and molybdenum, which could enhance project economics.
The district also includes mantos and additional exploration targets with a tungsten, copper, gold, and silver values, indicating that the known vein system represents only part of a broader mineralized environment. This provides multiple avenues for future growth beyond the redevelopment of existing underground workings.</p
From an operational perspective, Pasto Bueno benefits from:
-Existing underground development and historical mine workings -Established processing infrastructure, including gravity and magnetic separation plants -Road access connecting the site to the Pan-American Highway and coastal export routes These factors significantly reduce capital intensity and accelerate the path to production compared to greenfield projects.
Looking forward, the combination of high-grade resources, district-scale upside, and existing infrastructure positions Pasto Bueno as a unique asset in the global tungsten market. At a time when tungsten supply is highly concentrated and critical for defense, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing, the redevelopment of Pasto Bueno offers the opportunity to establish a long-term, secure, and scalable source of tungsten for global markets.
The known mineral endowment of the district, together with its substantial exploration potential, supports a vision of Pasto Bueno as a multi-decade production platform, capable of supplying critical materials to industrial supply chains across generations.