Western Star Files DIBC Application, €200K Plutus Mandate as Tungsten Price Rises 350%
Western Star Resources applied to the U.S. Defense Industrial Base Consortium to supply tungsten from past-producing Rowland property in Nevada and plans a maiden 2026 drill program. It also signed a €200,000 investor relations mandate with Plutus and arranged CMETC-eligible financing while tungsten prices topped US$3,185/mtu (up 350% YTD).
1. DIBC Application and Strategic Context
Western Star Resources has applied to the U.S. Defense Industrial Base Consortium to supply tungsten ahead of the DFARS 252.225-7052 procurement ban effective January 1, 2027, leveraging its past-producing status to streamline permitting and position itself as a reliable non-Chinese source.
2. Rowland Property and 2026 Drill Plans
The Rowland property in Nevada, a past-producing asset with documented historical production of 4.5 tonnes at 3.38% WO₃ in 1943 and approximately 1,000 tonnes at 0.5–1.0% WO₃ from 1954–56, hosts skarn mineralization over two kilometres and is poised for a maiden spring 2026 drilling program.
3. European IR Mandate and Financing
The company signed a twelve-month €200,000 services agreement with Plutus Invest & Consulting to boost European investor outreach and also arranged CMETC-eligible flow-through financing to fund exploration and development.
4. Tungsten Market Dynamics
Rotterdam ammonium paratungstate is trading near US$3,185 per metric tonne unit, up approximately 350% year-to-date, driven by Western governments’ push to diversify supply away from China, which controls around 80% of global production.