Allied Critical’s Borralha tungsten resource: PEA and design notes for mine planners
Reviewed by Joe Ashwell
First reported on MINING.com
30 Second Briefing
Allied Critical Metals has tripled measured and indicated resources at its Borralha tungsten project in northern Portugal to 13 million tonnes at 0.21% WO₃, plus 7.7 million tonnes inferred at 0.18% WO₃, following 4,210 metres of Phase 1 core drilling in the Santa Helena Breccia. The 3.8 sq. km brownfield site previously produced over 10,280 tonnes of wolframite concentrate at an average 66% WO₃ between 1904 and 1985, giving strong reconciliation data for future mine design. A PEA and key environmental and permitting decisions are targeted for Q1 2026.
Technical Brief
- Phase 1 core drilling at the Santa Helena Breccia totalled 4,210 m, with the updated resource estimate constrained entirely to this breccia-hosted zone rather than the wider 3.8 sq. km licence.
- Measured and indicated tonnage increased from just under 5 Mt at 0.21% WO₃ (2024 estimate) to 13 Mt at the same grade, indicating that drilling mainly upgraded confidence rather than changing average grade.
- Inferred resources rose by 0.6 Mt but at a slightly lower grade of 0.18% WO₃, implying that step-out or deeper holes are starting to define the lower-confidence halo around the better-drilled core.
- Historic production of 10,280 t wolframite concentrate at an average 66% WO₃ between 1904–1985 provides a long reconciliation record for future resource-to-reserve conversion, metallurgical assumptions and recovery factors in the PEA.
- The brownfield setting on the northern side of the 3.8 sq. km property suggests existing underground workings and surface disturbance that will influence geotechnical risk assessment, groundwater inflows and layout of any new decline or pit.
- Allied Critical is targeting completion of both the PEA and key environmental and permitting approvals in Q1 2026, so mine design trade-offs (open pit vs underground, cut-off grade, production rate) will need to be advanced in parallel with ESIA work.
- A follow-up core drilling campaign is planned for early 2026, indicating that resource expansion and infill will likely continue beyond the initial PEA, with scope to extend mine life or support staged capacity increases.
- The company also controls the Vila Verde tungsten–tin project 45 km south, with a historical inferred resource of 7.3 Mt, which could eventually allow shared processing or infrastructure synergies if Borralha advances to development.
- Market reaction to the resource update saw Allied Critical Metals’ share price gain 6.8% on the day, giving a market capitalisation of C$80.8 million (US$57.3 million), framing the scale of capital the junior can currently deploy into drilling and studies.
Our Take
With 13 Mt of measured and indicated material at 0.21% WO₃ at Borralha, Allied Critical Metals is moving into a resource scale comparable to other European tungsten assets that have attracted offtake interest from automotive and aerospace supply chains, which is relevant given the presence of Ford and Novelis in the broader critical metals ecosystem.
The historical 66% WO₃ wolframite concentrate grade from Borralha suggests that, if similar metallurgy can be replicated, the project could sit in the lower half of the cost curve for European tungsten, which is important for competing against established producers in Asia.
Having both Borralha and the Vila Verde tungsten–tin project within 45 km in Portugal gives Allied Critical Metals optionality for shared infrastructure and potentially a hub-and-spoke processing strategy, a configuration that in our database often improves project economics for mid-cap developers with sub-C$100 million market capitalisations.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
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