U.S.-Aligned Critical Minerals Initiative

Great Western has claims over a 1.2 km corridor linking two historic tungsten workings, Pine Crow and Defender, within a scheelite-rich, skarn-hosted system. Tungsten is officially designated a critical mineral by the U.S. Government, underscoring the project’s strategic relevance. Regional momentum is growing, with recent multi-million-dollar grants from the U.S. Department of Defense supporting local critical mineral development projects.

Geology

At Defender and Pine crow, scheelite bearing garnet-pyroxene skarn is developed at the contacts of Cretaceous granitic intrusions with limestones of the Jurassic Dunlap formation. Numerous Second World War era surface and underground mining operations focused on a number of skarn horizons, seen up to ~6 m thick in outcrop and trending for at least 1.2 km. The tungsten skarn at Defender and Pine Crow mineralisation appears ~ 2 km along strike from the ~SW-NE trending copper skarn mineralisation at M2.  Multiple selective grab samples recently taken have recorded over 1% WO₃ (tungsten trioxide), with maximum of 1.75% WO₃, as well as anomalous grades for a range of other metals, including silver, bismuth, copper, indium, molybdenum, tin and zinc. 

Exploration

Exploration activities are focused on confirming mineral continuity, refining the structural model, and identifying priority zones for future drilling. Fieldwork is being phased to support systematic advancement from reconnaissance through to target definition, while maintaining flexibility to respond to new data as it emerges.