The Dolphin Project on King Island has been closed for almost 30 years. Picture: King Island Scheelite
But tungsten has been experiencing a global resurgence, with the mineral now essential in the manufacturing of weapons, electric vehicles and fighter jets. The Dolphin Mining Project is located near the town of Grassy on the southeast coast of picturesque King Island, and produces scheelite, a form of tungsten. China has long held a monopoly on global tungsten production, controlling around 83 per cent of the world's supply. However the reopening of the King Island mine could leave other nations, that are similarly facing trade tensions with China, with a different option.