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Portugal

By National Minerals Information Center

Portugal was estimated to be the world's ninth-ranked producer of lithium

Pictured: spodumene (lithium ore)

Statistics and information on the mining industry in Portugal.

Overview

In 2024, Portugal was estimated to be the world's 9th-ranked producer of lithium (excluding the United States), accounting for 0.16% of global production, and estimated 10th-ranked producer of tungsten, accounting for 0.62% of global production. Other mineral commodities produced in the country included cement, copper, feldspar, gypsum, iron and steel, kaolin, lead, salt, silver, sand and gravel, crushed stone, talc, tin, and zinc. Additional mineral commodities such as secondary aluminum, white arsenic, beryl concentrate, calcium carbonate, metallurgical coke, pig iron, manganese, nitrogen (ammonia), pyrite and pyrrhotite (including cuprous), sodium compounds, sulfur, syenite may have been produced, but available information was inadequate to make reliable estimates of output. Production of nonferrous metal and ornamental stone was valued at \$628 million and \$606 million, respectively. In 2024, Portugal was a strategic country in the European lithium sector, exporting, by value, to Germany, Israel, Belgium, Cape Verde, and Angola. Although export volumes were modest, Portugal continued to attract interest in lithium exploration and project development owing to the country’s hard-rock lithium resources and potential to support Europe’s battery supply chain.  

The legislative framework for the mineral sector in Portugal is provided by the Mining Law (Law No. 54/2015 of 22 June), as amended by Decree-Law 30/2021 of 7 May. The Quarry Plan, established under Decree-Law No. 340/2007 of October 2007 (which replaced Decree-Law No. 270/2001 of October 2001), is a key component of Portugal’s mining and quarrying legislation. The Directorate-General for Energy and Geology (DGEG) oversees the mineral sector, providing regulation, licensing, and guidance to ensure the sustainable and safe exploration and extraction of Portugal’s resources. The National Laboratory of Energy and Geology conducts research and supports companies under authority granted by the DGEG, in accordance with the Decree-Law 129/2014 of August 2014. The Government did not own or hold equity in any major mining companies; all mineral production was carried out by private companies. The Facilities table (formerly table 2) is a list of major mineral industry facilities. More-extensive coverage of government policies and programs can be found in previous editions of this chapter in the U.S. Geological Survey Minerals Yearbook, volume III, Area Reports — International — Europe and Central Eurasia, which are available at https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/europ…;

 

2024 Report

Full data release with tables here.

In 2024, Portugal was estimated to be the world's 9th-ranked producer of lithium (excluding the United States), accounting for 0.16% of global production, and estimated 10th-ranked producer of tungsten, accounting for 0.62% of global production. Other mineral commodities produced in the country included cement, copper, feldspar, gypsum, iron and steel, kaolin, lead, salt, silver, sand and gravel, crushed stone, talc, tin, and zinc. Additional mineral commodities such as secondary aluminum, white arsenic, beryl concentrate, calcium carbonate, metallurgical coke, pig iron, manganese, nitrogen (ammonia), pyrite and pyrrhotite (including cuprous), sodium compounds, sulfur, syenite may have been produced, but available information was inadequate to make reliable estimates of output. Data on mineral production are in the Production table (formerly table 1). Production of nonferrous metal and ornamental stone was valued at \$628 million1 and \$606 million, respectively. In 2024, Portugal was a strategic country in the European lithium sector, exporting, by value, to Germany, Israel, Belgium, Cape Verde, and Angola. Although export volumes were modest, Portugal continued to attract interest in lithium exploration and project development owing to the country’s hard-rock lithium resources and potential to support Europe’s battery supply chain. (MINEX Europe, 2025; World Integrated Trade Solution, 2025a–d; Pacheco, 2025; Jaskula, 2026; Saloum, 2026).   

The legislative framework for the mineral sector in Portugal is provided by the Mining Law (Law No. 54/2015 of 22 June), as amended by Decree-Law 30/2021 of 7 May. The Quarry Plan, established under Decree-Law No. 340/2007 of October 2007 (which replaced Decree-Law No. 270/2001 of October 2001), is a key component of Portugal’s mining and quarrying legislation. The Directorate-General for Energy and Geology (DGEG) oversees the mineral sector, providing regulation, licensing, and guidance to ensure the sustainable and safe exploration and extraction of Portugal’s resources. The National Laboratory of Energy and Geology conducts research and supports companies under authority granted by the DGEG, in accordance with the Decree-Law 129/2014 of August 2014. The Government did not own or hold equity in any major mining companies; all mineral production was carried out by private companies. The Facilities table (formerly table 2) is a list of major mineral industry facilities. More-extensive coverage of government policies and programs can be found in previous editions of this chapter in the U.S. Geological Survey Minerals Yearbook, volume III, Area Reports — International — Europe and Central Eurasia, which are available at https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/europ… (Dinis, 2019; Directorate-General for Energy and Geology, The, 2025; National Laboratory of Energy and Geology, The, 2024). 

 

Commodity Review 

Lithium.—Lithium production remained steady in 2024, with an estimated 25,000 metric tons (t) of ore mined and an estimated 380 t of lithium content produced, unchanged from that in 2023. The Barroso lithium mine in northern Portugal remained the center of the country’s lithium industry. Savannah Resources Plc of the United Kingdom announced that the start of production at the Barroso has been rescheduled to 2027 owing to longer-than-expected administrative and permitting processes. The company also announced a strategic partnership with AMG Critical Minerals N.V. of Netherlands to support exploration, land acquisition, and workforce expansion (Portugal News, The, 2024a, b). 
 

Tungsten.—Portugal produced an estimated 650 t of tungsten in 2024, a 52% increase from 2023, owing to increased global prices and supply constraints. The tungsten sector, led by Allied Critical Metals Inc. of Canada, focused on developing resources at the Borralha tungsten project and the Vila Verde tungsten-tin project. Updated resource estimates confirmed that the Borralha and Vila Verde projects represent major undeveloped tungsten and tungsten-tin deposits. The Borralha project is estimated to contain approximately 5.0 million metric tons (Mt) at a grade of 0.21% tungsten trioxide (WO₃), while the Vila Verde project hosts an estimated 7.3 Mt at an average grade of 0.05% WO₃. Allied Critical Metals planned to build a pilot plant and start production at the Vila Verde project by 2026, using existing infrastructure to speed development. The plant was designed to process 150,000 t of ore annually, producing approximately 250 t of 62.5% WO₃ concentrate, with potential expansion to 300,000 metric tons per year. Rising global tungsten prices, driven by short supply, further increased the strategic importance of the Borralha and Vila Verde projects, as tungsten was classified as a critical mineral under the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act (Allied Critical Metals Inc., 2025; Mining.com, 2025; Allied Critical Metals Inc., 2026a, b). 

 

Production table

(Metric tons, gross weight, unless otherwise specified)

Table includes data available through January 14, 2026. All data are reported unless otherwise noted. Estimated data are rounded to no than three significant digits. In addition to the commodities listed, ammonia, beryl concentrate, calcium carbonate, clay, hotrolled steel, iron ore, manganese, manufactured gas, metallurgical coke, pig iron, pyrite and pyrrhotite (including cuprous), secondary aluminum, sodium compounds, sulfur, syenite, and white arsenic may have been produced, but available information was inadequate to make reliable estimates of output.
Commodity 20202021202220232024
Cement, hydraulic4,500,000e4,700,000e4,700,000e5,200,000e5,300,000e
Copper, mine, concentrates, Cu content32,23038,14532,09840,86352,000
Feldspar122,969145,362167,673159,047160,000e
Gypsum, crude, including anhydrite210,231254,913191,753159,047250,000e
Kaolin, washed and unwashed320,655387,223410,584427,187430,000e
Lead, mine, Pb content28,17830,06730,00022,8006,000
Lead, refinery, secondary9,000e10,00010,00010,00012,000e
Lithium, mine, ore, lepidolite, pegmatite23,18518,53325,000e25,000e25,000e
Lithium, mine, ore, lepidolite, pegmatite, Li content464371380380e380e
Raw steel2,203,0001,953,0001,855,0002,040,0001,925,000
Salt, rock salt4,2174,4718,1584,9635,000e
Sand and gravel, construction, common sand, including special sand10,383,8965,842,1127,507,5514,410,9894,000,000e
Sand and gravel, industrial, quartz184,261200,07527,0219,10610,000e
Sand and gravel, industrial, quartzite20,80003,34025,000e25,000e
Silver, mine, Ag content (kilograms)95,95498,00096,000105,000108,000
Stone, size and shape unspecified, basalt257,126350,409292,665423,718450,000e
Stone, size and shape unspecified, dolomite189,579190,000e631,467600,000e690,000e
Stone, size and shape unspecified, gabbro394,262274,9022,361,199749,400750,000e
Stone, size and shape unspecified, granite16,290,98522,784,17515,900,30711,995,49312,000,000e
Stone, size and shape unspecified, graywacke37,812180,405178,913268,335270,000e
Stone, size and shape unspecified, limestone16,064,64017,387,22013,016,57713,588,15014,000,000e
Stone, size and shape unspecified, marble325,316296,777274,498150,460140,000e
Stone, size and shape unspecified, schist77,72418,340806,311892,281900,000e
Stone, size and shape unspecified, slate13,200e18,79415,46415,000e15,000e
Talc and related materials, talc9,7518,2774,2735,6738,149
Tin, mine, Sn content10460604960e
Tungsten, mine, concentrates, W content535502448427650e
Zinc, mine, concentrates, Zn content176,849187,703182,262183,916109,571
e Estimated.

 

References Cited

  • Jaskula, B.W., 2026, Lithium: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 118‒119. 
  • National Laboratory of Energy and Geology [Portugal], The, 2025, Mission, vision, and values: Lisbon, Portugal, The National Laboratory of Energy and Geology [Laboratorio Nacional de Energia e Geologia], January 30. (Accessed January 16, 2026, at https://www.lneg.pt/en/about-lneg/mission-vision-and-strategy/.) 
  • Saloum, S.H., 2026, Tungsten: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 200‒201. 

 

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