Tungsten Supply Crunch Puts Spotlight on Viking Mines’ Untapped Linka Potential

Historical Data Unlocks New Opportunities

Viking Mines Ltd (ASX: VKA) has taken a significant step forward in its Nevada-based Linka tungsten project by digitising over half of a strategic historical drilling dataset. The initial tranche, covering 38 drill holes and nearly 2,000 metres of drilling, has confirmed multiple high-grade tungsten intersections at the Linka (Main) and Hillside targets. These results validate the company’s confidence in the project’s scale and quality, setting the stage for accelerated exploration.

Notably, intercepts such as 7.9 metres at 0.9% tungsten trioxide (WO3) from shallow depths and 1.5 metres at 1.2% WO3 highlight both the grade and thickness of mineralisation. The data also reveals that previous drilling averaged only around 51 metres depth, leaving significant untested zones below and under younger volcanic cover.

Technical Advances Enhance Targeting

By georeferencing historical maps and integrating them into modern geological software, Viking has pinpointed high-value drill targets with greater precision. This approach effectively shortens the exploration timeline by focusing efforts on the most prospective zones, reducing unnecessary fieldwork and expenditure. The company is finalising the digitisation of the remaining 32 holes from the Conquest area, expected to further refine the geological model.

Viking’s Managing Director Julian Woodcock emphasised the strategic advantage: "This historical dataset allows us to develop 3D geological models that will support targeted drilling, planned for the June quarter. It’s a shortcut to value, enabling us to de-risk upcoming programs and focus on high-grade zones."

Exploration Potential and Next Steps

The Linka (Main) area shows substantial mineralisation both near surface and at depth, with some intercepts located directly above historical underground workings. The presence of a northwest-striking quartz diorite dyke and its contact with limestone is identified as a key control for high-grade skarn mineralisation, representing a compelling new target for exploration.

At the Hillside target, historical drilling was suboptimal in orientation, suggesting that future angled drilling could better delineate lateral extensions and improve grade and scale estimates. Additionally, the area between Linka (Main) and Hillside remains underexplored, with anomalous tungsten values indicating further upside.

Viking is progressing geophysical surveys and metallurgical testwork, with federal permitting underway to enable a drilling campaign targeted for the second quarter of 2026. These efforts aim to confirm and expand the resource potential in a mining-friendly jurisdiction.

Market Context Bolsters Project Appeal

The tungsten market outlook remains robust, with prices for ammonium paratungstate (APT) reaching record highs above US$1,585 per metric tonne unit. Supply constraints driven by limited scrap feedstock, export restrictions from China, and US import policies have pushed prices up more than 500% in the past year. Viking’s Nevada projects are well positioned to capitalise on this tightening market, offering a domestic source of critical tungsten supply.