Viking Mines Advances Low-Cost Tungsten Strategy at Linka with Stockpile and Tailings Evaluation

Field Campaign Targets Low-Cost Feedstock from Historical Waste

Viking Mines (ASX:VKA) has mobilised a field team to its Linka Tungsten Project in Nevada to assess the potential of historical tailings and ore stockpiles as a near "zero-mining-cost" source of tungsten feedstock. This approach aims to fast-track production with a low capital expenditure (CAPEX) footprint by circumventing traditional mining extraction expenses. The company is conducting systematic grid sampling of the tailings dam, collecting around 52 samples to determine both grade and volume, a crucial step to evaluate the economic viability of reprocessing these materials.

Simultaneously, the stockpiles are being sampled to validate earlier promising results, including a composite sample that returned 0.8% WO3, underscoring their potential for immediate commercial value. Volume estimates will accompany grade data to quantify the resource size, which Viking intends to process through toll treatment or a pilot plant to generate concentrate samples for offtake discussions.

Metallurgical Testing Advances Processing Insights

Building on recent success in upgrading tungsten concentrate to 63.6% WO3, Viking continues to refine its processing strategy with additional metallurgical sample collection. The current testwork focuses on comminution parameters such as Crushing Work Index and SAG Mill Comminution to quantify power and wear requirements, essential for defining operational expenditure (OPEX) and scaling a modular processing plant. This detailed data will feed into the ongoing conceptual processing study led by Mineral Technologies, aiming to underpin a rapid-start, low-cost production model.

Geological Validation and Exploration Planning

Field activities also include ground-truthing of high-priority targets identified through a 3D geological model and recent geophysical surveys, including an 820-metre mineralised corridor and an 800-metre extension beneath volcanic cover. This work confirms garnetite skarn signatures, providing confidence ahead of subsurface exploration. These efforts build on Viking’s earlier gravity survey confirms correlation that expanded the drill target inventory and de-risked the upcoming June quarter drilling campaign.

Phase 2, set to begin in late April, will involve detailed mapping, trench sampling, and finalising drill site layouts. Preparations for the maiden drilling program are underway, with a Notice of Intent to be lodged with the Bureau of Land Management shortly. Meanwhile, cleaner flotation testwork results are expected imminently, which could further enhance concentrate quality and project economics.

Market Dynamics Bolster Project Appeal

Tungsten prices continue to surge, recently reaching US$3,185 per metric tonne unit (mtu), a 90-year high, reflecting tight global supply and strategic demand. This price environment significantly improves the economic case for Linka, positioning Viking to capitalise on a rare opportunity to develop a domestic US tungsten source with low initial CAPEX and flexible modular processing options.