Mineral separation solutions company Mineral Technologies has been appointed to complete a conceptual processing study at Viking Mines’ (ASX:VKA) Linka Tungsten Project in Nevada, US.
Mineral Technologies is specifying and sizing mechanical equipment at the project. This preliminary engineering work is expected to help estimate indicative order-of-magnitude capital costs.
A conceptual process flow diagram shows potential to produce a ‘high-grade’ concentrate under laboratory conditions through gravity separation. The process isolates garnet-rich middlings within the gravity process.
The plant’s modular design is promised to allow for wet high-intensity magnetic separation, falcon concentration, and other extra processing stages to be added in future without requiring the primary circuit to be fundamentally redesigned.
Test work is expected to help estimate power and water consumption, as well as reagent and consumable rates that are established from the ongoing metallurgical test work program.
Viking Mines is also assessing commercial viability of a “purchase versus hire” strategy for the crushing circuit and other specific modules. This will aim to minimise upfront capital expenditure and reduce potential development lead times.
The company will also start to integrate comminution test work data through newly collected metallurgical samples before the end of April 2026. Test work will support operating expenditure modelling.
“Defining conceptual processing steps for Linka is a significant step in the company’s strategy to advance engineering and processing in parallel with exploration development,” Viking Mines Managing Director and CEO Julian Woodcock says.
“Our focus is now on specifying equipment and completing desktop engineering to develop preliminary, high-level cost estimates.”
Viking will fast-track the project through multiple workstreams and target drilling to start in the June quarter of 2026.
The company will evaluate historical tailings dam and stockpiles as potential supplemental feedstocks. Phase two field program activities will include surface geological mapping to assess targets, which are generated from both gravity and magnetic geophysics surveys and historical trench sampling.
Three-dimensional geological models will be completed and reported to plan drilling, and for potential use in determining Australasian Joint Ore Reserves Committee exploration targets.
A notice of intent will be lodged for maiden drilling with the US Bureau of Land Management.
A drilling contractor will be procured and start work later in the June quarter of 2026.
Ongoing metallurgical test work and cleaner flotation test work results are expected to be released during late April or early May 2026.
Viking Mines is a diversified mineral exploration and development company with worldwide assets.
Write to Richard Szabo at Mining.com.au
Images: Viking Mines
