Assay results from Viking Mines’ (ASX:VKA) phase two field campaign at the Linka Tungsten Project in Nevada, US, show historical rock stockpiles contain tungsten grades up to 1.8% tungsten trioxide (WO3).
Viking collected 98 samples in May, including 30 across three historical stockpile areas, confirming that ‘high-grade’ tungsten mineralisation remains from 1950s mining operations.
The run-of-mine pad at the historical mill area returned 10 samples averaging 0.50% WO3, while two Conquest mine rock stockpiles averaged 0.40% WO3 and 0.10% WO3.
Managing Director Julian Woodcock says the results confirm that the historical operators had indeed left tungsten behind, which Viking’s field team also observed under UV light in May.
“Two of the three areas we sampled are rock stockpile waste dumps from the original mining, yet they returned assays up to 1.8% WO3,” Woodcock says.
“That is mineralised material sitting at surface, already mined once, that was simply discarded because the tools to recover it didn’t exist 80 years ago.
“This first pass was designed to answer one question — is there tungsten in these dumps — and the answer is clearly yes. Systematic sampling will now establish representative grades, and the TOMRA ore sorting testwork nearing completion will tell us whether this material can be efficiently upgraded.”
Resampling of six historical trenches returned surface mineralisation, including 1m @ 1.30% WO3, 5m @ 0.40% WO3, and 3m @ 0.40% WO3.
Viking says sensor-based ore sorting testwork with TOMRA in Germany has been completed, with results expected shortly.
Follow-up sampling is now being planned to establish representative grades across three dump areas.
The company is also completing a maiden drill program at Linka and advancing metallurgical testwork targeting greater than 80% recovery into a concentrate exceeding 50% WO3.
Located in Lander County, Nevada, the Linka Project features mineralisation occurring as scheelite-bearing skarn developed in limestone with granitic intrusive rocks.
Viking signed a binding term sheet in December 2026 to acquire a 100% interest in the project, which produced roughly 65,000 tonnes @ 0.50% WO3 until 1956.
A mineral resources and exploration company, Viking Mines has shifted its primary focus to developing tungsten projects in Nevada, particularly through its flagship Linka Project.
Write to Paula Fabe at Mining.com.au
Images: Viking Mines
