Australian vanadium explorer Viking Mines (ASX:VKA) is advancing towards starting a drilling program at the Canegrass Battery Metals Project in Western Australia.
The company reports it will complete a geophysical processing and magnetic inversion modelling to target magnetite horizons, update the geology model with drilling data and ground magnetics geophysical survey information, along with completing an exploration target assessment, and finalist drillhole planning before drilling at the project.
Viking says it has engaged the services of TopDrill to undertake the major drilling program which will comprise about 40 holes for 5,500m. This drilling will begin at the end of May 2023, and is expected to take about a month to complete.
The company says final drill program planning is in progress, noting it will be targeted over the more than 8km strike length of outcropping vanadiferous titanomagnetite (VTM) mineralisation observed throughout the project across 5 specific drill areas.
Additionally, Viking says the main technical objectives of the drill program include improving the mineral resource confidence, growing the mineral resource, discovering new mineral resources, assessing the potential of the VTM mineralisation, and providing samples for metallurgical testwork.
Commenting on the upcoming drilling program, Viking Mines Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director Julian Woodcock says: “I am pleased that Viking has been able to secure the services of TopDrill to undertake our major 5,500m drilling program at Canegrass which is the first substantial program to be completed at the project in more than a decade.
“Viking are rapidly advancing the project, and the results from this drilling program have the potential to deliver significant value…”
Once drilling is completed, we will be in a position to move forward with a comprehensive metallurgical testwork program, which is the next critical step required to unlock the massive inherent value of this project which already boasts more than 1.1 billion pounds of V2O5.
Viking are rapidly advancing the project, and the results from this drilling program have the potential to deliver significant value for Viking’s shareholders with the discovery of additional high-grade vanadium mineralisation.”
The company says natural extensions to the mineral resource will be drill tested in shallower positions as evidenced from outcrop mapping where no previous drilling has been completed with a goal to increase the tonnes and improve the grade.
Drill testing at the Kinks South target will expand off the 17m @ 0.98% V2O5 drilled in March 2023. The company says the addition of more holes will provide sufficient data to allow an estimate of a new mineral resource at this target.
Viking says initial drilling between the existing mineral resource along the strike length of the outcropping VTM mineralisation will provide data on a full strike prospectivity of the mineralised horizon and potentially provide targets for further follow-up in the future.
The company also notes drilling will generate samples which will initially be analysed to determine the vanadium potential of the system. Following recently obtained results, Viking notes specific samples will be selected for more detailed metallurgical testwork to determine the best approach to extract the inherent value from the mineralisation.
Following the completion of drilling, Viking reports samples will be delivered to the lab with initial results expected within a month of the completion of drilling.
Viking Mines is an ASX-listed vanadium explorer focused on developing the Canegrass Battery Minerals Project in the Murchison region of Western Australia. The project is located 630km northeast of Perth and hosts an inferred resource of 79 million tonnes @ 0.64% V2O5, 29.7% Fe, and 6% TiO2.
Along with Canegrass, the company also holds the First Hit Project in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia, and the Akoase Gold Project in Ghana.
Images: Viking Mines Ltd
