Viking Mines (ASX:VKA) has reported ‘successful’ ore sorting test work at its Linka Tungsten Project, which has separated mineralised material into distinct product and waste streams.
X-ray transmission ore sorting test work completed by TOMRA Systems (OSE:TOM) at its test center in Wedel, Germany, processed two samples from the Nevada project.
The Conquest pit sample directed 67.8% of sample mass to product streams, while the Linka Stockpile sample directed 56.1% to product streams.
The test work used TOMRA’s newly released CONTAIN™ deep‑learning software in a three‑stage cascade sorting set‑up. Each sample — approximately 19.4kg — was crushed and screened to a particle size between 10mm and 40mm.
“These initial ore sorting results are an important step in our strategy to define a rapid, low-CAPEX (capital expenditure) pathway to production at Linka,” Viking Mines Managing Director Julian Woodcock says.
“The clear presence of scheelite in the high-grade sorted fraction gives encouragement that the technology could have direct benefits to the project.
“Ore sorting is in place for many operating tungsten mines globally. If Viking can confirm that we are able to utilise the technology to reject a meaningful proportion of waste prior to milling, gravity, and flotation, we have the potential to both upgrade run-of-mine feed and unlock value from our existing stockpiles.”
The four output streams were ‘high‑grade’ inclusions, ‘low‑grade’ inclusions, CONTAIN™ inclusions, and waste. ‘High‑grade’ inclusions represented 12.1% of feed mass for the Conquest pit sample and 3.4% for the Linka Stockpile sample.
Visible scheelite was confirmed in the ‘high-grade’ product fraction under ultraviolet illumination, with visual estimates suggesting between 1.5% and 3.5% scheelite content. The company cautions that visual estimates should not be considered a proxy for laboratory analyses.
Product fraction assays are pending, with results expected in the second half of July 2026. TOMRA does not assay sorted fractions to maintain independence, and the fractions have been returned to the company’s metallurgical laboratory in Canada for analysis.
Ore sorting offers two potential value pathways: (1) upgrading run‑of‑mine feed by rejecting waste ahead of the plant to maximise tungsten grades, or (2) upgrading existing surface stockpiles to convert lower‑grade material into viable feed.
Additional near-term workstreams include assessing ore sorting applications for existing stockpiles and completing gravity and flotation test work on the sorted products.
Write to JC Villarba at Mining.com.au
Images: Viking Mines
