Viking Mines Hits 2.7% Tungsten at Two New Nevada Sites Beyond Flagship Linka
Key Takeaways
- Viking Mines returned peak tungsten grades of 2.7% WO₃ at Long and 2.4% WO₃ at Terrell from first-pass reconnaissance sampling — both sites had seen no modern exploration prior to this programme.
- Channel sampling at Long returned 1.80m at 1.8% WO₃ including 0.45m at 2.7% WO₃, materially above the historic mine's production grade of 0.60% WO₃.
- Both Long and Terrell share the same intrusion-related skarn geology as the flagship Linka Tungsten Project, confirming the geological model repeats across the six-project Nevada portfolio.
- Linka remains the primary focus with BLM approval already secured for a 900-tonne bulk sample and a maiden drill programme currently underway.
- Next steps at Long and Terrell include detailed mapping, follow-up sampling, and drill target ranking, with ground magnetic surveys planned across additional Nevada projects.
High-grade tungsten confirmed across two new Nevada project sites
Viking Mines (ASX: VKA) has returned high-grade tungsten assays from reconnaissance sampling at two regional Nevada projects, Long and Terrell, confirming that the company’s portfolio reach extends well beyond its flagship Linka Tungsten Project. Peak grades of up to 2.7% WO₃ at Long and 2.4% WO₃ at Terrell were recorded from historic mine sites that had seen no modern exploration prior to this programme. The results add meaningful texture to a six-project Nevada tungsten portfolio that Linka currently anchors.
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What the Long and Terrell results show
Both projects are historic mine sites operating within intrusion-related skarn settings, the same geological style that makes Linka attractive. Here is what the sampling returned at each.
Terrell Project
The Terrell Project encompasses a historic underground mine with recorded historical production of 2.9kt at 0.6% WO₃ (note: historical production figures are sourced from historical records and have not been independently verified by the Company). Mineralisation is contact skarn and tactite in style, with coarse scheelite developed along the granite–limestone margin.
Reconnaissance sampling returned standout surface grades:
- Float sample from contact skarn: 2.4% WO₃ (sample VKRC24446)
- Granite-hosted oxidised vein material: up to 1.7% WO₃ (sample VKRC24444)
- Historical stockpile remnant (crusher material): 0.4%–0.5% WO₃
Long Project
The Long Mine produced approximately 17kt at 0.60% WO₃ from two separate underground operations along an approximately 200m intrusive contact (note: historical production figures are sourced from historical records and have not been independently verified by the Company). Scheelite and powellite occur within garnet-epidote skarn along the quartz monzonite contact, with skarn thickness varying from approximately 1m in secondary stopes to approximately 10m in primary stopes.
Continuous channel sampling across exposed faces returned:
- Channel LOCH0001: 1.80m @ 1.8% WO₃ (including 0.45m @ 2.7% WO₃)
- Channel LOCH0002: 1.35m @ 0.6% WO₃
- Reconnaissance grab samples east of the mine along the intrusive contact: up to 0.3% WO₃
The following table summarises the key sample results across both projects:
| Project | Sample ID | Sample Type | WO₃ Grade | Location Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terrell | VKRC24446 | Grab (float) | 2.4% | Coarse scheelite float outside open stope |
| Terrell | VKRC24444 | Grab | 1.7% | Oxidised vein in backs of main mine adit |
| Long | LOCH0001 | Channel | 1.80m @ 1.8% (incl. 0.45m @ 2.7%) | Exposed face in historic underground workings |
| Long | LOCH0002 | Channel | 1.35m @ 0.6% | Exposed face in historic underground workings |
Julian Woodcock, Managing Director and CEO
“The strength of these early reconnaissance sampling results at both Long and Terrell speaks to the quality of the ground we have secured in Nevada. Both projects have returned high-grade tungsten from historic workings that have seen no modern exploration activity. Our primary focus remains on Linka as our most advanced asset, however the opportunity for additional mineralisation at our other Projects is not to be overlooked. With this initial field sampling campaign designed to assess the tungsten grade and mineralisation style at Terell and Long, we have now confirmed that there are further growth options to develop our project pipeline. This provides us with the opportunity to contribute additional sources of tungsten mineralisation in parallel with Linka.”
Why tungsten grade matters — and what skarn mineralisation means for investors
The geological setting at both projects is an intrusion-related skarn system. In plain terms: a hot granite body pushed up into surrounding limestone, and at that contact zone, chemical reactions created scheelite, the primary tungsten-bearing mineral. The skarn forms along buried margins and at depth, and there is significant potential for unmined high-grade skarn bodies beneath the existing workings and along buried granite margins.
That matters for Viking’s situation specifically. Modern mapping, geophysics, and drilling could identify unmined high-grade bodies along the buried granite margins, targeting material the original operators never reached.
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Linka remains the anchor — Long and Terrell build the pipeline
Linka is the Company’s primary focus and most advanced asset. Key milestones at Linka include:
- BLM approval received to collect a bulk sample of up to 900 tonnes from historical surface stockpiles (refer ASX announcement 27 August 2026)
- Bulk sample to be processed via toll treatment in the USA to produce concentrate samples for offtake assessment with Ammonium Paratungstate (APT) refineries
- This represents a potential low-CAPEX, rapid-restart processing model that the Company views as extendable across its broader Nevada portfolio
- Maiden drill programme at Linka currently in progress
Long and Terrell sit behind Linka in the development queue, but the reconnaissance results position them as credible pipeline assets — potential future sources of mineralised feed within a broader Nevada tungsten strategy. Confirming high-grade tungsten across multiple projects, not just one, strengthens the overall portfolio thesis and gives the Company optionality it did not have before this field programme.
Immediate next steps across the Nevada portfolio are:
- Identify and assess potential US toll treatment facilities for the Linka 900-tonne bulk sample
- Plan logistics for bulk sample collection, handling, and transport at Linka
- Detailed mapping and follow-up sampling at Long and Terrell to define mineralisation extent and rank drill targets
- Ground magnetic surveys at additional Nevada projects to establish a primary dataset for ongoing exploration
- Continuation of ongoing metallurgical testwork supporting the Linka Project
- Completion of the maiden Linka drill programme
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