Viking Mines Posts 69.3% WO3 in Conquest Linka Tungsten Sample
Key Takeaways
- Gravity separation testwork at Viking Mines' Linka Tungsten Project is now complete across all four samples (LKMET0001–LKMET0004), with every sample exceeding the 50% WO3 concentrate grade target.
- The Conquest sample (LKMET0003) delivered the highest gravity concentrate grade at 69.3% WO3 at 43.8% recovery — achieved from the lowest head grade tested at just 0.76% WO3.
- Adding flotation to gravity tails lifted combined recovery on the Linka Pit sample (LKMET0004) to 76.0% at 56.9% WO3, demonstrating that successive optimisation rounds can materially improve both grade and recovery.
- Tungsten concentrates grading 50–70% WO3 currently command spot prices of approximately US$2,440 per mtu (US$244,000 per tonne), keeping Linka's output squarely within the premium price bracket.
- Near-term catalysts include drill assays for 13 holes expected mid-to-late October, resumption of drilling in mid-October, and second-round ore sorting testwork with TOMRA in Germany.
Gravity separation replicates across all four Linka samples, Conquest hits 69.3% WO3
Gravity separation testwork at Viking Mines‘ Linka Tungsten Project in Nevada has now been completed across all four metallurgical samples (LKMET0001 through LKMET0004), with every sample producing a gravity concentrate grading above 50% WO3, the company’s target threshold.
The standout result came from the Conquest sample (LKMET0003), which delivered 69.3% WO3 at 43.8% recovery from the lowest-grade sample tested, with a head grade of just 0.76% WO3. That outperforms the prior benchmark set in May 2026 (66.6% WO3 at 42.7% recovery). All testwork was completed at Base Met Labs (BML) under the supervision of Independent Metallurgical Operations (IMO), and consistent replication across four samples from distinct deposit areas substantially de-risks the processing pathway ahead of any restart study.
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Q2 FY27 metallurgical results at a glance
The table below summarises all gravity-stage and combined gravity plus flotation results reported to date across the four Linka metallurgical samples.
| Sample ID | Sample Name | Test ID | Circuit | Head Grade (% WO3) | Gravity Concentrate Grade (% WO3) | WO3 Recovery (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LKMET0004 | Linka Pit | R-16 | Gravity | 1.28 | 63.6 | 42.4 |
| LKMET0004 | Linka Pit | CI-28B | Gravity + Flotation | 1.28 | 62.5 | 59.8 |
| LKMET0004 | Linka Pit | CI-28C | Gravity | 1.28 | 66.6 | 42.2 |
| LKMET0004 | Linka Pit | CI-28C | Gravity + Flotation | 1.28 | 56.9 | 76.0 |
| LKMET0001 | Linka Stockpile | CI-31C | Gravity | 0.99 | 55.8 | 46.8 |
| LKMET0001 | Linka Stockpile | CI-31C | Gravity + Flotation | 0.99 | 44.7 | 73.1 |
| LKMET0002 | Hillside | R-33F | Gravity | 0.91 | 53.9 | 42.5 |
| LKMET0002 | Hillside | R-33F | Gravity + Flotation | 0.91 | In progress | |
| LKMET0003 | Conquest | R-34E | Gravity | 0.76 | 69.3 | 43.8 |
| LKMET0003 | Conquest | R-34E | Gravity + Flotation | 0.76 | In progress | |
Three headline figures stand out from these results:
- All four samples exceed the 50% WO3 gravity concentrate target
- Gravity recoveries across all samples tested range from 42.2% to 46.8%
- Conquest (LKMET0003) produced the highest-grade gravity concentrate at 69.3% WO3
What tungsten gravity separation means for investors
Gravity separation is a processing method that uses density differences to separate heavy tungsten-bearing minerals (scheelite) from lighter waste rock. It requires no exotic chemistry, making it one of the more straightforward and cost-effective processing routes available.
Replication across multiple samples is the key signal here. A strong result from a single sample could be anomalous; consistent results across four samples from distinct deposit areas (Linka Pit, Stockpile, Hillside, and Conquest) indicate that the mineralogy responds predictably to this processing route, reducing technical risk for any future processing facility.
The Conquest zone is one of several deposit areas where visible scheelite in Linka drilling confirmed mineralisation presence before metallurgical testwork began, providing the geological basis for selecting representative samples across each distinct area.
Concentrate grade also has a direct commercial impact. Tungsten concentrates grading 50–70% WO3 command spot prices around US$2,440 per metric tonne unit (mtu), equivalent to US$244,000 per tonne (Fastmarkets, 30 September 2026). Every percentage point of concentrate grade above the 50% WO3 threshold keeps Linka’s output firmly within that price bracket.
Flotation on gravity tails lifts combined recovery to 73.1%
Gravity separation captures the bulk of the tungsten, but some remains in the residual material (the gravity tails). Flotation of those tails is stage two: it recovers additional tungsten that gravity alone misses, lifting total recovery.
Initial gravity plus flotation testwork on the Linka Stockpile sample (LKMET0001, test CI-31C) lifted combined recovery from 46.8% (gravity alone) to 73.1%. The combined concentrate grade of 44.7% WO3 is currently below the 50% target, with flotation optimisation continuing on this sample.
The LKMET0004 result, previously reported on 10 June 2026, demonstrates that grade improvement through successive optimisation rounds is achievable. That sample reached 76.0% recovery at 56.9% WO3 after multiple flotation optimisation passes. Flotation testwork on the gravity tails from Hillside (LKMET0002) and Conquest (LKMET0003) is in progress, with results to be reported as they are received.
Julian Woodcock, Managing Director & CEO
“Significantly, the Conquest sample delivered a higher grade and recovery product than the original May 2026 Linka Pit test result, at 69.3% WO₃ and 43.8% recovery, and it did so from the lowest-grade sample we have tested to date…”
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What’s next for Viking Mines and the Linka project
The company has a busy near-term catalyst pipeline across multiple workstreams:
- Flotation optimisation continuing on the Linka Stockpile sample (LKMET0001); initial flotation testwork on Hillside (LKMET0002) and Conquest (LKMET0003) gravity tails in progress
- Second round of ore sorting testwork with TOMRA in Germany on two new samples collected from surface stockpiles at Linka
- Assays pending for 7 holes around the Linka (Main) Pit, expected mid-October; previously reported visually logged intervals up to 12.2m (assay results required to determine tungsten grades)
- Assays pending for 4 SW extension holes and 2 regional exploration holes, expected late October
- Resumption of the drilling programme at Linka in mid-October
- Identification of toll treatment options for the approved 900t bulk sample
The macro backdrop adds further strategic weight to this pipeline. Tungsten concentrate pricing remains near all-time highs at US$2,440/mtu (US$244,000/t) for 50–70% WO3 concentrates (Fastmarkets, 30 September 2026). The US REEShore Act, which mandates Chinese-free tungsten in US military supply chains from December 2026, positions Linka as a potentially strategically relevant domestic source of supply.
For investors wanting to understand how current tungsten pricing has shaped Viking’s project timeline decisions, our detailed coverage of Linka’s development acceleration amid record tungsten prices examines the supply dynamics and strategic rationale behind the company’s accelerated workstream sequencing.
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