Viking Mines Hits 86% Success Rate Drilling Tungsten as US Backs Nevada Supply
Key Takeaways
- Viking Mines has achieved an 86% hit rate across its maiden RC drilling campaign at Linka Main, with 12 of 14 holes returning visible scheelite mineralisation.
- The standout intercept from LKRC0005 returned a combined 22m of visible scheelite over a 24m horizon from 55m downhole, with visual abundance ranging from 0.1% to 1.5%.
- The confirmed assay benchmark of 14m at 0.56% WO₃ from LKRC0002 provides a real-world calibration point for interpreting the current visual intercepts ahead of laboratory results due in September and October.
- The US Government committed approximately US$150 million toward restarting tungsten production in Nevada in the same week as this drilling update, directly relevant to Linka's Nevada location.
- The drill rig returns mid-October on a double-shift basis to complete the programme, with parallel workstreams including metallurgical testwork and toll treatment identification for a 900-tonne approved bulk sample.
Drilling delivers broad scheelite zones across Linka Main as assay pipeline builds
Viking Mines (ASX: VKA) has reported further wide zones of visible scheelite from detailed UV logging of holes LKRC0005 through LKRC0017 at the Linka Tungsten Project in Nevada, with standout results extending the company’s strong hit rate across its maiden reverse circulation (RC) drilling campaign.
The headline intercept comes from LKRC0005, which returned a combined 22m of visible scheelite over a 24m horizon from 55m downhole, with estimated visual abundance ranging from 0.1% to 1.5% scheelite. That result sits alongside three other notable holes: LKRC0006 (combined 10m over a 12m horizon from 70m), LKRC0017 (12.2m continuous from 48.8m), and LKRC0016 (9.9m continuous from 58.7m).
Across the full Linka Main programme, 12 of 14 holes have encountered visible mineralisation, delivering an 86% hit rate that Viking describes as validating the historical datasets underpinning the project. The two holes without notable visual mineralisation were LKRC0010, which encountered a 3m wide historic mining void, and LKRC0008, which did not intersect significant skarn mineralisation.
The first visible scheelite intercepts from the Linka campaign established the UV logging methodology and hit rate that the current holes are now extending, providing continuity across what is shaping up as a broad mineralised system.
The calibration point for these visual intercepts is the confirmed assay result from earlier drilling: LKRC0002 returned 14m at 0.56% WO₃ (estimated true width of 9m), establishing a real-world benchmark for what the current visual programme could represent once laboratory results are received.
In total, 20 RC holes have been drilled to date: 14 at Linka Main, 4 at the SW Extension target (including one abandoned hole), and 2 at the Regional target. All samples have been delivered to ALS laboratory in Reno, Nevada, with assay results expected throughout September and October. Tungsten pricing remains supportive at US$2,950/mtu WO₃.
Important caveat: Visual estimates of mineral presence should never be considered a substitute for laboratory analyses. True widths are not yet known, and visual estimates provide no information regarding impurities or deleterious physical properties relevant to valuations.
Key visual intercepts at a glance
| Hole ID | From (m) | Interval (m) | Style | Visual Abundance Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LKRC0005 | 55m | Combined 22m over 24m horizon (5m from 55m + 17m from 62m) | Disseminated, coarse-grained | 0.1%–1.5% |
| LKRC0006 | 70m | Combined 10m over 12m horizon (8m from 70m + 2m from 80m) | Disseminated | 0.1%–1.0% |
| LKRC0007 | 14.5m | Combined 9.1m over 11.4m horizon | Disseminated (historic voids for balance) | 0.05%–0.8% |
| LKRC0009 | 57.9m | 3.8m continuous | Very strong response | 0.2%–1.8% |
| LKRC0011 | 22.9m | 3.0m continuous | Disseminated | 0.2%–1.0% |
| LKRC0012 | 28.2m | Combined 5.3m over 10.7m horizon (two zones) | Disseminated | 0.1%–0.8% |
| LKRC0015 | 110.5m | 1.5m | Disseminated | 0.1%–0.4% |
| LKRC0016 | 58.7m | 9.9m continuous | Disseminated | 0.1%–0.7% |
| LKRC0017 | 48.8m | 12.2m continuous | Disseminated | 0.1%–0.7% |
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Managing Director & CEO Julian Woodcock
Julian Woodcock, Managing Director & CEO
“Continuing to intercept strong and wide visual intercepts of scheelite at the Linka Tungsten Project is highly encouraging. The drilling is demonstrating the scale of the visually identified mineralisation at Linka and is validating the historical datasets which made this such a compelling Project in the first place.”
“With the first assays recently received delivering a spectacular 14m at 0.56% WO3, we are eagerly anticipating the assays for the visual intercepts being announced today.”
“The US tungsten environment is moving quickly, with the US Government recently restricting the export of tungsten scrap, and this week committing approximately US$150 million towards restarting tungsten production in Nevada. This demonstrates strong government backing for bringing tungsten production onshore to the US, and Linka is well positioned in Nevada to be part of that story.”
What is scheelite, and why does UV drilling work?
Scheelite (CaWO₄) is the primary ore mineral for tungsten, and at Linka it occurs within tactite (skarn) zones. Tactite, also called skarn, is a rock type that forms where limestone comes into contact with granitic intrusive rocks. The heat and chemical interaction between the two rock types creates conditions where tungsten-bearing minerals like scheelite can concentrate in economically significant quantities.
The reason geologists can identify scheelite quickly in the field comes down to a distinctive physical property: when exposed to shortwave ultraviolet light at 254nm, scheelite emits a bright white to yellow fluorescence that is highly recognisable. Company geologists apply this technique to RC chip trays directly at the drill rig, logging visible scheelite abundance before any laboratory work has been completed.
For investors, this matters because it compresses the feedback loop between drilling and preliminary discovery signals. Rather than waiting months for assay results to understand whether a hole has intersected mineralisation, the UV method delivers a rapid visual read that guides ongoing programme decisions. At Linka, this method now has real-world calibration: the same hosted style that generated LKRC0005’s wide visual intercepts also produced the confirmed 14m at 0.56% WO₃ result from LKRC0002. That gives the visual estimates meaningful context, even before formal assay results are available.
The cautionary note stands: visual estimates are qualitative indicators, not grade proxies. What they tell you is that mineralisation is present and potentially wide-spread. What grade those intercepts will deliver is a question for the ALS laboratory.
US tungsten policy puts Linka in the spotlight
The policy environment for domestic US tungsten production has been strengthening rapidly, and two specific developments referenced in the announcement are directly relevant to Linka’s Nevada location.
First, the US Government published a restriction on the export of tungsten scrap in the Federal Register in August 2026. This signals a deliberate effort to tighten domestic supply chains for a material with significant defence and industrial applications. Second, and more immediately, the US Government committed approximately US$150 million toward restarting tungsten production in Nevada, announced in the same week as this drilling update.
Broader legislative context reinforces this direction. Tungsten carries a critical mineral designation in the US, and the REEShore Act mandates Chinese-free tungsten in US military supply chains from December 2026. That deadline creates a structural pull for domestically sourced tungsten supply at a time when the spot price sits at US$2,950/mtu WO₃.
It is important to note that neither policy initiative represents a direct contract, partnership, or committed benefit to Viking Mines. What they collectively represent is a rapidly strengthening macro environment that positions a Nevada-based tungsten project favourably as the US seeks to rebuild onshore supply.
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What comes next for Viking Mines
The drill rig has temporarily demobilised from site for planned maintenance and a crew break, with the rig expected to return mid-October on a double-shift basis. Based on current productivity levels, drilling is estimated to take approximately 2–3 weeks to complete the programme. Viking intends to use this period to review drillhole results and plan additional holes where warranted.
The company’s near-term workstreams include:
- Completing the maiden RC drilling programme upon the rig’s return to site.
- Reporting drilling progress and validated assay results as they are received, with the results pipeline running through September and October.
- Ongoing metallurgical testwork covering both ore sorting and flotation.
- Identifying toll treatment options for the recently approved 900 tonne bulk sample, with the goal of generating concentrate for offtake assessment.
Linka waste dump mineralisation confirmed in earlier testwork adds another layer to the project’s near-term optionality, with ore sorting trials on stockpiled material running in parallel to the RC drilling programme.
Underpinning these workstreams is Linka’s brownfields restart infrastructure. The project retains a 150ft (~46m) shaft, a ROM pad, historic underground workings, sealed highway access within 7km, and grid power within 4km. These assets reduce the capital intensity of moving from exploration towards any future production scenario, and provide practical context for how quickly the project could potentially be advanced if the assay results support it.
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