Viking preps 63-hole tungsten drilling blitz in Nevada

Viking Mines is officially transitioning from paperwork to power tools at its Linka tungsten project in Nevada, lodging a formal Notice of Intent with the US Bureau of Land Management for an expansive 63-hole drilling campaign.

The move marks a pivotal shift for the company as it prepares to launch the first exploration drilling at the historical site in more than four decades, aiming to breathe new life into a project that last saw production in 1956.

The company says the upcoming blitz will test the Linka system at scale across 48 drill pads, focusing on three distinct technical objectives to unlock maximum value.

At the “Linka Main” target, Viking will chase confirmation of historical high-grade intercepts to fast-track a maiden resource. The company is out to replicate some serious old-timer hits, including 9.8 metres at 0.5 per cent tungsten trioxide from one hole, and another of 7.9 metres at 0.9 per cent tungsten trioxide. Not to be outdone, a channel sample previously delivered a chunky 8.5m at 1.0 per cent tungsten trioxide.

‘This 63-hole programme targets near-surface opportunities in a strategic US tungsten district.’

Viking Mines managing director and chief executive officer Julian Woodcock

The second phase of the attack will target the “Linka Southwest” extension. This high-potential zone sits under younger shallow cover where the mineralisation appears to continue for at least 800 metres beyond the known historical workings.

Viking plans to drill four sections spaced between 125 metres and 150 metres apart to confirm bedrock geology and the continuity of skarn mineralisation. Surface samples in this neck of the woods have already returned up to 0.6 per cent tungsten trioxide, suggesting the system has plenty of room to grow.

Viking Mines managing director and chief executive officer Julian Woodcock said: “Lodging the NOI marks our transition to active sub-surface exploration. This 63-hole programme targets near-surface opportunities and the 800m southwest extension, building a growth pipeline in a strategic US tungsten district.”

Lastly, regional reconnaissance drilling will push further afield to test the scale of a broader intrusive body flagged by magnetic and gravity surveys. Shallow vertical holes will be used to pierce the cover and reach the underlying bedrock, to define the contact positions where tungsten mineralisation typically congregates.

Viking Mines says an expanded geophysical survey recently revealed a much bigger intrusive system at Linka than previously believed.

A deeper dive with the magnetics outlined a tungsten-bearing body stretching two kilometres wide, wrapped in a sprawling contact zone that runs for more than seven kilometres – a prime hunting ground for mineralisation.

The size of the contact zone is important since it marks the boundary where hot, metal-charged fluids from the intrusion collide with surrounding carbonate-rich limestone, setting up the perfect chemical trap for tungsten to precipitate in classic skarn-style mineralisation.

With federal nods expected this month, Viking is also in the final stages of contractor selection and expects to mobilise to the site during the June quarter.

The timing of the drill program looks spot ahead of the December 2026 REEShore Act mandate, which bans Chinese-origin tungsten from US military supply chains. The company is aiming to carve out a strategic foothold in the US, targeting a market that remains structurally short of domestic supply and increasingly hungry for secure, homegrown tungsten.

To further bolster the development case, the company is working with Mineral Technologies on a modular plant design and evaluating historical above-ground stockpiles, which have recently returned samples of 0.8 per cent tungsten trioxide.

While Linka is the immediate focus, Viking continues to monitor its other strategic interests, including the Canegrass vanadium project in Western Australia. However, the immediate prize is clearly in the Nevada desert.

Viking appears to be wasting no time in its bid to become a serious player in the critical minerals space. With the drill rods about to spin at Linka in a world-class jurisdiction and tungsten prices nearing record highs, punters will likely be keeping a close eye on the company’s unfolding Nevada story and eagerly watching for the first batch of assays to land.

Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: mattbirney@bullsnbears.com.au