Viking Mines Limited has returned assay results of up to 1.8% WO3 from first-pass sampling of historical rock stockpiles at its Linka Tungsten Project in Nevada. The campaign, which involved 98 samples, also confirmed tungsten mineralisation within six historical trenches and road cuttings along an 820-metre trend.

The sampling of historical rock dumps at the site revealed zones of mineralised garnet tactite intermingled with waste rock. Results from the mill area ROM pad averaged 0.5% WO3, while samples from the Conquest mine stockpiles returned average grades of 0.1% and 0.4% WO3. Trench sampling delivered results including 1m at 1.3% WO3 and 5m at 0.4% WO3.

“These results confirm what our field team observed under UV light in May - the historical operators left tungsten behind. Two of the three areas we sampled are rock stockpile waste dumps from the original mining, yet they returned assays up to 1.8% WO3. That is mineralised material sitting at surface, already mined once, that was simply discarded because the tools to recover it didn't exist 80 years ago.”

“This first pass was designed to answer one question - is there tungsten in these dumps - and the answer is clearly yes. Systematic sampling will now establish representative grades, and the TOMRA ore sorting testwork nearing completion will tell us whether this material can be efficiently upgraded.”

— Julian Woodcock, Managing Director and CEO

Viking is now working toward several upcoming milestones to further evaluate the Linka project. The company expects to release assay results from sensor-based ore sorting testwork conducted at TOMRA’s facility in Germany shortly. Following these results, the team plans to implement a systematic sampling programme across the three identified rock dump areas to establish representative grades and tonnage potential. Additionally, the company is progressing toward the completion of its maiden drilling programme at the site.

Read the full announcement: LINKA STOCKPILES RETURN TUNGSTEN ASSAYS UP TO 1.8% WO3