Viking Mines (ASX: VKA) wraps up auger drilling testing lithium and gold potential of First Hit Project

Highlights

• Auger drilling campaign completed at the First Hit Lithium and Gold Project with successful collection of 1,220 samples.
• The sampling was conducted over a 26km strike length of the Ida Fault and tests more than 55km² of highly prospective tenure.
• VKA has sent samples for analysis. Results are likely to be received in January 2024.

Viking Mines Ltd (ASX: VKA) has completed a major auger drilling and sampling programme at the Company’s First Hit Lithium & Gold Project in the Western Australia Goldfields. The sampling programme included collection of 1,220 samples along a 26km strike length of the Ida Fault, encompassing more than 55km² of highly prospective tenure.

The granted tenure of the ASX-listed Company covers around ~291km² in this district. There are additional tenement applications being worked on concurrently that are expected to increase the total land package to more than 535km².

Auger drilling testing lithium and gold potential

The auger drill programme at the First Hit Project covered an area of over 55km², completing 1,220 holes across 1,991m at the primary tenement holdings along the Mt Ida Fault.

The drill operations were done as an initial first phase exploration pass with the aim of gathering samples for evaluation of multiple elements, mainly gold and lithium. The goal is to define geochemical anomalies which are greater than 50ppm lithium at the tenure, which has never been assessed for this battery mineral.

The samples were collected predominantly from a grid measuring 200m x 400m over the target area.

Viking also intends to expand on the >50ppm lithium anomalies detected in the historical data during infill sampling in some locations.

Using the findings of the programme, VKA plans to formulate a strategy to carry out follow-up field work detecting the anomalies’ source.

The Company has submitted the samples in the labs for analysis. It is likely that the assays will be announced next month.

What’s next?

Viking is looking forward to work in association with specialist consultants to study the analysis results for assessing fertility potential of the field from where samples were collected for LCT type pegmatites.

Also, anomalous areas will be assessed for infill soil and/or auger sampling. This will include field mapping of anomalous areas, detecting potential sources of the anomalies and gathering geological data as well as rock chip samples. This will help in the planning of follow up drill operations.

VKA shares traded at AU$0.012 on 11 December 2023.