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Highlights
- Viking Mines has submitted a Notice of Intent to advance a 63-hole drilling programme at the Linka Tungsten Project.
- The campaign will test historical intercepts and explore a ~800m southwest extension.
- Exploration will include new target zones and broader reconnaissance drilling across the project area.
- Approvals expected in May 2026, with site mobilisation scheduled for the June quarter.
Viking Mines Limited (ASX:VKA) (OTC:VKALF) has moved closer to launching its maiden drilling campaign at the Linka Tungsten Project in Nevada, following the submission of a Notice of Intent (NOI) to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Land Management. The filing represents the final federal requirement ahead of securing approvals, expected later this month, for a 63-hole drilling programme aimed at restarting a past-producing tungsten asset for the US market.
The planned programme across 48 pads will target multiple zones within the Linka project. Once approved, the campaign will mark the first drilling activity at the site in more than four decades, following the cessation of operations around 1980.
Focus on Historic Results and New Extensions
The drilling is designed to assess the scale of the project and aims to verify previously recorded high-grade tungsten intercepts at the Linka Main area, where earlier results included intervals such as 9.8 metres at 0.5% WO₃, 7.9 metres at 0.9% WO₃ and 8.5 metres at 1.0% WO₃. Additional work will assess down-dip of the earlier working to determine the depth potential of the project.
The drilling campaign will also include maiden testing of the ~800m southwest. Surface sampling in this zone has returned values of up to 0.6% WO₃.
Regional Drilling to Validate Geological Models
Beyond the main and extension targets, Viking Mines plans reconnaissance drilling across the broader Linka complex. This work will focus on validating geophysical models and identify contact zones where mineralisation may occur. The programme is designed to accelerate progress toward resource definition and assess potential future development.
Linka Project and planned drillhole locations with magnetic geophysics background image. (Image source: Company update)
Mobilisation Timeline and Preparations
The company expects to receive final federal approvals in May 2026 and is currently in th process of selecting a drilling contractor. Site mobilisation to initiate drill site preparation and earthworks, is scheduled for the June quarter, subject to approvals.
The upcoming drilling programme at Linka represents a transition into renewed exploration activity at a past-producing tungsten asset. With approvals anticipated shortly and preparations nearing completion, Viking Mines is set to begin an extensive campaign aimed at assessing both established and prospective zones within the project area.
VKA shares were trading 10% higher at AUD 0.011 per share at the time of writing on 4 May 2026.
