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Highlights
- Viking Mines has received final approval from the US Bureau of Land Management for its maiden 63-hole drilling campaign at the Linka Tungsten Project in Nevada.
- The fully permitted programme marks the first sub-surface exploration at Linka in more than 40 years.
- Mobilisation activities are planned for the June quarter.
- The drilling campaign will target three priority zones, including Linka Main, the Linka Southwest Extension, and a regional reconnaissance programme.
Viking Mines Limited (ASX:VKA) has received final approval from the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for its maiden drilling campaign at the Linka Tungsten Project in Nevada. The approval clears the final federal regulatory requirement for the company’s planned 63-hole drilling programme, marking the first sub-surface exploration at the project in more than four decades. Viking is now preparing for contractor selection and mobilisation ahead of planned June quarter activities.
Federal Approval Clears Final Regulatory Step. What’s Ahead?
The company received the BLM approval ahead of its internal timeline, allowing the project to move into the execution phase. Upon payment of the required bonds, the project will be fully permitted for drilling operations.
The planned maiden exploration campaign comprises 63 drill holes across 48 drill pads, covering three priority targets across the project area.
The company said the permitting milestone provides certainty around the drilling schedule, with the finalisation of a drilling contractor representing the next key step ahead of the planned June quarter mobilisation.
The contractor evaluations are in the final stages, with an award expected shortly. Site access works and drill pad preparation are scheduled to begin in June. Drill rig mobilisation is expected following contract award, anticipated later in the June quarter.
In parallel, the company is advancing metallurgical testwork and processing concept studies.
Three Exploration Targets Identified
The approved programme is designed to evaluate several prospective zones across the Linka project area.
The Linka Main target area will include 36 drill holes aimed at verifying historical high-grade intercepts, including intersections such as 9.8 metres at 0.5% WO₃ and 7.9 metres at 0.9% WO₃, alongside channel sampling results of 8.5 metres at 1.0% WO₃. Additional drill holes will test continuity beneath historical workings.
The Linka Southwest Extension will undergo maiden drill testing across four sections spaced between 125 metres and 150 metres apart of the prospective approximately 800 metres southwest extension. A total of 16 holes will be drilled. Surface sampling in this extension previously returned tungsten grades of up to 0.6% WO₃.
Meanwhile, the Regional Reconnaissance programme will include 11 shallow vertical holes aimed at validating magnetic and gravity geophysical interpretations and identifying additional mineralised zones within the broader intrusive complex.
US Tungsten Market Adds Strategic Importance
Viking highlighted that the Linka project represents its entry into the United States tungsten sector, where domestic supply remains limited.
The company also pointed to the upcoming December 2026 REEShore Act mandate, which will prohibit Chinese-origin tungsten from the US Department of Defense supply chains. This regulatory backdrop adds strategic significance to the advancement of the Linka project toward drilling and future resource definition.
VKA shares traded at AUD 0.011 per share at the time of writing on 18 May 2026.
