VKA starts geophysical surveys on US tungsten project

Our US tungsten Investment Viking Mines (ASX: VKA) just started a geophysical survey on its Linka tungsten project in Nevada, USA.

VKA’s Linka has historic production of a combined ~123,000t at 0.54% tungsten grades.

Tungsten has military uses in munitions (bullets), vehicles and body armour, missiles and radiation shields… at the moment the USA is 100% beholden to imports of this critical military mineral..

At the Linka project (where VKA has expanded its ground position recently) between 1955 and 1956, 360 tonne per day was milled from an open pit mine - here is a photo of that old pit:

(source)

VKA will now be applying modern geophysics to the project with a 0.5km² ground gravity survey and 2.2km² magnetic survey.

The Linka project hasn’t really been explored with modern exploration methods, so the aim is to map subsurface tungsten mineralisation and identify new drill targets ahead of drilling.

VKA’s geophysical surveys will be the first time we get to see how the structures that hosted all that old mineralisation extend along strike and at depth.

(so basically we will be looking out for signs of extensions to the old workings on the project)

VKA expects to have results released to the market in mid-March.

We note that before these surveys, VKA had already expanded its project area to cover historical workings ~1.9km northeast of the main mining area and more of the magnetic high on the project.

(Source)

Now, VKA is targeting the areas near those old workings:

(source)

What do we want to see VKA do next?

🔄Complete the acquisition of the new tungsten assets.

Next, we want to see VKA complete the acquisition of its six tungsten assets in the US.

VKA set the notice of meeting to have the deal approved for 12th of February, so we should see that news very soon.

🔄Early metwork testing

VKA recently sent off a bulk sample to test its viability for processing.

In particular there is a focus on exploring the viability for this to be used in an early production opportunity scenario, with results from this expected in February. (source)

🔄 Target generation work (mapping/sampling)

We want to see VKA digitise the historical drilling and previous sampling data on the project.

Then we want to see all of that data get integrated into a modern 3D model.

We also want to see the project mapped with LiDAR to reveal the full extent of the underground workings on the project.

Milestones:

🔄 Mapping and sampling (soils and rock chips)

🔄 Geophysics/LiDAR (geophysics commenced today) (source)

🔲 Drill targets confirmed

🔲 Drilling (planned for April) (source)