Viking de-risks Nevada tungsten project with big metallurgy win
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Murray Region
Viking Mines has achieved a step-change processing breakthrough at its flagship Linka project in Nevada, producing a premium tungsten concentrate from a combined gravity separation and flotation circuit.
The company said its metallurgical testing work resulted in a premium concentrate grade of 62.5 percent tungsten trioxide, with an outstanding recovery rate of 59.8 percent from an initial feed grade of 1.2 percent tungsten trioxide.
Management says the industry-leading results represent a major improvement over previously reported phase two testing parameters, producing a lower concentrate grade of 56.4 percent at a modest improvement rate of 46.0 percent.
In particular, management says a much larger 10-kilogram sample was used in the latest testing run. The fivefold increase in weight from previous sample runs indicates volumetric reproducibility and has significantly reduced the risk of eventual commercial deployment from a future facility.
‘This keeps Linka on a rapid development path in US tier one jurisdiction.’
Julian Woodcock, managing director and chief executive of Viking Mines
There are still further gains to be had for Viking, with heavyweight processing companies Base Met Labs and Independent Metallurgical Operations noting significant room for improvement in cleaner flotation stages.
To capture this positive development, new laboratory programs are currently underway to adjust reagent dosages to improve project performance. The company believes that ultimately an improvement of over 70 percent is possible at levels above 50 percent tungsten trioxide.
Successful combined separation circuit results will go a long way in supporting Viking’s fast-start flowchart strategy. The company’s savvy approach aims to prioritize low-cost, physical gravity separation over capital-intensive chemical processing. This potentially allows the company to pursue modular facility construction and obtain environmental permits faster.
Viking Mines managing director and chief executive Julian Woodcock said: “These results are another important step forward for the Linka project. And cleaner buoyancy circuit like that Now to submit A. world class 62.5% WO3 concentrate -most 59.8% to get better.”
Beyond the immediate success of testing at Linka, Viking is pursuing an expanding footprint of additional tungsten projects in Nevada.
The Company holds strategic ownership interests in the Alpine, Long, Ragged Top, Terrell and Victory project areas, all of which are well-established under unpatented mineral claims. This broader regional portfolio provides access to some of the most productive and historic tungsten mining regions in the United States.
Following successful metallurgical testing results at the main Linka site, Viking will apply the same process to remaining bulk samples from the Conquest, Hillside and Stockpile areas at Linka to verify consistent performance across all areas.. Upcoming gravity separation tests will examine coarser grind sizes to see if the process can be made even more efficient.
In addition to ore sorting trials on a recently collected 40 kilogram sample, detailed crushing and grinding tests on fresh core samples are also planned to precisely calculate operating energy costs.
On the exploration front, the company is completing a comprehensive 3D geological model using recently digitized historical mapping and drilling data to help pin down targets for the upcoming 63-hole initial drilling attack.
Following formal approval from the United States Bureau of Land Management, drilling contractor DrilCor has locked in the program and drill rods will begin rotating this quarter to test high-priority gravity anomalies and new hard rock extensions.
The field program will also target some low-hanging fruit following the recent discovery of two historic surface rock stocks showing visible mineralisation.
With global tungsten trioxide prices nearing record levels of US$3050 ($4294) per metric tonne, Viking’s voyage appears perfectly timed to emerge as a critical onshore supplier for Western defense and industrial manufacturing markets.
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