VKA starts drilling at US tungsten project - assays due this month

Our tungsten Investment Viking Mines (ASX: VKA | OTC: VKALF) just restarted its drilling program in Nevada, USA.

This is a continuation of the program VKA started back in August.

After a short pause for maintenance in mid-September, as of yesterday the rig is back drilling to finish off the remainder of the program.

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A quick overview of the project VKA’s drilling first…

VKA's project has previously produced tungsten in the 1940s and 50s, with a 360 tonne per day mill running on site between 1955 and 1956.

Production stopped in 1956 when the US government suspended its tungsten buying program, not because the tungsten ran out.

VKA is now looking to restart the project using a simple, gravity-led processing plant.

So to feed the potential plant, it needs to show that it has a tungsten resource to do so which is the main focus of this drill program.

So far VKA has drilled 20 holes, targeting three of its target areas:

1. Mineralisation around the existing workings (14 holes)
2. Potential extensions to the old workings in the southwest direction (4 holes), and
3. The regional targets (2 holes)

VKA has released assays for five holes from the program so far, all showing decent widths and good grades, with the longer intervals grading 0.4% tungsten or better.

The best was 14m at 0.56% tungsten, with the holes below the old workings hitting 18m at 0.42% and 13m at 0.46%.

4 of the holes hot 6m+, with grades over 0.4% (containing higher grades within):

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We covered the recent results released in our deep dive here: VKA: Announces Thick Tungsten Drill Hits in Nevada, USA

Assays from the rest of the holes drilled to date are still pending (expected this month, starting with the holes around the old workings).

Meanwhile the remaining drilling is expected to take 2 to 3 weeks.

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What's next for VKA?

🔄 VKA’s first drill programme at US tungsten project

Here are the milestones we are tracking for the drill programme:

1. ✅ Drill rig mobilisation to site
2. ✅ Drilling starts - (visuals in August)
3. 🔄 Assay results (first assay received, 20 holes completed, drilling back underway and assays expected this month)

🔄 VKA’s rapid restart plan

We also want to see VKA progress its rapid mine restart strategy.

Here are the milestones we are tracking on that front:

1. ✅ Assay results from stockpiles + tailings dam
2. ✅ Processing study results
3. 🔄 Metwork optimisation (Ore sorting + flotation testwork).

🔄 US engagement

This is more of a corporate milestone we want to see VKA hit.

It’s hard to predict when any of these might happen, but we are hoping VKA can attract some sort of US government funding to help finance its project AND/OR attract strategic interest from inside the US.