en.Wedoany.com Reported - Viking Mines (ASX:VKA) has achieved a metallurgical test breakthrough at the Linka tungsten project in Nevada, successfully producing a high-quality concentrate grading 62.5% WO3 with a recovery rate of 59.8% from a feed material grading 1.2%, thereby de-risking the upcoming maiden drilling program.

This result surpasses the company's previously reported grade of 56.4% WO3 and recovery rate of 46.0%. The new concentrate grade is almost on par with the 65% concentrate grade expected from Almonty's Sangdong mine in South Korea, which will be the largest tungsten mine in the West once fully operational; the recovery rate also exceeds the 53.2% recovery reported by EQ Resources (ASX:EQR) at the Barruecopardo mine in Spain.

Viking Mines is validating its "fast-start" model, which prioritizes low-cost physical separation processes over complex chemical treatment. The test was completed on a 10-kilogram sample (compared to 2 kilograms in previous tests), using a flowsheet that combines gravity separation with a first-time rougher/cleaner flotation circuit for the gravity tailings. Results show that by combining gravity concentrate (66.6% WO3, 42.7% recovery) with flotation concentrate (54.3% WO3, 17.1% recovery), an overall concentrate grade of 62.5% WO3 and a total recovery of 59.8% can be achieved. Optimization of the gravity stage resulted in a standalone gravity concentrate grade of 66.6% WO3, with a confirmed recovery of 42.7%. Preliminary observations from the flotation cleaner stage indicate potential for further optimization through adjustments to reagent dosage. These results will be directly used in a conceptual processing study being conducted in collaboration with Mineral Technologies to de-risk the processing pathway ahead of the maiden drilling.

Viking Mines is developing a gravity-dominant process flowsheet, aiming to produce high-quality tungsten concentrate using simple, proven technology, avoiding chemical complexity and high capital expenditure.

This test milestone comes as Western tungsten prices remain near historical highs. The current Rotterdam CIF price for 88.5% Ammonium Paratungstate (APT) is US$3,050/mtu (approximately US$305,000/tonne). The United States faces national and economic security vulnerabilities due to the absence of domestic tungsten production to supply critical semiconductor, industrial, and defense manufacturing lines. As the Department of War and advanced manufacturers seek to secure "NATO-grade," non-Chinese tungsten supply, Viking Mines is positioning itself to become a domestic, low-capex scheelite producer in the USA.

Viking Mines plans to conduct detailed crushing and grinding tests on new samples to determine energy consumption and ore abrasion characteristics, providing a basis for plant design and cost estimation. Ongoing gravity separation tests will examine coarser grind sizes, while ore sorting studies will focus on approximately 40 kilograms of recently collected samples. The maiden drilling program at the Linka project remains scheduled to commence in the June quarter of 2026, with drilling permits already approved.

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