Golden Promise: Viking Mines Strikes High-Grade Gold at Riverina East
Viking Mines (ASX:VKA) has hit significant high-grade gold including visible gold in its greenfields drilling at the Riverina East Project, demonstrating the potential for a major discovery along the prolific Zuleika Shear.
Major Discovery in Greenfields Drilling
In a significant breakthrough, Viking Mines has intersected high-grade gold mineralisation with visible gold at its Bifrost Target within the Riverina East Project. The standout result from hole VKRC0180 returned:
- 2m at 23.6g/t Au from 124m (including visible gold)
- 1m at 3.2g/t Au from 112m
- 1m at 1.5g/t from 108m
These high-grade intercepts are contained within broader gold anomalous zones exceeding 50ppb:
- 6m at 8.0g/t Au from 123m
- 21m at 0.4g/t Au from 96m
What makes this discovery particularly exciting is that the mineralisation remains completely open, with no drilling for 1.7km to the north and 1.1km to the south.
"This is an exceptional result in an underexplored area of the Riverina East Project," said Julian Woodcock, Viking Mines' Managing Director & CEO. "The drilling result at Bifrost is exactly the style and type of mineralisation we have been targeting with our exploration programme."
The Right Geological Setting for a Major Deposit
The intercepts at Bifrost are hosted within dolerite, a known favourable host rock for major gold deposits in the region. This is the same rock type that hosts multi-million-ounce deposits like those in the St Ives Gold Camp operated by Gold Fields.
The visible gold and extent of the broad gold anomaly are interpreted to represent a significant volume of mineralising fluid flow through the host rocks, highlighting the substantial potential of this discovery.
Importantly, approximately 700m to the west, a second promising structure was identified with VKRC0178 returning 1m at 3.3g/t Au from 51m, about 35m up-dip from a previously reported intercept, providing another target for follow-up drilling.
Understanding Narrow Vein, High-Grade Deposits
In the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia, many significant gold deposits occur as narrow vein systems with exceptionally high grades. These systems typically feature veins less than 2m thick but can contain spectacular gold grades that make them economically viable.
The Zuleika Shear, which runs through Viking's Riverina East Project, is renowned for hosting multiple deposits with this characteristic profile. The 25km of strike length held by Viking along this structure offers tremendous exploration potential.
The nearby Riverina/Mulline Camp operated by Ora Banda Mining (ASX:OBM) hosts over 1.3 million ounces within similar geological settings, just 4km to the southwest of Viking's discovery.
Strategic Position in a Gold-Rich District
Viking's Riverina East Project encompasses 25km of strike length along the highly prospective Zuleika Shear. This regional structure is known to host multiple significant gold deposits within a relatively short distance:
| Nearby Gold Camps | Gold Endowment |
|---|---|
| Riverina/Mulline (OBM) | >1.3Moz |
| Davyhurst Camp | 1.2Moz |
| Mt Ida | 1.0Moz |
| Kundana Camp | 4.3Moz |
The project is well-positioned with infrastructure, located 50km west of the sealed Goldfields highway and the township of Menzies. The nearest gold processing plant is just 40km to the south.
Next Steps and Upcoming Catalysts
Viking is moving quickly to capitalise on this discovery with several initiatives underway:
- Receipt and interpretation of the remaining assays from the Phase 2 program (28% still pending)
- Planning immediate follow-up drilling to test for high-grade extensions from the discovery hole
- Completing high-resolution magnetic geophysics to assist targeting and structural interpretation
- Advancing the First Hit Mine underground mining assessment
Why Investors Should Watch Viking Mines
Viking's discovery at Riverina East represents a textbook example of what exploration companies aim to achieve – identifying high-grade gold in a previously untested area of a proven mineralising system.
With results coming in from the current program and follow-up drilling planned, Viking has multiple near-term catalysts that could drive significant shareholder value. The discovery's timing coincides with record gold prices, further enhancing the project's economic potential.
The company holds a dominant land position along a major gold-bearing structure, with multiple targets still to be tested across its extensive tenement package. This initial success at Bifrost demonstrates the significant discovery potential that exists within Viking's broader exploration portfolio.
For gold investors seeking exposure to high-potential exploration in a tier-one jurisdiction, Viking's emerging story at Riverina East deserves close attention as drilling continues to unfold the true scale of this discovery.
Ready to Explore Viking Mines' Golden Opportunity?
Discover how Viking's significant high-grade gold discovery at Riverina East could transform the company's growth trajectory. With visible gold intersected along the prolific Zuleika Shear and multiple near-term catalysts ahead, now is the time to consider this emerging gold story. Visit vikingmines.com today to learn more about this promising ASX-listed gold explorer and stay updated on their expanding discovery potential.
