Richmond Vanadium Technology has started a program of large diameter bucket drilling for samples to confirm its processing approach for ore from the Lilyvale vanadium deposit.

The Caldwell bucket has a diameter of 900mm and is able to deliver about one tonne of material for each vertical metre drilled.

RVT said Richmond hardware and rural supplies company, Golden Run Rural, had designed a hopper to ensure the safe and efficient collection of the material into bulk bags for easy transport.

The samples collected will be used for independent confirmation testing of the company’s patented process flowsheet, as part of the bankable feasibility study for its Richmond – Julia Creek vanadium project in North Queensland.

“The commencement of the met sample drill program represents another step as we progress our BFS for the Richmond – Julia Creek vanadium project,” RVT chief executive officer Dr Shaun Ren said.

“To ensure accuracy for future mining, we are taking this sample from various depths within the Stage 1 pit area which targets the first 25 years of production.

“We are fully committed to completing the BFS and commencing this met program is another achievement towards this goal.”

The Queensland Government declared the Richmond-Julia Creek vanadium project to be a Coordinated Project in May 2022, making it the first critical minerals project to be awarded this status.

The terms of reference for the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) were recently finalised. 

The proposed $242.2 million vanadium operation is expected to create up to 100 construction jobs and 200 ongoing operational jobs over 25 years.

The company’s mineral resource comprises three main prospects – Lilyvale, Manfred and Rothbury – across five tenements and totals 1.838 billion tonnes grading at 0.36 per cent vanadium pentoxide for 6.65 million tonnes.

RVT estimates extraction of up to 4.2 million tonnes annually of vanadium ore, processed on site to produce 790,000 tonnes annually of vanadium concentrate.