QEM has kicked off a new drilling campaign targeting 12 sites across its Julia Creek vanadium and oil shale tenement in North West Queensland.

The campaign will include resource exploration, groundwater bore installation, geotechnical analysis and waste characterisation.

Related: QEM expands waste upcycling plan to source vanadium

QEM managing director Gavin Loyden said that previous drilling had given the company a sound knowledge of the project’s vast resource potential and the 2023 campaign would represent a crucial step forward.

“The 2023 campaign is expected to build on that knowledge and identify further significant value to the project for our shareholders,” Mr Loyden said.

The drilling campaign will consist of 12 exploration holes, two of which will be converted to groundwater monitoring bores, and four of which will be used for geotechnical analysis.

QEM said overburden and core samples from a range of these holes would be collected to commence waste characterisation analysis, as well as provide fresh core for further pilot plant testing and metallurgical test work.

QEM has engaged Measured Group as the lead resource geologist and program manager, and All State Drilling as the drilling contractor.

ATC Williams will oversee the construction of the groundwater monitoring bores and Cartledge Mining & Geotechnics has been engaged to conduct a series of geotechnical tests.

Related: QEM shortlists energy park contractors

The Julia Creek project hosts an established mineral resource of 2850Mt grading at 0.31 per cent vanadium pentoxide as well as an in-situ oil resource of 79MMBBls of oil equivalent in the 2C category, and 696MMBBLs in the 3C category, contained within the same ore body.

QEM last month successfully completed a $2.72 million share placement to support the ongoing development of the project.

Image at top of page: File photograph from previous drilling work at the QEM tenement.