Critical minerals explorer QEM (ASX:QEM) has concluded its 2023 drilling campaign at the Julia Creek Vanadium Project in Queensland, Australia.
The $30.11 million market capitalisation company says the campaign targeted 12 exploration locations in the north of the company’s tenement, with a target depth of up to 80m.
QEM engaged Measured Group as the lead resource geologist and program manager, and All State Drilling as te drilling contractor. Cartledge Mining & Geotechnics and ATC Williams also participated throughout the campaign with the latter overseeing construction of the groundwater monitoring bores and Cartledge conducted a series of geotechnical tests.
QEM notes this was a multipurpose drill campaign that focused on resource expansion, groundwater bore installation, geotechnical analysis, and waste characterisation.
Commenting on the drill campaign, QEM Managing Director Gavin Loyden says: “The 2023 campaign, as with every drilling campaign on our tenement, was a great opportunity to work with our landholders who we engage to prepare the land and tracks required for the drillers.”
Of the drill campaign’s 12 exploration holes, 2 have now been converted to groundwater monitoring bores and a further 4 were used for geotechnical analysis.
The company notes overburden and core samples from a range of holes have been collected, allowing for waste characterisation analysis to begin. In addition, fresh core samples were collected for further pilot plant testing and metallurgical testwork at QEM’s pilot plant at HRL Labs in Victoria.
QEM is an ASX-listed exploration and development company focused on its flagship Julia Creek Project, covering about 250km-square in the Julia Creek area of North Western Queensland.
The Julia Creek vanadium project has a ‘globally significant’ JORC (2012) mineral resource of 2.85 billion tonnes @ 0.31% V2O5, making it one of the single largest ASX-listed vanadium resources. The resource is comprised of 360Mt @ 0.29% V2O5 in the indicated category and 2.49Bt @ 0.31% V2O5 in the inferred category.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: QEM Ltd
