Queensland has selected preferred tenderers for two vanadium exploration areas near Julia Creek and awarded new coal acreage in the Bowen Basin as part of a wider resources land release.
Idemitsu Australia has been appointed preferred tenderer for two vanadium blocks totalling 269 square kilometres in the North West Minerals Province.
Located about 25 kilometres north-east of Julia Creek, the areas have been earmarked for potential vanadium production as the Queensland Government seeks to expand the state’s critical minerals pipeline.
In the Bowen Basin, a consortium comprising CAML Resources, Nippon Steel Australia and Foxleigh Coal has secured preferred tenderer status for a 54-square-kilometre coal exploration area about 50km north of Blackwater.
The consortium is the joint venture operator of the nearby Foxleigh coal mine, which supports a workforce of about 700 people.
Queensland Minister for Natural Resources and Mines Dale Last said the vanadium and coal awards, alongside new gas acreage, reflected investor interest across the state’s resources sector.
“Queensland is a resources powerhouse, and these tenders show there is a real appetite to invest, explore and develop the next generation of projects,” Last said.
“Whether it is oil, gas, critical minerals or coal, exploration is where every new resource project starts, and opening new acreage is about building that pipeline for the future.
“The Crisafulli Government is open for business, and these tenders are another vote of confidence in Queensland’s resources sector.”
The broader land release also includes four highly prospective petroleum and gas exploration areas in the Taroom Trough, intended to support future domestic supply.
Denison Gas (Queensland) and OGT Energy secured an approximately 1069-square-kilometre package, while Shell QGC was awarded about 411 square kilometres. A consortium of Omega TN, Tri-Star Stonecroft and Beach Energy Queensland secured a further 1138-square-kilometre package.
Head of Shell QGC Krishna Venkatesan welcomed the opportunity to expand the company’s activities in the region.
“We look forward to expanding our industry-leading exploration and appraisal activities in the Taroom Trough, which we view as an exciting new domestic market and backfill opportunity,” Venkatesan said.
“We’re grateful for the ongoing support of the Queensland Government as they partner with industry to unlock this critical resource for the benefit of all Queenslanders.”
Premier and Minister for Veterans David Crisafulli said the land release could help position Queensland as a stronger global resources competitor.
“These are the catalytic moments in our history that will propel Queensland into a new era of opportunity,” he said.
“The best role we can play as a government is delivering a stable regulatory environment that companies can confidently invest in.
“With 51 of the world’s critical minerals, more than $1 trillion in resource potential, strong environmental protections, thousands of highly skilled workers and a government that genuinely wants to see resources projects get off the ground, Queensland is quickly emerging as a global competitor.”
Successful tenderers for additional acreage in the Taroom Trough and Cooper–Eromanga Basin are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
