Drilling Confirms Leichardt Seam Extension
Bowen Coking Coal Ltd (ASX: BCB) has identified two additional targets at its 100%‐owned Broadmeadow East Project in Queensland’s prolific Bowen Basin following the completion of its coal quality drilling programme.
Managing Director and CEO, Gerhard Redelinghuys, said new drilling has confirmed that the Leichhardt seam extends into the area south of the existing Measured Resource area of the project, which sits within a granted Mining Lease and has a current JORC Resource estimate of 33 million tonnes. Two drill holes in this previously unexplored area encountered the Leichhardt seam at depths of 52m and 62m respectively and importantly, it has thickened to a 4m seam in this area.
“Broadmeadow East is the most advanced project in our portfolio of near‐term coking coal projects,” Mr Redelinghuys said.
“Our recent drilling campaign forms an important part of our work to get it ready for production as soon as possible. Further coal quality analysis will be completed on a ply‐by‐ply basis however, initial indications from the raw coal data support our view that the lower section of the Leichhardt seam contains better coking properties and a higher yield which will enable us to tailor our mining method and optimise the quality of coking coal we produce.”
Scout drilling also intersected the previously unexplored Vermont Lower (VL) seam in two holes from as shallow as 36.1m. The cored section of the seam in hole CBQ0012 was 2.4m thick, which includes a 0.5m thick tuff parting. Core from this hole was obtained late in the programme and therefore results will lag those of the Leichhardt seam cores. The full Girrah seam was also cored and will undergo the same tests as the Vermont Lower seam.
The results of the exploration programme will now be incorporated into the geological model to support further mine planning, which could now include an extension to the proposed mine layout previously bound by the Measured Resource area north of the power line.
On completion, washability and product coal quality analysis will be used to support a Decision to Mine, planned for the second half of the year. Meanwhile, discussions for access to third party infrastructure is underway to fast‐track development of the project and to minimise initial capital requirements.
