Flotation separation of vanadium-bearing clays, kerogen, and calcite in the Julia Creek oil shales

Abstract

The Julia Creek oil shales in Queensland, Australia, is one of the largest carboniferous vanadium deposits in the world, with inferred resources of over 2,400 Mt at grades of 0.31% V2O5. The increasing demand for vanadium as a vital component for energy storage technologies represents a large untapped opportunity to supply the global need for vanadium. The Julia Creek deposit consists of shale regions and carbonate-rich coquina regions, and contains high-value kerogen in addition to vanadium that is primarily hosted in the clays. The key processing challenge is in the separation of the hydrocarbon oils and the vanadium-bearing clays from the calcite gangue, and the aim of this review is to e..