Vanadium Potential in Alberta

Global demand for vanadium is expected to increase over the next several years, primarily for its use in high-strength steel, aerospace alloys, and large-capacity batteries. The most promising sources of vanadium in Alberta are oil sands waste, oolitic ironstone, and metalliferous black shale. Vanadium occurs naturally in the bitumen phase of oil sands and becomes concentrated in petroleum coke (petcoke), petcoke fly ash, froth treatment tailings, and refinery wastes during processing and refining, with petcoke and petcoke fly ash as the largest readily available sources of vanadium. Recent estimates, based on 2017 production values, suggest that Alberta produces between 34 000 and 39 000 tonnes of vanadium through mined oil sands and in situ bitumen processing per year. The Alberta Geological Survey is currently collecting and compiling data on oil sands and oil sands–associated wastes to enhance public understanding of the distribution of vanadium and other critical elements in these geological and industrial waste materials. 
Significant vanadium concentrations have also been reported in oolitic ironstone of the Bad Heart Formation in northwestern Alberta. The Clear Hills iron-vanadium deposit has an estimated indicated resource of 1.116 million tonnes of vanadium pentoxide. Further work is needed to estimate the grades and tonnages of vanadium in the surrounding areas, which show anomalously high concentrations of vanadium. 
Finally, vanadium occurrences have also been identified in metalliferous black shale of the Exshaw, Loon River, Second White Specks, and Shaftesbury formations. Resource estimates completed in the Birch Mountains region in northeastern Alberta suggest an indicated resource of 12 562 tonnes of vanadium pentoxide in the Buckton zone, with a further inferred resource of 188 484 tonnes. The adjacent Buckton South zone is estimated to have an inferred resource of 88 489 tonnes of vanadium pentoxide. Vanadium anomalies observed elsewhere in the Asphalt zone of Birch Mountains, northwestern Alberta, Jura Creek, Mount Gass, and Crowsnest Pass warrant further investigation.

This work was completed under the Mineral Grant provided by the Government of Alberta dated June 22, 2021.

Erratum (February 25 2025): The symbology for Figure 1 has been updated. Two occurrences (Greystone Creek and Mount Gass) were incorrectly symbolized as occurrences from drillcore rather than surface materials.