Three of four cored holes at the 36sq.km Amberley site have been completed with the final hole and rehabilitation work to be finished within the next two to three weeks.

Exploration at the project which kicked off in April 2012 has also included a 14-open hole campaign and is expected to establish a new resource calculation when complimented with historical drill data for the area.

Drilling at Cuesta’s 4000sq.km thermal project on the eastern margin of the Galilee Basin is planned to ascertain the extent of the site’s coal distribution, localised geology, seam thicknesses and dips.

The campaign expected to run for eight to 12 weeks is expected to identify lateral extensions and new coal sub-basins under a shallow coal cover.

Scout drilling so far in the area’s eight tenements has revealed banded coal seams from 87m and 105m of depth.

The Sydney-based company has also slated a 26-hole drill program for its 27Mt West Bowen thermal coal project to begin in the first quarter 2012-2013.

The 1000sq.km site located 25km west of Clermont, Queensland is adjacent to Rio Tinto’s Blair Athol mine which produces 12Mt of thermal coal per annum.

Exploration of the property will include 20 open holes and six cored holes and will focus on the northern target area where the thickest coal seams have been interpreted to be closest to the surface.

Cuesta Coal listed on the Australian Stock Exchange on May 4 2012 raising $20 million to fund an aggressive two-year exploration, mine scoping and feasibility study program on four key projects areas in the Queensland coal basins.

The company intends to drill 10,000m on its tenements during 2012 alone.