Failure to load qgis_core.dll in py scripy

Question

We (Git Hub's co-pilot and I) are attempting to automate several processes using Python. One step in the process requires that I create and manipulate QGIS projects. Apparently this step requires that I create a venv to access PyQGIS.

Despite many iterations I am stuck at point where the code errors and returns, in part, "Failed to load qgis_core.dll: Could not find module 'C:\Program Files\QGIS 3.34.11\apps\qgis-ltr\bin\qgis_core.dll' (or one of its dependencies)". The dll definitely exists in the specified location.

The full terminal output is below. The code block follows.

Terminal output:
"PS C:\Users\tobin\Documents\Python> & C:/Users/tobin/AppData/Local/Programs/Python/Python311/python.exe c:/Users/tobin/Documents/Python/verify_core_import.py
QGIS_PREFIX_PATH: C:\Program Files\QGIS 3.34.11\apps\qgis-ltr\python\qgis
PATH: C:\Windows\system32;C:\Windows;C:\Windows\System32\Wbem;C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\;C:\Windows\System32\OpenSSH\;C:\Program Files\dotnet\;C:\Program Files (x86)\NVIDIA Corporation\PhysX\Common;C:\Program Files\NVIDIA Corporation\NVIDIA NvDLISR;C:\Program Files (x86)\AOMEI\AOMEI Backupper\7.2.0;C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\16\bin;C:\Users\tobin\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\;C:\Program Files\PuTTY\;C:\Users\tobin\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python311\Scripts\;C:\Users\tobin\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python311\;C:\Users\tobin\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps;C:\blp\DAPI;C:\blp\DAPI\DDE;C:\Users\tobin\AppData\Local\Programs\Microsoft VS Code\bin;C:\Users\tobin\.dotnet\tools;C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\16\bin;;C:\Program Files\QGIS 3.34.11\apps\qgis-ltr\bin
PYTHONPATH: C:\Program Files\QGIS 3.34.11\apps\qgis-ltr\python\qgis;C:\Users\tobin\Documents\Python\qgis_env\Lib\site-packages
GDAL_DATA: C:\Program Files\QGIS 3.34.11\share\gdal       
PROJ_LIB: C:\Program Files\QGIS 3.34.11\share\proj        
sys.path: ['c:\\Users\\tobin\\Documents\\Python', 'C:\\Users\\tobin\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\Python\\Python311\\python311.zip', 'C:\\Users\\tobin\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\Python\\Python311\\DLLs', 'C:\\Users\\tobin\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\Python\\Python311\\Lib', 'C:\\Users\\tobin\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\Python\\Python311', 'C:\\Users\\tobin\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\Python\\Python311\\Lib\\site-packages', 'C:\\Users\\tobin\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\Python\\Python311\\Lib\\site-packages\\win32', 'C:\\Users\\tobin\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\Python\\Python311\\Lib\\site-packages\\win32\\lib', 'C:\\Users\\tobin\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\Python\\Python311\\Lib\\site-packages\\Pythonwin', 'C:\\Program Files\\QGIS 3.34.11\\apps\\qgis-ltr\\python\\qgis', 'C:\\Users\\tobin\\Documents\\Python\\qgis_env\\Lib\\site-packages']
Failed to import qgis.core: No module named 'qgis'        
Contents of qgis_python_qgis_path: ['3d', 'analysis', 'core', 'gui', 'processing', 'PyQt', 'testing', 'user.py', 'utils.py', '_3d.pyd', '_3d.pyi', '_analysis.pyd', '_analysis.pyi', '_core.pyd', '_core.pyi', '_gui.pyd', '_gui.pyi', '__init__.py']
Contents of qgis_bin_path: ['qgis.reg', 'qgis.reg.tmpl', 'qgisgrass8.dll', 'qgispython.dll', 'qgis_3d.dll', 'qgis_analysis.dll', 'qgis_app.dll', 'qgis_core.dll', 'qgis_gui.dll', 'qgis_native.dll', 'qgis_process.exe']
Failed to load qgis_core.dll: Could not find module 'C:\Program Files\QGIS 3.34.11\apps\qgis-ltr\bin\qgis_core.dll' (or one of its dependencies). Try using the full path with constructor syntax."

# verify_core_import.py

import os
import sys

def setup_qgis_environment():
    # Set environment variables for QGIS
    global qgis_python_qgis_path, qgis_bin_path
    qgis_python_qgis_path = r"C:\Program Files\QGIS 3.34.11\apps\qgis-ltr\python\qgis"
    qgis_bin_path = r"C:\Program Files\QGIS 3.34.11\apps\qgis-ltr\bin"
    venv_site_packages = r"C:\Users\tobin\Documents\Python\qgis_env\Lib\site-packages"
    
    os.environ['QGIS_PREFIX_PATH'] = qgis_python_qgis_path
    os.environ['PATH'] += os.pathsep + qgis_bin_path
    os.environ['PYTHONPATH'] = os.pathsep.join([qgis_python_qgis_path, venv_site_packages])
    
    # Set additional environment variables
    os.environ['GDAL_DATA'] = r"C:\Program Files\QGIS 3.34.11\share\gdal"
    os.environ['PROJ_LIB'] = r"C:\Program Files\QGIS 3.34.11\share\proj"
    
    # Manually append to sys.path
    sys.path.append(qgis_python_qgis_path)
    sys.path.append(venv_site_packages)

if __name__ == "__main__":
    # Set up QGIS environment
    setup_qgis_environment()
    
    # Print environment variables for debugging
    print("QGIS_PREFIX_PATH:", os.environ.get('QGIS_PREFIX_PATH'))
    print("PATH:", os.environ.get('PATH'))
    print("PYTHONPATH:", os.environ.get('PYTHONPATH'))
    print("GDAL_DATA:", os.environ.get('GDAL_DATA'))
    print("PROJ_LIB:", os.environ.get('PROJ_LIB'))
    
    # Print sys.path for debugging
    print("sys.path:", sys.path)
    
    # Verify import of qgis.core
    try:
        from qgis.core import QgsApplication
        print("Successfully imported qgis.core")
    except ImportError as e:
        print(f"Failed to import qgis.core: {e}")
        print("Contents of qgis_python_qgis_path:", os.listdir(qgis_python_qgis_path))
        # Check for DLL dependencies
        print("Contents of qgis_bin_path:", os.listdir(qgis_bin_path))
        # Check if qgis_core.dll can be loaded
        try:
            import ctypes
            ctypes.CDLL(os.path.join(qgis_bin_path, 'qgis_core.dll'))
            print("Successfully loaded qgis_core.dll")
        except OSError as dll_error:
            print(f"Failed to load qgis_core.dll: {dll_error}")