Sandstone hosted uranium deposits of the Great Divide Basin, Wyoming, USA

Abzalov, Marat; Paulson, Oscar L.

doi:10.1179/1743275812y.0000000017

Cited by 12 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Both the sequential extraction and the shell-by-shell EXAFS data suggest that a large fraction of U in the solid phase is bound to the organic sediment fraction (representing 3.6-4.9 % of the dry sediment w/w, Supplementary Table 4 ), represented by oxalate-like functional groups. Previous characterization of post-mining ore zone samples also showed association between U and carbonaceous material in the deposit 24 33 34 35 . Thus, the results presented show direct evidence for the presence of non-crystalline U (IV) within undisturbed roll-front deposits, a revision to the established paradigm 29 36 .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 84%

Biogenic non-crystalline U(IV) revealed as major component in uranium ore deposits

Bhattacharyya

Campbell

Kelly³

et al. 2017

Nat Commun

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Historically, it is believed that crystalline uraninite, produced via the abiotic reduction of hexavalent uranium (U(VI)) is the dominant reduced U species formed in low-temperature uranium roll-front ore deposits. Here we show that non-crystalline U(IV) generated through biologically mediated U(VI) reduction is the predominant U(IV) species in an undisturbed U roll-front ore deposit in Wyoming, USA. Characterization of U species revealed that the majority (∼58-89%) of U is bound as U(IV) to C-containing organic functional groups or inorganic carbonate, while uraninite and U(VI) represent only minor components. The uranium deposit exhibited mostly 238U-enriched isotope signatures, consistent with largely biotic reduction of U(VI) to U(IV). This finding implies that biogenic processes are more important to uranium ore genesis than previously understood. The predominance of a relatively labile form of U(IV) also provides an opportunity for a more economical and environmentally benign mining process, as well as the design of more effective post-mining restoration strategies and human health-risk assessment.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 84%

Biogenic non-crystalline U(IV) revealed as major component in uranium ore deposits

Bhattacharyya

Campbell

Kelly³

et al. 2017

Nat Commun

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“…Petrographic and isotope studies show that uranium mineralisation at the tabular deposits was formed Fischer, 1970Fischer, , 1974Eargle et al, 1975;Fishman et al, 1985;Abzalov and Paulson, 2012); c uranium deposits of the Kyzylkum province, Uzbekistan (Karimov et al, 1996); d uranium deposits of the Shu-Sarysy and Syrdarya provinces of Kazakhstan (Petrov et al, 2008). Resources as reported by Pool and Wallis (2006b) in arkosic fluvial continental sandstone shortly after deposition of these sediments (Ludwig et al, 1984;Sanford, 1992) typically at the early stages of diagenesis (Meunier et al, 1989).…”

Section: Tabular Depositsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Reducing agents (reductants) are subdivided into intrinsic, introduced contemporaneously with sedimentation, and extrinsic, post-dating the sedimentation (IAEA, 2009). Examples of intrinsic reductants include organic debris at the Wyoming deposits (Abzalov and Paulson, 2012). Extrinsic reductants include oil and gas reservoirs, proposed as reductants for giant deposits in Kazakhstan (Jaireth et al, 2008).…”

Section: Genetic Conceptsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2). For example, uranium mineralisation of the Great Divide basin in Wyoming USA is referred to as detrital carbon-uranium roll-type which is a special class of Phanerozoic sandstone hosted uranium deposits (Dahlkamp, 1993; Abzalov and Paulson, 2012). Here, the reductant for mineralisation consists of plant fragments dispersed through fluvial facies sand beds.…”

Section: Classification Of Sandstone-type Uranium Depositsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sandstone-hosted uranium deposits amenable for exploitation byin situleaching technologies

Abzalov

2012

Applied Earth Science

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Sandstone uranium deposits represent uranium concentrations formed by low-temperature hydrothermal processes, usually of diagenetic to epigenetic origin. The deposits are commonly hosted in arkosic sandstone and are therefore referred to as sandstone-type uranium. Globally, this is the most abundant type of uranium mineralisation, containing approximately 28% of the world's uranium resources and including several giant deposits with resources exceeding 100 kt of uranium. The main uranium minerals are pitchblende and coffinite, and uranium is recovered from host rocks by conventional hydrometallurgical technologies using sulphuric acid or alkaline leach. Host sediments were deposited in many different geological environments including continental intracratonic basins, intermontane depressions, coastal-plains and palaeo-river channels. Mineralisation is mostly stratabound and localised in the permeable sandstone at the redox interfaces where oxidised uranium-rich fluids have intersected with relatively reduced basin lithologies. Sandstone-type uranium mineralisation can also be distributed along permeable fault zones cutting sedimentary sequences. Deposits are subdivided into four groups: roll front (rolltype), tabular, basal channel and tectonic-lithologic types. Many sandstone uranium deposits cannot be exploited by conventional mining technologies because of low grade and difficult geotechnical conditions created by the presence of poorly consolidated wallrocks and the location of ore bodies below the water table. However, because of high permeability of the host sediments and the favourable uranium mineralogy, these deposits are well-suited to exploitation by in situ leach (ISL) technique. ISL mining is defined as the process of uranium extraction from the host sandstone in situ by injecting the chemical leach solutions directly into the ore zone. The pregnant solutions containing leached uranium are transported to the surface through production wells. Uranium is recovered from the solutions to produce yellowcake.

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“…Many publications have documented the sedimentary facies, depositional environment, sandstone petrography and geochemistry, mineral paragenesis and textures, mineralization geochronology, and ore genesis model for the deposit [17][18][19][20][21]. In the Qianjiadian area, uranium is mainly adsorbed or reduced on carbonaceous debris or migrated oil, and U minerals such as pitchblende and coffinite are intimately associated with iron disulphides [22][23][24][25][26][27]. Several studies were conducted on the micromorphological observations, in situ sulfur isotope analysis of pyrites, and carbon isotope composition of calcite cement, emphasizing the role of bacterial sulphate reduction (BSR) in the genesis of the U mineralization in the Qianjiadian area [28][29][30][31][32][33].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Petrogenetic Constraints of Early Cenozoic Mafic Rocks in the Southwest Songliao Basin, NE China: Implications for the Genesis of Sandstone-Hosted Qianjiadian Uranium Deposits

Yang

Fengjun

et al. 2020

Minerals

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The tectonic inversion of the Songliao Basin during the Cenozoic may have played an important role in controlling the development of sandstone-type uranium deposits. The widely distributed mafic intrusions in the host sandstones of the Qianjiadian U ore deposits provided new insights to constrain the regional tectonic evolution and the genesis of the U mineralization. In this study, zircon U-Pb dating, whole-rock geochemistry, Sr-Nd-Pb isotope analysis, and mineral chemical compositions were presented for the mafic rocks from the Qianjiadian area. The mafic rocks display low SiO2 (44.91–52.05 wt.%), high TFe2O3 contents (9.97–16.46 wt.%), variable MgO (4.59–15.87 wt.%), and moderate K2O + Na2O (3.19–6.52 wt.%), and can be subdivided into AB group (including basanites and alkali olivine basaltic rocks) and TB group (mainly tholeiitic basaltic rocks). They are characterized by homogenous isotopic compositions (εNd (t) = 3.47–5.89 and 87Sr/86Sr = 0.7032–0.7042) and relatively high radiogenic 206Pb/204Pb (18.13–18.34) and Nb/U ratios (23.0–45.6), similar to the nearby Shuangliao basalts, suggesting a common asthenospheric origin enriched with slab-derived components prior to melting. Zircon U-Pb and previous Ar-Ar dating show that the AB group formed earlier (51–47 Ma) than the TB group (42–40 Ma). Compared to the TB group, the AB group has higher TiO2, Na2O, K2O, P2O5, Ce, and HREE contents and Ta/Yb and Sr/Yb ratios, which may have resulted from variable depth of partial melting in association with lithospheric thinning. Combined with previous research, the Songliao Basin experienced: (1) Eocene (~50–40 Ma) lithospheric thinning and crustal extension during which mafic rocks intruded into the host sandstones of the Qianjiadian deposit, (2) a tectonic inversion from extension to tectonic uplift attributed to the subduction of the Pacific Plate occurring at ~40 Ma, and (3) Oligo–Miocene (~40–10 Ma) tectonic uplift, which is temporally associated with U mineralization. Finally, the close spatial relation between mafic intrusions and the U mineralization, dike-related secondary reduction, and secondary oxidation of the mafic rocks in the Qianjiadian area suggest that Eocene mafic rocks and their alteration halo in the Songliao Basin may have played a role as a reducing barrier for the U mineralization.

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Sandstone hosted uranium deposits of the Great Divide Basin, Wyoming, USA

Cited by 12 publications

References 19 publications

Biogenic non-crystalline U(IV) revealed as major component in uranium ore deposits

Biogenic non-crystalline U(IV) revealed as major component in uranium ore deposits

Sandstone-hosted uranium deposits amenable for exploitation byin situleaching technologies

Petrogenetic Constraints of Early Cenozoic Mafic Rocks in the Southwest Songliao Basin, NE China: Implications for the Genesis of Sandstone-Hosted Qianjiadian Uranium Deposits

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