URANIUM Resources, Geology and Development of Deposits
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Australia’s URANIUM resources, geology and development of deposits A.D. McKay and Y. Miezitis AGSO – Geoscience Australia Mineral Resource Report 1 AGSO – GEOSCIENCE AUSTRALIA Mineral Resource Report 1 AUSTRALIA’S URANIUM RESOURCES, GEOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT OF DEPOSITS Aden D. McKay & Yanis Miezitis i AGSO – Geoscience Australia Chief Executive Officer: Dr Neil Williams Department of Industry, Science & Resources Minister for Industry, Science & Resources: Senator the Hon. Nick Minchin Parliamentary Secretary: The Hon. Warren Entsch, MP © Commonwealth of Australia 2001 Reprinted 2007 This work is copyright. Apart from any fair dealings for the purposes of study, research, criticism, or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Inquiries should be directed to the Communications Unit, AGSO – Geoscience Australia, GPO Box 378, Canberra, ACT 2601. ISBN 0 642 46716 1 GeoCat No. 37672 Bibliographic reference: McKay, A.D. & Miezitis, Y., 2001. Australia’s uranium resources, geology and development of deposits. AGSO – Geoscience Australia, Mineral Resource Report 1. AGSO – Geoscience Australia has tried to make the information in this product as accurate as possible. However, it does not guarantee that the information is totally accurate or complete. THEREFORE, YOU SHOULD NOT RELY SOLELY ON THIS INFORMATION WHEN MAKING A COMMERCIAL DECISION. Front cover: Aerial view of the Olympic Dam mine, South Australia. Photo courtesy of WMC (Olympic Dam Corporation) Pty Ltd. Back cover: Uranium recovery plant, Beverley mine, South Australia. Large diameter trunk lines carry leach solutions from the plant to the wellfield, and leachate containing dissolved uranium from the wellfield to the plant. Photo courtesy of Heathgate Resources Pty Ltd. ii CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................................................ix ABSTRACT................................................................................................................................................................. 1 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................................... 3 EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY ...................................................................................................................... 5 Exploration from 1944 to late 1950s ................................................................................................................... 5 Exploration from 1966 onwards .......................................................................................................................... 6 DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 10 First phase (1954–71)........................................................................................................................................ 10 Second phase (1976 to the present) ................................................................................................................... 11 IDENTIFIED RESOURCES ................................................................................................................................... 17 Classification of uranium resources .................................................................................................................. 17 World ranking of uranium resources ................................................................................................................. 18 TYPES OF URANIUM DEPOSITS........................................................................................................................ 26 Breccia complex deposits................................................................................................................................... 26 Unconformity-related deposits........................................................................................................................... 28 Sandstone deposits ............................................................................................................................................. 30 Surficial deposits................................................................................................................................................ 31 Metasomatite deposits........................................................................................................................................ 32 Metamorphic deposits........................................................................................................................................ 32 Volcanic deposits ............................................................................................................................................... 32 Intrusive deposits ............................................................................................................................................... 33 Vein deposits ...................................................................................................................................................... 34 Quartz-pebble conglomerate deposits................................................................................................................ 34 Collapse breccia pipe deposits........................................................................................................................... 35 Phosphorite deposits.......................................................................................................................................... 35 Lignite ................................................................................................................................................................ 35 Black shale deposits........................................................................................................................................... 35 Other types of deposits....................................................................................................................................... 35 Time-bound distribution of types of uranium deposits....................................................................................... 36 BRECCIA COMPLEX DEPOSITS........................................................................................................................ 39 STUART SHELF AREA OF GAWLER CRATON............................................................................................................. 39 Geological setting .............................................................................................................................................. 39 Olympic Dam deposit......................................................................................................................................... 41 Other Cu–U–Au prospects in the Stuart Shelf area of Gawler Craton.............................................................. 45 MOUNT PAINTER FIELD ........................................................................................................................................... 45 Regional geological setting................................................................................................................................ 46 Mount Gee/Mount Gee East deposit .................................................................................................................. 46 Other deposits .................................................................................................................................................... 47 UNCONFORMITY-RELATED DEPOSITS ......................................................................................................... 48 ALLIGATOR RIVERS URANIUM FIELD ....................................................................................................................... 48 Regional geological setting................................................................................................................................ 48 Formation of unconformity-related uranium deposits....................................................................................... 52 Ranger 1 — No. 1 Orebody, No. 3 Orebody ...................................................................................................... 53 Ranger 1 — Anomalies 2, 4 and 9 ..................................................................................................................... 56 Jabiluka deposits................................................................................................................................................ 57 Koongarra deposits............................................................................................................................................ 59 Nabarlek deposit (mined out)............................................................................................................................. 61 Other deposits and prospects............................................................................................................................. 63 iii RUM JUNGLE URANIUM FIELD ................................................................................................................................. 64 Regional geological setting...............................................................................................................................