Atomic Energy Agency DRAFT INTERNATIONAL URANIUM
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!nternationa! Atomic Energy Agency DRAFT INTERNATIONAL URANIUM RESOURCES EVALUATION PROJECT - IUREP - IUREP ORIENTATION PHASE MISSION REPORT BOLIVIA PART I: TEXT PART II: POCKET WITH 8 FIGURES o o o A REPORT PREPARED ON BEHALF OF THE EXECUTIVE GROUP FOR THE IUREP ORIENTATION PHASE BY THE OECD NUCLEAR ENERGY AGENCY JACQUES LEROY EBERHARD MULLER-KAHLE August, 1982 DiSCLAiMER Portions of this document may be iiiegibie in electronic image products. images are produced from the best avai!ab!e origina! document PREFACE The mission was undertaken by two consultants, Mr. Jacques Leroy and Mr. Eberhard Muller-Kahle; both commenced the investigation in Bolivia on 8 June 1982, Mr. Leroy com- pleted his work on 16 July and Mr. Muller-Kahle terminated his mission on 26 August 1982. A total of 14 days were spent in the field by the consultants. o o o o o o PART I: TEXT TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1. Summary and recommendations '***'! 2. Introduction — 2-4 2.1 Terms of reference 2-1 2.2 General geography 2-Z 2.3 Transport and communication 2-12 2.4 Government administration 2-14 2.5 Legislation and contractual models for uranium exploration and mining 2-24 2.6 Nuclear power plants in Bolivia 2-36 2.7 Available maps and aerial photographs 2-36 3. Non-uranium exploration and mining in Bolivia *&-! 3.1 Exploration 3-1 3.2 Mining 3-2 4. Manpower in exploration 4-1 5. Geological review of Bolivia f-1 5.1 Literature f-1 5.2 Geological review f- 1 5.2.1 Precambrian — f- 2 5.2.2 Cambrian f- ^ 5.2.3 Ordovician -f*9 5.2.4 Silurian f-1! 5.2.5 Devonian r-13 5.2.6 Carboniferous r-*6 5.2.7 Permian r-// 5.2.8 Permotriassic or Triassic r-2o 5.2.9 Cretaceous - Paleogene r-22 5.2.10 Neogene — r-24 5.2.11 Quaternary r-29 5.3 Magmatism 5.4 Tectonic history r-3S* 5.5 Metallogenetic provinces f-37 Page 6. Past uranium activities in Bolivia %- 4 6.1 Bolivian Government - U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (1953, 1954/55) — — 6-1 6.2 National Department of Geology — 6-3 6.3 COBOEN and contractors 6-3 6.3.1 Introduction (-3 6.3.2 Homestake Mining Company as Consultants 6-3 6.3.3 AGIP S.p.A. 6-3* 6.3.4 COBOEN — — 6-9 6.3.4.1 COBOEN's past uranium activities 4-9 6.3.4.2 IUREP mission comments on COBOEN's past uranium activities — 6-15* 6.4 Conclusions 6-1% 7. Known Uranium Occurrences ?**4 7.1 Altiplano — ?-3 7.1.1 Chacarilla - Corocoro area ?-3 7.1.1.1 Geology —— ?*3 7.1.1.2 Radioactive anomalies 7-^ 7.1.2 Lipez area 1-9 7.1.2.1 Geology ?-9 7.1.2.2 Radioactive anomalies — ?-(0 7.1.3 Chita anomaly ?*11 7.1.4 Oruro area ^-1Z 7.2 Cordillera Oriental ?-13 7.2.1 Charazani - Millipaya area ?-?3 7.2.1.1 Geology ?-?3 7.2.1.2 Radioactive anomalies ?-14 7.2.2 Cordillera Real ?-l? 7.2.2.1 Geology — ?"1? 7.2.2.2 Uranium occurrences ?-<2.o 7.2.2.3 IUREP mission comments on the Cordillera Real ?-H 7.2.3 Cochabamba area ?-lZ 7.2.3.1 Cerro Sapo ?"2-2. 7.2.3.2 Independencia 7-24 Page 7.2.3.3 Tapacari area ?-24 7.2.4 Sevaruyo area ^* 7.2.4.1 Geology 2- 7.2.4.2 Uranium deposits and anomalies ?* 7.2.4.2.1 Cotaje deposit 2' 7.2.4.2.2 Huancarani anomaly 7-* 34 7.2.4.2.3 Torko anomaly ?- 34 7.2.4.2.4 Los Diques anomaly ^* 36 7.2.4.2.5 Tholapalca anomalies 2- 36 7.2.4.2.6 Asunci6n anomaly 2-37 7.2.4.2.7 Coroma anomaly 2-3? 7.2.4.2.8 Mina Amistad area 3- 3f 7.2.4.2.9 La Calera anomaly 2-3? 7.2.4.2.10 Wichajlupi anomaly 2-39 7.2.4.3 IUREP mission comments on the anomalies in the Sevaruyo area 2-39 7.2.5 Yauricoya - Chulchucani area 2-4/ 7.2.5.1 General geology 2-4( 7.2.5.2 Uranium occurrences 2-43 7.2.5.3 IUREP mission comments on the uranium occurrences in the Yauricoya - Chulchucani area 7-4f 7.2.6 Camargo and Tupiza-Tarija areas 2-49 7.2.6.1 Camargo area 2-49 7.2.6.2 Tupiza - Tarija area 2-5b 7.2.6.2.1 Regional geology 2-5b 7.2.6.2.2 Uranium anomalies 2-J7 7.3 Serranfas Orientales 2--Q, 7.3.1 San Jose* - Robore* area 2-J12 7.3.1.1 Regional geology — 2-f2, 7.3.1.2 Radiometric anomalies 2-T3 7.4 Brazilian Shield 3 7.5 Classification of the Bolivian uranium occurrences ——— ? 7.5.1 Chronological classification Pa 7.5.2 Genetic classification 7.6 Brief economic evaluation — ?--%3 8. Areas of uranium potential —-— <P** 1 8.1 Introduction /*- 4 8.2 Evaluation of areas with uranium potential — <P** 2 8.2.1 Precambrian Shield <f** 2 8.2.2 Serranias Orientales <f- ? 8.2.3 Pando, Beni and Chaco plains <f* ? 8.2.4 Subandean belt ^- F 8.2.5 Cordillera Oriental ^- ^ 8.2.6 Altiplano — f-12 8.2.7 Cordillera Occidental 8.3 Classification of areas with uranium potential 9. Speculative Uranium Resources of Bolivia 9** 'I 9.1 Introduction — : 9-'I 9.2 Quantification of the Speculative Uranium Resources of Bolivia 9** 2? 10. Recommendation for future exploration, methods and costs 4#-4 10.1 Introduction — 40-4 10.2 Recommendations, methods and costs <f<?-'f 10.2.1 Precambrian — 4%-4 10.2.2 Paleozoic 43-3 10.2.3 Mesozoic 40-5* 10.2.4 Tertiary 4o-6 10.3 Summary 40-F 11. Policy options for the implementation of recommendations — — 44-4 12. Alternative recommendations 13. Acknowledgements 43*1 14. References ——— 44-1 LIST OF FIGURES Fig. 2-1: Location map of Bolivia Fig. 2-2: Map of Bolivia, 1:4,000,000 scale (in pocket) Fig. 2-3: Photomosaic of Bolivia, 1:9,000,000 scale Fig. 2-4: Morphologic-structural units of Bolivia (Carrasco, 1981) Fig. 2-5: Hydrographic systems of Bolivia (Munoz Reyes, 1977) Fig. 2-6: Road map of Bolivia (in pocket) Fig. 2-7: Location map of main airports Fig. 2-8: Organisation and structure, Ministry of Mining and Metallurgy Fig. 2-9: Organisation and structure, Servicio Geol6gico de Bolivia (GEOBOL) Fig. 2-10: Organisation and structure, Comisi6n Boliviana de Energia Nuclear (COBOEN) Fig. 2-11: Coverage of topographic maps at 1:50,000 scale Fig. 2-12: Coverage of aerial photographs at 1:40,000 scale Fig. 2-13: Coverage of published geological maps at 1:100,000 scale Fig. 2-14: Proyecto Precambrico: location and index map of geological maps, at 1:250,000 scale open file (August 1982)(GEOBOL-IGS, 1979) Fig. 2-15: Coverage of ERTS imageries Fig. 2-16: Geological map of Bolivia at 1:1,000,000 scale (YPFB-GEOBOL, 1977) 4 sheets (in pocket) Fig. 2-17: Metallogenetic belts of the Bolivian Andes, 1:1,000,000 scale (Programa ERTS-GEOBOL, Observatorio San Calixto, COMIBOL, 1979)(in pocket) Fig. 2-18: Metallogenetic map of the Bolivian Andes, 1:1,000,000 scale (Programa ERTS-GEOBOL, Obser- vatorio San Calixto, COMIBOL, 1979)(in pocket) Fig. 2-19: Structural map of the northern part of the Bolivian Andes, 1:1,000,000 scale (Martinez & Tomasi, 1978) (in pocket) Fig. 5-1: Proyecto Precambrico: southern zone, geological map, 1:1,000,000 scale (GEOBOL- IGS, 1979) (in pocket) Fig. 5-2: Silurian: isopach map (Schlatter & Nederlof, 1966) Fig. 5-3: Silurian: lithofacies map (Schlatter & Nederlof, 1966) Fig. 5-4: Devonian: isopach map (Schlatter & Nederlof, 1966) Fig. 5-5: Carboniferous: isopach map (Schlatter & Nederlof, 1966) Fig. 5-6: Carboniferous: lithofacies map (Schlatter & Nederlof, 1966) Fig. 5-7: Lower Permian: isopach map (Schlatter & Nederlof, 1966) Fig. 5-8: Lower Permian: lithofacies map (Schlatter & Nederlof, 1966) Fig. 5-9: Permo-Triassic: lithofacies map (Schlatter & Nederlof, 1966) Fig. 5-10: Upper Cretaceous-Paleogene: isopach map * (Schlatter & Nederlof, 1966) Fig. 5-11: Neogene: isopach map (Schlatter & Nederlof, 1966) Fig. 5-12: Neogene: lithofacies map (Schlatter & Nederlof, 1966) Fig. 5-13: Tectonic evolution of the andean block between lower Cretaceous and Pliocene (Martinez & Tomasi, 1978) Fig. 6-1: Location map: AGIP contract areas (AGIP, 1978) Fig. 6-2: Location maps COBOEN airborne radiometric survey (Virreira & Quiroga, 1978) Fig. 6-3: Flowsheet Cotaje plant (Cardenas, 1978) Fig. 7-1: Location of described radioactive anomalies of Bolivia (in pocket) Fig. 7-2: Geological and topographic map of the northern part of the Corocoro Basin (Ljunggren & Meyer, 1964) Fig. 7-3: Sedimentary rocks exposed in the northern part of the Corocoro basin (Ljunggren & Meyer, 1964) Fig. 7-4: Stratigraphic correlation in the Corocoro basin (Ljunggren & Meyer, 1964) Fig. 7-5: Stratigraphic Subdivisions in the Corocoro basin (AGIP, 1978) Fig. 7-6: Stratigraphic column of Lunlaya - Kohuila (Charazani) area (Postigo, 1975) Fig. 7-7: The Lunlaya anomaly (Postigo, 1975) Fig. 7-8: Cordillera Real: intrusive rocks and associated mineralization (Heuschmidt, 1979) Fig. 7-9: Geologic maps of the Los Frailes area (Aparicio, 1981) Fig. 7-10: Geologic map, showing location and radioactive anomalies and uranium deposit of Sevaruyo area (Aparicio, 1981) Fig. 7-11: Stratigraphic column of the Sevaruyo area (Aparicio, 1981) Fig.