MINER ALOGICAL CLASSIFICATIO N

OF UR ANIUM-VANADIUM DEPOSITS

O F T H E C O L O R A D O P L A T E A U

By Theodore Botinelly and Alice D. Weeks

Trace Elements Memorandum Report 1011

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

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L IN REPLY REFER TO:

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WASHINGTON 25. D. C.

March 21, 1957

AEC -385/7

Mr. Robert D. Nininger Assistant Director for Exploration Division of Raw Materials U. S. Atomic Energy Commission Washington 25, D. C.

Dear Bob:

Transmitted herewith are three copies of TEM-1011, "Mineral- ogical classification of uranium-vanadium deposits of the Colorado

Plateau," by Theodore Botinelly and Alice D. Weeks, January 1957.

We plan to publish this report as a chapter of a Geological

Survey bulletin.

Sincerely yours,

W. H. Bradley Chief Geologist Geology and Mineralogy

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

MINERALOGICAL CLASSIFICATION OF URANIUM-VANADIUM

DEPOSITS OF THE *

By

Theodore Botinelly and Alice D. Weeks

January 1957

Trace Elements Memorandum Report 1011

This preliminary report is distributed without editorial and technical review for conformity with official standards and nomenclature. It is not for public inspection or quotation.

*This report concerns work done on behalf of the Division of Raw Materials of the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission. 2

USGS - TFM-1011

GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY

Distribution No. of copies

Atomic Energy Commission, Washington ...... " . . . 2

Division of Raw Materials, Albuquerque ...... 9 . ." . . . 1

Division of Raw Materials, Austin...... " . . . 1

Division of Raw Materials, Casper ...... " ." . . . 1

Division of Raw Materials, Denver ...... " . . . 1 Division of Raw Materials, Ishpeming ...... " . . . 1 . ." Division of Raw Material's, Phoenix ...... " . . . 1 ."." Division of Raw Materials, Rapid City . , , ...... " Division of Raw Materials, Salt Lake City ...... " ...... 1 Division of Raw Materials, Spokane ...... " ." . . . 1 Division of Raw Materials, Washington ...... 3 ." Exploration Division, Grand Junction Operations Office . . . 6 .".".3 Grand Junction Operations Office ...... * . . 1 Technical Information Service Extension, Oak Ridge U. S. Geological Survey: Fuels Branch, Washington...... s . . . 1 ." Geochemistry and Petrology Branch, Washington " . . . . 2 Geophysics Branch, Washirgton . . . . . * . . . . . 1 Mineral Classification Branch, Washington...... " ." ."2 Mineral Deposits Branch, Washington ...... ,...... 2 P. C. Bateman, Menlo Parry ...... " ". . 1 A. L. Brokaw, Grand Junction ...... ,. " ." ." . 2 N. M. Denson, Denver ...... " . 1 V. L. Freeman, College...... f ." ." . 1 R. L. Griggs, Albuquerque . 1 ." ." ." .1 U. R. Keefer, Laramie ...... 1 ." ." .1 M. R. Klepper, Spokane ...... " . .1 L. R. Page, Washington...... " . ." .1 P. K. Sims, Denver ...... ". . 1 Q. D. Singewald, Beltsville ...... " ." . 1 . . A. E. Weissenborn, Spokane ...... f .s ." TEPCO, Denver...... " . .2 TEPCO, RPS, Washington, (including master).0 ...... " ." .2 5. 3

CONTENTS

Page

Abstract . . . . 4-

Introduction ...... 4

Basis of classification ...... 5

Types of ore ...... 9

ILLUSTRATION

Figure 1. Mineralogical classification map of some uranium-vanadium deposits of part of the Colorado Plateau ...... 6 4t

MINERALOGICAL CLASSIFICATION OF URANIUM-VANADIUM

DEPOSITS OF THE COLORADO PLATEAU

By Theodore Botinelly and Alice D. Weeks

ABSTRACT

The uranium deposits of the Colorado Plateau contain suites of minerals that are the result of different stages of oxidation of deposits with different elemental composition. A classification based on composition and stage of oxidation is presented.

INTRODUCTION

The uranium deposits of the Colorado Plateau vary widely in mineralogy, but there is a regularity to the deposits that becomes apparent when they are classified on the basis of the elemental composition of the deposit and the amount of oxidation.

Laboratory work by the U. S. Geological Survey has shown the sequence of minerals developed by oxidation of various types of deposits. This report attempts to use these results to classify the actual deposits. The gradations between the different types of deposits are transitional and any classification will necessarily have cases that fall on the borderlines.

This report concerns work done by the U. S. Geological Survey on behalf of the Division of Raw Materials of the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission. 5

BASIS OF CLASSIFICATION

This report presents a mineralogical classification of some of

the mines and groups of mines of the Colorado Plateau. The mines shown

on figure 1 were selected to give a geographic spread, to show the larger

mines, and to show some of the variations in mineral and metal content

in different mines. Not all mines or groups of mines are shown.

The purpose of this report is to present some generalized mineral-

ogical. data on certain mines and groups of mines, to present a classi-

fication of the uranium deposits of the Colorado Plateau, to show what

minerals may be present in the various types of uranium deposits, and to

arouse the interest of the field geologists in the study of the effects

of oxidation on these ore deposits.

This classification is based on a concept of progressive oxidation

of ore deposits that contain uranium and vanadium or other accessory metals. This concept of oxidation was originally proposed by Alice D.

Weeks and Robert M. Garrels (oral communication, 1954).

Each deposit is classified according to the predominant ore minerals present. These ore minerals are either the primary oxides and silicates or have been formed from these minerals by oxidation. In those deposits that are completely oxidized the mineralogy is controlled b4 the amount of r

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- - J-'-- - I I / Son Rafe 4 %_,,. Coccus Rtmine River i mMs / SAN RAFAEL/ %%,ckin. I's qeckutwonemieu-ar -k---- E X P L A N A T I 0 N

T..pI Moun in THOMPSON ...vGATEWAY) ines lt' Shiporuttp /IaM. camne 4 r i Bowknot shiesop r PM alomity group Mines I- Outlaw group COMPOSITION X~AOABtf _ \ M Vanadium- non- GREEN RRIVER uranium Circle IPARAO / deposits vonadiferous1 mine mine Carpenter URAVAN V:U. V:U= uranium 3 1 tol5.1 3 Itol 2 deposits N Ridge Club group C gr o up mines 1 high Oyler tLoCkhoivt Unnamed Long Park group valence I II 3II /1 mine ( - LCanyo Browns HoleQgroup of Jo Dandy group )r minemie Vi 5 U{6 mineBull Canyon group Oak Creek; Congress group min ~-flhY\ ' .o BULL) oxidized mine Wevtrfoil groupqN l, I-- middle Unnamed va lence 'I r i. i rK Lower group of I- PPY group mines V+4, U and 1 i HENRY MOUNTAINS 4n umine Legen group partially Trachyte Creek Horseshoe group SLICK ROCK oxidized I Happy 0 i _ - } mines Jack MONTICEL LO K> 0 low mine valence III II u Cottonwood / V+3,U+4 Posey \ mine mine unoxidized

Blending i * Accessory copper, where importrant shown mines by chemical symbol WHITE CANYON CORTEZ

Increasing oxidation 1- / Skyline ine UTAH --\C0L0RA__ Increasing Vanadium ARI ZONA Monument NO.1 mine Monument No. 2 mine NE W\ME XICO

MONUMENT VALLEY SHIPROCK N -'1 Deposits chiefly in the Rock Spring Salt Wash member of mine' the Morrison format-on N of Jurassic age Lukochukai CHHILCH/NBETO \ mnes Mining district Enosi boundary Johnson mines Deposits in Triassic rocks 1V (chiefly Shinorump member CHUSKA and other sandstones of the 10 0 50 MILES tower part of the Chinle i I formothon) I -

Figure I.--MINERALOGICAL CLASSIFICATION MAP OF SOME URANIUM-VANADIUM DEPOSITS OF PART OF THE COLORADO PLATEAU. 7

vanadium present compared to uranium. Where sufficient vanadium is present to fix the uranium in , other uranium compounds are rare. Where vanadium is present in excess, other vanadate minerals are formed.; where insufficient vanadium is present to fix all the uranium in carnotite, uranyl compounds other than vanadates are formed.

In some deposits oxidation has not progressed far enough to form carnotite or other high-valence minerals; these deposits contain "intermedi- ati" minerals (minerals which contain V ions) or mixtures of u1and U minerals, or both. (Partially oxidized vanadium-uranium deposits are rare, and deposits which have both oxidized and unoxidized ore show a very narrow transition zone between the two.) Thus the mineralogy may be thought of as the result of the interaction of two factors, the oxidation process and the primary composition of the ores. The symbols on figure 1 are an attempt to show these two factors.

Unoxidized and partially oxidized ore is rare in deposits in both Tri- assic and Jurassic rocks. This rarity probably is due to the great preponder- ance of shallow mines in the Plateau area. In districts, such as the Bull

Canyon district, where most of the mines are in oxidized ore, unoxidized de- posits may also be present. Some mines are in oxidized ore near the surface and in unoxidized ore in the deeper part, such as the JJ mine in the Bull

Canyon district. Pockets of unoxidized material may be present in oxidized deposits; these are usually associated with carbonaceous material.

Figure 1 shows that variations in the mineralogy in the deposits in the Salt Wash member of the Morrison formation are more likely to be due to variations in the amount of oxidation than to variations in the vanadium- uranium ratio. With few exceptions, ore deposits in the Morrison formation 8 have high V:U ratios. In contrast, many ore deposits in Triassic rocks have a low V:U ratio, and in some deposits copper exceeds vanadium.

The ores have been classified into eight types (3 major groups and the oxidized varieties of each) based on V:U ratio and the valence state of the ore metals.

Group I consists of ores with high vanadium-uranium ratios (V:U =3:1 to 15:1)--a large excess of vanadium over the amount needed to form carnotite or tyuyamunite. This group is characterized by large amounts of vanadium minerals.

Group II consists of ores in which amounts of vanadium and uranium are nearly equal (V:U = 3:1 to 1:2). In this group there is only a slight excess of vanadium over that needed to form carnotite and tyuyamunite. Vanadium minerals are not predominant and unoxidized ore is not conspicuous.

Group III consists of ore containing uranium and little or no vanadium; other metals are present usually as minor constituents of the ore. The miner- alogy of these ores is widely variable. Only two oxidation stages are present, corresponding to the two valences of uranium U+6 and U Partial oxidation of ore from any of these deposits might result in an approximately even mix- ture of U and U minerals.

A mineralogical description of the eight types of ores is given below.

The minerals listed are those that are known to occur in deposits of these types. However, not all of the minerals listed necessarily occur in any single deposit. The minerals listed as "dominant ore minerals" are those uranium and vanadium minerals that make up the bulk of the ore and are diagnostic for the type of ore. The other minerals listed are those that may be present but are hot diagnostic of the oxidation stage. The minerals are classed according to the valence state of the uranium and vanadium. 9

Types ofore

Group I

Type I V:U=3:l to 15:1

High-valent or highly oxidized ores

Dominant ore minerals Carnotite, tyuyamunite, vanadium-clay, hewettite

Vanadium-uranium minerals present in minor amounts

High-valent , bummerite, rossite, navajoite, steigerite, fervanite, sodium vanadate (analogue of hewettite)

Middle-valent Fernandinite, corvusite, rauvite, melanovanadite

low-valent Uraninite (with ), para- montroseite

Gangue minerals Iron oxide, gypsum, barite, calcite (rare), zinc and lead carbonates and sulfates.

Remarks: The ore minerals are red, yellow and brown. Some middle- and low-valent minerals may be present.

Type II V:U=3:1 to 15:1

Middle-valent ores

Dominant ore minerals Corvusite, hewettite, doloresite, vanadium-clay, rauvite

Vanadium-uranium minerals present in minor amounts

High-valent Carnotite, tyuyamunite

Middle-valent Melanovanadite, fernandinite

Low-valent Uraninite, paramontroseite

Gangue minerals Pyrite and iron oxides, barite, rare calcite, gypsum

Remarks: These ores are generally off-shades of black to bluish black, greenish black, and brown. 10

Type III V:U:3:1 to 15:1

Low-valent ores

Dominant ore minerals Coffinite, uraninite, montroseite

Vanadium-uranium minerals present in minor amounts

High-valent Carnotite, tyuyamunite

Middle-valent Corvusite, rauvite, fernandinite, melanovanadite

Lowy-valent Paramontroseite

Gangue minerals Galena, pyrite, sphalerite, chalco - pyrite, cobalt, nickel, arsenic minerals, calcite, barite

Remarks: These ores are black, colored only where higher-valence oxides have formed.

Group II

Type IV V:U=3:1 to 1:2

In general, the mineralogy of these ores is similar to the ores in the 3:1 to 15:1 group. There is less vanadium in excess over that needed to form carnotite and tyuyamunite and as a conse- quence fewer vanadium-oxide minerals form.

High-valent ores

Dominant ore minerals Carnotite, tyuyamunite, and uranyl carbonates, sulfates, and silicates

Vanadium-uranium minerals present in minor amounts

High-valent Scarce V+5 minerals, hewettite

Middle-valent Scarce corvusite, fernandinite, rauvite

Low-valent Uraninite, coffinite, montroseite

Gangue minerals Iron oxides, gypsum, barite, calcite (rare) 11

Type V V:U 3:1 to 1:2

Middle -valent ores

Dominant ore minerals Rauvite, some V minerals suen as corvusite, fernandinite, doloresite

Vanadium-uranium minerals present in minor amounts

High-vaien t Carnotite, tyuyamunite, urany) carbonates, sulfates Low-valent Uraninite, montroseite

Gangue minerals Pyrite and iron oxides

Type VI V:U =3:1 to 1:2

Low-valent ores

Dominant ore minerals Uraninite, inontroseite, coffinite

Vanadium-uranium minerals present in minor amounts

Intermediate vanadium oxides rare; uranyl compounds probably most conspicuous

Gangue minerals Sulfides and arsenides of iron, copper, and lead; calcite

Group III

Type VII Uranium associated with minor amounts of other metals

No middle-valent stage6is present in these ores because uranium is either U+ or U+'

High-valent ores

Ore minerals Uranyl carbonates, sulfates, oxides, silicates, schroeckingerite, torbernite, zeunerite, abernathyite

Gangue minerals ".Cobalt bloom," halotrichite, pickeringite, secondary copper minerals, jarosite, alunite, allo- phane, opal

Remarks: The mineralogy may vary from place to place in the deposit. Deposits with a predominant minor metal, such as copper, contain suites of uranyl compounds containing the minor metal. Ore minerals are often shades of yellow and green. 12

Type VIII Uranium associated with minor amounts of other metals

Low-valent ores

Ore minerals Uraninite, coffinite (with slight oxidation "gunmmite" or uranium wad may form)

Gangue minerals P,, 4 .te, sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, co 'e.J.t, nickel arsenides

Remarks: Ores are black with red, green, and yellow minerals where oxidized. n

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