Uranium ore

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Main article: Uranium



Uranium minerals[edit]

Uraninite, also known as pitchblende
Torbernite, an important secondary uranium mineral

The primary uranium ore mineral is uraninite (UO2) or pitchblende. A range of other uranium minerals can be found in various deposits. These include carnotite, tyuyamunite, torbernite and autunite.[6] The davidite-brannerite-absite type uranium titanates, and the euxenite-fergusonite-samarskite group are other uranium minerals.


Uranium Minerals[7][8]
Primary uranium minerals
Name Chemical Formula
uraninite or pitchblende UO2
coffinite U(SiO4)1–x(OH)4x
brannerite UTi2O6
thucholite Uranium-bearing pyrobitumen
Secondary uranium minerals
Name Chemical Formula
gummite gum like amorphous mixture of various uranium minerals
saleeite Mg(UO2)2(PO4)2 x 10 H2O

Ore genesis[edit]




Classification schemes[edit]

IAEA Classification (1996)[edit]


  1. Unconformity-related deposits
  2. Sandstone deposits
  3. Quartz-pebble conglomerate deposits
  4. Breccia complex deposits
  5. Vein deposits
  6. Intrusive deposits (Alaskites)
  7. Phosphorite deposits
  8. Collapse breccia pipe deposits
  9. Volcanic deposits
  10. Surficial deposits
  11. Metasomatite deposits
  12. Metamorphic deposits
  13. Lignite
  14. Black shale deposits
  15. Other types of deposits

Alternate scheme[edit]


Uranium Deposit Classification[9]
Uranium Transport /
Precipitation Conditions
Deposit Type
Surface Processes / synsedimentary Surficial deposits
Quartz-pebble conglomerate deposits
Phosphorite deposits
Black shales
Diagenetic Sandstone deposits
Diagenetic – Hydrothermal? Unconformity-related deposits
Vein deposits
Collapse breccia pipe deposits
Magmatic – Hydrothermal? Breccia complex deposits
Volcanic deposits
Metasomatite deposits
Vein deposits
Intrusive deposits
Metamorphic – Hydrothermal? Metamorphic deposits

Deposit types (IAEA Classification)[edit]

Unconformity-related deposits[edit]





Athabasca Basin[edit]

Main article: Athabasca Basin

The highest grade uranium deposits are found in the Athabasca Basin in Canada, including the two largest high grade uranium deposits in the world, Cigar Lake with 217 million pounds (99,000 t) U3O8 at an average grade of 18% and McArthur River with 324 million pounds (147,000 t) U3O8 at an average grade of 17%. These deposits occur below, across and immediately above the unconformity. Additionally, another high grade discovery is in the development stage at Patterson Lake (Triple R deposit) with an estimated mineral resource identified as; "Indicated Mineral Resources" estimated to total 2,291,000 tons at an average grade of 1.58% U3O8 containing 79,610,000 pounds of U3O8. "Inferred Mineral Resources" are estimated to total 901,000 tons at an average grade of 1.30% U3O8 containing 25,884,000 pounds of U3O8. http://www.fissionuranium.com/_resources/reports/RPA_Fission_U_Patterson_Lake_South_Technical_Report_FINAL_Feb_2015.pdf

McArthur Basin[edit]

Main article: McArthur Basin


Sandstone deposits[edit]





  1. the Wyoming basins
  2. the Grants District of New Mexico
  3. deposits in Central Europe and
  4. Kazakhstan



  • tabular
  • roll front
  • basal channel
  • structurally related

Many deposits represent combinations of these types.


Tabular deposits consist of irregular tabular or elongate lenticular zones of uranium mineralisation within selectively reduced sediments. The mineralised zones are oriented parallel to the direction of groundwater flow, but on a small scale the ore zones may cut across sedimentary features of the host sandstone.[10][11] Deposits of this nature commonly occur within palaeochannels cut in the underlying basement rocks.


Roll front[edit]

Structures interpreted as Palaeo-rollfronts in South Australia



Typical characteristics:

  • typically the convex side points down the hydraulic gradient.
  • most ore-bodies consist of several interconnected rolls.

Basal channel (palaeochannel)[edit]



The Frome Embayment in South Australia hosts several deposits of this type including Honeymoon, Oban, Beverley and [Four-Mile][13] (which is the largest deposit of this class).[14][15][16] These deposits are hosted in palaeochannels filled with Cainozoic sediments and sourced their uranium from uranium-rich Palaeo- to Mesoproterozoic rocks of the Mount Painter Inlier and the Olary Domain of the Curnamona Province.

Structurally related[edit]


Tectonic-lithologic controlled uranium deposits occur in sandstones adjacent to a permeable fault zone[11] which cuts the sandstone/mudstone sequence. Mineralisation forms tongue-shaped ore zones along the permeable sandstone layers adjacent to the fault. Often there are a number of mineralised zones 'stacked' vertically on top of each other within sandstone units adjacent to the fault zone.[10]

Quartz-pebble conglomerate deposits[edit]


Two main sub-types have been identified:




Witwatersrand sub-type[edit]



Elliot Lake sub-type[edit]




Breccia complex deposits (IOCG-U)[edit]





Vein deposits[edit]

Polymetallic uranium ore, Marienberg, Erzgebirge Mts, Germany



  • intragranitic veins (Central Massif, France)
  • veins in metasedimentary rocks in exocontacts of granites



Intrusive associated deposits[edit]


Phosphorite deposits[edit]


Collapse breccia pipe deposits[edit]




Volcanic deposits[edit]




The average deposit size is rather small with grades of 0.02% to 0.2% U3O8.[10] These deposits make up only a small proportion of the world's uranium resources.[11] The only volcanic hosted deposits currently being exploited are those of the Streltsovkoye district of eastern Siberia. This is in fact not a single stand-alone deposit, but 18 individual deposits occurring within the Streltsovsk caldera complex. Nevertheless, the average size of these deposits is far greater than the average volcanic type.

Surficial deposits (calcretes)[edit]

Surficial deposits are broadly defined as Tertiary to Recent near-surface uranium concentrations in sediments or soils.[11] Mineralization in calcrete (calcium and magnesium carbonates) are the largest of the surficial deposits. They are interbedded with Tertiary sand and clay, which are usually cemented by calcium and magnesium carbonates.[10] Surficial deposits also occur in peat bogs, karst caverns and soils.

Surficial deposits account for approximately 4% of world uranium resources.[11] The Yeelirrie deposit is by far the world's largest surficial deposit, averaging 0.15% U3O8. Langer Heinrich[24] in Namibia is another significant surficial deposit.[10]

Metasomatite deposits[edit]


Two subtypes are defined based on host lithologies:

Metamorphic deposits[edit]






Black shale deposits[edit]



Other types of deposits[edit]

  • There are also uranium deposits, of other types, in the Jurassic Todilto Limestone in the Grants District, New Mexico, USA.[10]
  • In some countries like China trials are underway to extract uranium from fly ash.[25]

See also[edit]


  1. ^ "Cameco – Uranium 101". Retrieved February 1, 2009. 
  2. ^ "Cameco – Uranium 101, Where is uranium found?". Retrieved 2009-01-28. 
  3. ^ Plant, J., Simpson, P.R., Smith, B., and Windley, B.F. (1999), "Uranium Ore Deposits: Products of the Radioactive Earth", in Burns, P.C., and Finch, R., Reviews in Mineralogy, Volume 38: Uranium: Mineralogy, Geochemistry and the Environment., Washington D.C., U.S.A.: Mineralogical Society of America, pp. 255–320, ISBN 0-939950-50-2 
  4. ^ "Uranium". Los Alamos National Laboratory. Retrieved 2009-02-11. 
  5. ^ "WorldBook@NASA: Supernova". NASA. Retrieved 2009-02-11. [dead link]
  6. ^ Klein, Cornelis and Cornelius S. Hurlbut, Jr., Manual of Mineralogy, Wiley, 1985, 20th ed. pp. 307–308 ISBN 0-471-80580-7
  7. ^ Merkel, B., und Sperling, B. (1998), Schriften 117: Hydrogeochemische Soffsysteme Teil II, DVWK, ISSN 0170-8147  Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. ^ "Mineralogy Database". Retrieved March 25, 2009. 
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Lally, J. & Bajwah, Z. (2006), Report 20: Uranium Deposits of the NT., Northern Territory Geological Survey, ISBN 0-7245-7107-8  Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q McKay, A.D. & Meiitis, Y. (2001), Australia's uranium resources, geology and development of deposits. (PDF), AGSO-Geoscience Australia, Mineral Resources Report 1, ISBN 0-642-46716-1, retrieved February 12, 2009 
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Geology of Uranium Deposits 2010
  12. ^ Douglas, G., Butt, C., and Gray, D. (2003). "Mulga Rock Uranium and Multielement Deposits, Officer Basin, WA" (PDF). Retrieved February 13, 2009. 
  13. ^ http://www.allianceresources.com.au/IRM/content/project_fourmileuranium.html
  14. ^ AGM Presentation by MD Mr Patrick Mutz
  15. ^ http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/default.aspx?id=24098&terms=four-mile#4mile
  16. ^ http://www.ga.gov.au/about/corporate/ga_authors/uranium_resources.jsp
  17. ^ Tilsley, J.E. (1988), "Genetic Considerations Relating to Some Uranium Ore Deposits", in Roberts, R.G., and Sheahan, P.A., Ore Deposit Models, Volume 1, Ottawa, Canada: Geological Association of Canada, pp. 91–102, ISBN 0-919216-34-X 
  18. ^ "Marathon Resources Ltd – Paralana Mineral System (Mt Gee)". Retrieved 2009-04-22. 
  19. ^ Veselovsky, F., Ondrus, P., Gabsová, A., Hlousek, J., Vlasimsky, P., Chernyshew, I.V. (2003). "Who was who in Jáchymov mineralogy II". Journal of the Czech Geological Society (3-4 ed.). 48: 93–205. 
  20. ^ Ruzicka, V. (1993). "Vein uranium deposits". Ore Geology Reviews. 8: 247–276. doi:10.1016/0169-1368(93)90019-U. 
  21. ^ a b c various... (1999), Chronik der Wismut, Chemnitz: Wismut GmbH 
  22. ^ Kribek, B., Zák, K., Dobes, P., Leichmann, J., Pudilová, M., René, M., Scharm, B., Scharmova, M., Hájek, A., Holeczy, D., Hein, U.F., Lehmann, B. (2009). "The Rožná uranium deposit (Bohemian Massif, Czech Republic): shear zone-hosted, late Variscan and post-Variscan hydrothermal mineralization". Mineralium Deposita. 44: 99–128. Bibcode:2009MinDe..44...99K. doi:10.1007/s00126-008-0188-0. 
  23. ^ a b unknown (2001), Analysis of uranium supply to 2050, Vienna: International Atomic Energy Agency 
  24. ^ http://www.mining-technology.com/projects/langer-heinrich/
  25. ^ "Out of the Ashes". 

Additional sources[edit]