Uinta Arch Project: investigations of uranium potential in Precambrian X and older metasedimentary rocks in the Unita and Wasatch ranges, Utah and Colorado

Technical Report · Sun Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5047052· OSTI ID:5047052

Graff, P. J.; Sears, J. W.; Holden, G. S.

This study is part of the United States Department of Energy's National Uranium Resource Evaluation Program to understand the geologic setting, amount, and availability of uranium resources within the boundaries of the United States. The systematic study of Precambrian quartz-pebble conglomerates and areas that may contain such conglomerates is an integral part of DOE's resource evaluation program, because deposits of world-wide importance occur in such terrains in Canada and South Africa, and because terrains similar to those producing uranium from quartz-pebble conglomerates exist elsewhere in the United States. Because of the ready availability of Tertiary sandstone and Colorado Plateau-type uranium deposits, large areas of Precambrian rocks in the US have not been fully assessed for uranium potential. Thus, the Uinta Arch Project was undertaken to assess the favorability of Precambrian metasedimentary rocks in northern Utah for deposits of uranium in Precambrian quartz-pebble conglomerates. Rocks of interest to this study are the thick, clastic sequences within the Uinta Arch that are considered to be of Early Proterozoic age. The Uinta Arch area is known to contain rocks which generally fit the lithologic characteristics that are understood to limit the occurrence of Precambrian fossil placers. However, detailed geology of these rocks and their exact fit to the model described for uraniferous conglomerates was not known. The primary goal of the Uinta Arch Project was to determine how well these Precambrian rocks resemble known deposits and to describe the favorability of placer uranium deposits.

• Research Organization: Research Associates of Wyoming, Casper (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC13-76GJ01664
• OSTI ID: 5047052
• Report Number(s): GJBX-170(80); TRN: 80-015925
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
URANIUM DEPOSITS
PROSPECTING
COLORADO
CONGLOMERATES
EVALUATION
PETROLOGY
PRECAMBRIAN ERA
STRATIGRAPHY
UINTA FORMATION
UTAH
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
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ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
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050200* - Nuclear Fuels- Exploration- (-1987)