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Title: Summary geologic report on the Missoula/Bitterroot Drilling Project, Missoula/Bitterroot Basins, Montana

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6783751· OSTI ID:6783751

The objective of the drilling project was to obtain information to assess the favorability of the Tertiary sedimentary units in the Missoula and Bitterroot Valleys for uranium potential. The group of Montana Tertiary basins, including the Missoula and Bitterroot Basins, has been assigned a speculative uranium potential of 46,557 tons of U/sub 3/O/sub 8/ at $100/lb by the 1980 National Uranium Resource Evaluation report. The seven drill holes, two in the Missoula Valley and five in the Bitterroot Valley, verified observations made during surface studies and provided additional information about the subsurface that was previously unknown. No uranium was found, although of the two localities the Bitterroot Valley is the more favorable. Three stratigraphic units were tentatively identified on the basis of lithology: pre-Renova clastic units, Renova Formation equivalents, and Sixmile Creek Formation equivalents. Of the three, the Renova Formation equivalents in the Bitterroot Valley appear to be the most favorable for possible uranium occurrences and the pre-Renova clastic units the least favorable.

Research Organization:
Bendix Field Engineering Corp., Grand Junction, CO (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
AC13-76GJ01664
OSTI ID:
6783751
Report Number(s):
GJBX-7(81); TRN: 81-008174
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Includes 12 sheets of 24x reduction microfiche
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English