Geology of Mt. Taylor uranium mine, Grants, New Mexico

Conference · Fri Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1989 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA)

OSTI ID:5457581

Alief, M H; Kern, R A ^[1]

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1. Chevron Resources Co., Grants, NM (USA)

The Mt. Taylor uranium mine is located 25 mi due northeast of Grants, New Mexico. Gulf Mineral Resources attained interest in the property in 1971. Surface drilling outlined several orebodies extending for 7 mi and containing over 120 million lb of uranium oxide (U{sub 3}O{sub 8}). Gulf sank two shafts and developed the orebody in Sec. 24, T13N, R8W. Due to depressed markets, the mine was shut down in 1982. Chevron reopened the mine in 1985 following the 1984 Gulf-Chevron merger. The uranium ore occurs in the Westwater Canyon Sandstone Member of the Jurassic Morrison Formation. The Westwater Canyon member was deposited as part of a braided-stream channel system. Mineralization was emplaced following the deposition and possibly prior to consolidation of the host. Uranium is intimately associated with carbonaceous matter that may have been deposited as humates prior to and/or contemporaneous with the uranium mineralization. Mineralization coats sand grains and fills intergranular voids. Since 1985, Chevron has produced more than 5 million lb of U{sub 3}O{sub 8}, most of it from Sec. 24 and Sec. 19 (T13N, R7W). Plans are to complete extraction in these sections and to continue southeasterly into Sec. 25 (T13N, R8W) and Sec. 30 (T13N, R7W). More than 40 million lb of U{sub 3}O{sub 8} may be mined from the present facilities. At the current mining rate of 1.5 million lb/year, supplies should take them well beyond the year 2000.

• OSTI ID: 5457581
• Report Number(s): CONF-8910195--
• Journal Information: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA), Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA) Vol. 73:9; ISSN AABUD; ISSN 0149-1423
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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