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Anomalous orebody within the Ambrosia Lake trend at Sandstone Mine

Conference · · Mem. - N.M. Bur. Mines Miner. Resour.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6033387
;

The Sandstone Mine contains an anomalous orebody that lacks the characteristic coloring and high gamma-ray expression typically associated with uranium ore in the Ambrosia Lake district. The orebody occurs at the downdip edge of a tongue of hematitic sand in the basal sand unit of the Westwater Canyon Member of the Morrison Formation. The orebody ranges from white to light gray in color. Preliminary analysis indicates the presence of uranophane (Ca(UO/sub 2/)/sub 2/SiO/sub 3/(OH)/sub 2/.5H/sub 2/O), evidently altered from coffinite, which is the predominant uranium mineral in the district. Equivalent U/sub 3/O/sub 8/ indicates that this orebody is relatively recent. Oxidizing meteoric water, which formed a geochemical cell, remobilized uranium minerals in preexisting trend orebodies and deposited the uranium downdip of the furthest extent of this cell. Post-Dakota deformation influenced the course of the migrating meteoric water and the extent of the redox interface controlling the orebody. As sampling and mining lower grades of uranium becomes increasingly more economical, the potential for unknown reserves adjacent to the redox interface should not be overlooked.

Research Organization:
United Nuclear Corp., Grants, NM
OSTI ID:
6033387
Report Number(s):
CONF-7905120-
Journal Information:
Mem. - N.M. Bur. Mines Miner. Resour.; (United States), Journal Name: Mem. - N.M. Bur. Mines Miner. Resour.; (United States) Vol. 38; ISSN NMMMA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

050100 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Reserves
Exploration
& Mining
050200* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Exploration-- (-1987)
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
COFFINITE
EXPLORATION
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGY
MATERIALS
MINERAL RESOURCES
MINERALOGY
MINERALS
NEW MEXICO
NORTH AMERICA
ORES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE MINERALS
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SOUTHWEST REGION
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM DEPOSITS
URANIUM MINERALS
URANIUM ORES
URANIUM OXIDES
URANIUM OXIDES U3O8
URANOPHANE
USA