Bernabe Montano uranium deposit, Sandoval County

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980 · Mem. - N.M. Bur. Mines Miner. Resour.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6188977

Kozusko, R G ^[1]; Saucier, A E

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1. Conoco Minerals Co., Spokane, WA

Uranium mineralization was discovered on the Bernabe Montano Grant early in 1971. This old land grant, which is part of the Laguna Indian Reservation, is approximately 25 mile northwest of Albuquerque, New Mexico. About 2,000 holes have been drilled on this property to date, and an ore reserve of 10 to 20 million lbs of uranium oxide has been delineated in the Westwater Canyon Member of the Morrison Formation. The mineralization consists of multiple, stacked blankets of mineralized humate which appear to be localized in an area of slightly thicker and more laterally continuous sandstones. The blankets occur along a relatively straight mineral trend about a half mile wide and several miles in length. Holes drilled on-trend usually encounter gamma anomalies, whereas holes drilled off-trend are barren. The uranium is believed to have been carried through the Westwater Canyon Member by ground water that followed the palochannel systems shortly after burial in Late Jurassic time. This discovery once again confirms the trend-ore concept, and it probably represents the present eastern economic limit of the Grants mineral belt. The orebody is unusual because it occurs in a structurally deformed area called the Rio Puerco fault zone. The mineralization, which does not conform to a roll-front model, represents an important addition to the ore reserves of the Grants uranium region.

• OSTI ID: 6188977
• Report Number(s): CONF-7905120-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Mem. - N.M. Bur. Mines Miner. Resour.; (United States) Journal Volume: 38
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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