Geology of pre-Dakota uranium geochemical cell, sec. 13, T. 16 N. , R. 17 W. , Church Rock area, McKinley County

Conference · Mon Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1979 · Mem. - N.M. Bur. Mines Miner. Resour.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6189154

Peterson, R J

Exploration drilling on sec. 13, T. 16 N., R. 17 W., McKinley County, New Mexico, has defined uranium deposits within the Westwater Canyon Member of the Morrison Formation (Jurassic). Elongate, tabular, redistributed deposits were formed peripherally along the zones of highest transmissivity of the northeast-trending Westwater Canyon fluvial system by a Jurassic-Cretaceous geochemical cell. Strongly reducing conditions, which existed locally in the channel-margin areas owing to the presence of organic materials, were the primary ore control. Evidence that this major redistribution process took place in pre-Dakota time is the bleaching of the Westwater Canyon Sandstone by Dakota swamps is superimposed on older oxidation, and the primary mineralization above the Jurassic-Cretaceous water table was not affected by the geochemical-cell redistribution process.

• Research Organization: Teton Exploration Drilling Co., Inc., Albuquerque, NM
• OSTI ID: 6189154
• 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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