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U.S. Department of Energy
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National Uranium Resource Evaluation: Albuquerque Quadrangle, New Mexico

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6778081

Areas and formations within the Albuquerque 1/sup 0/ x 2/sup 0/ Quadrangle, New Mexico designated as favorable, in order of decreasing relative favorability, include: (1) the Westwater Canyon and Brushy Basin Members of the Morrison Formation; (2) the Todilto Limestone of Late Jurassic age; (3) the Dakota Sandstone of Early and Late Cretaceous age; (4) the Ojo Alamo Sandstone of Tertiary age on the eastern side of the San Juan Basin; (5) the Galisteo Formation of Tertiary age within the Hagan Basin, in the eastern part of the Albuquerque Quadrangle; and (6) the Menefee Formation of Late Cretaceous age in the eastern part of the San Juan Basin. Favorability of the Westwater Canyon and Brushy Basin is based on the presence of favorable facies and sandstone-to-shale ratios, the presence of large masses of detrital and humic organic matter in sandstone host rocks, low to moderate dip of host beds, high radioactivity of outcropping rocks, numerous uranium occurrences, and the presence of large subsurface uranium deposits. The Todilto Limestone is considered favorable because of the presence of numerous medium to small uranium deposits in association with intraformational folds and with detrital and humic organic matter. The Dakota Sandstone is considered favorable only in areas within the Grants mineral belt where Tertiary faulting has allowed movement of uranium-bearing groundwater from the underlying Morrison Formation into organic-rich sandstone in the basal part of the Dakota. The Menefee Formation is locally favorable in the area of La Ventana Mesa where the control for known uranium deposits is both structural and stratigraphic. The Ojo Alamo Sandstone and the Galisteo Formations are considered favorable because of favorable facies, the presence of organic matter and pyrite; and low- to medium-grade mineral occurrences.

Research Organization:
Geological Survey, Golden, CO (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AI13-78GJ01686
OSTI ID:
6778081
Report Number(s):
PGJ/F-016-82; ON: DE82022285
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English