Nuclear fuel and precious-metal occurrences in Precambrian rocks of southeast Wyoming

Conference · Fri Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1986 · Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States)

OSTI ID:7013053

Graff, P

Studies done on Precambrian metasediments in southeast Wyoming show the occurrence of quartz-pebble conglomerates containing subeconomic amounts of uranium and thorium. These conglomerates were marginal deposits in the late 1970s when uranium prices reached $50/lb. Fuel minerals occur in silicate phases and complicate milling operations. Because of the additional cost of processing and underground mining, no attempt to develop these resources was made. Additional studies show a favorable comparison of the rocks in Wyoming to the auriferous Witwatersrand section of South Africa. Exploration for gold in the Wyoming conglomerates has been done in a preliminary manner, but assay values to 10 ppm are reported. Both fuel minerals and gold are deposited as fossil placers by fluvial systems operating in an anoxic environment. Lag gravel and meander deposits contain heavy-mineral suites formed of coffinite, pyrite, thorite, gold, and uraninite. Available studies have not considered producing fuel and precious minerals as coproducts of surface mining methods.

• Research Organization: Research Associates of Wyoming, Casper
• OSTI ID: 7013053
• Report Number(s): CONF-8609129-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States) Journal Volume: 70:8
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050100* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Reserves
Exploration
& Mining
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
CHALCOGENIDES
COFFINITE
CONGLOMERATES
ELEMENTS
FEDERAL REGION VIII
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGY
GOLD
IRON COMPOUNDS
IRON SULFIDES
MATERIALS
METALS
MINERAL RESOURCES
MINERALS
NORTH AMERICA
PRECAMBRIAN ERA
PYRITE
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE MINERALS
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SULFIDE MINERALS
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
URANINITES
URANIUM DEPOSITS
URANIUM MINERALS
USA
WYOMING