Preliminary study of the uranium potential of the northern part of the Durham Triassic Basin, North Carolina
This report presents results of a four-channel spectrometric survey of the northern part of the Durham Triassic basin and adjacent Piedmont, North Carolina. Gamma-ray spectrometric measurements were obtained at 112 localities from 136 different lithologies. The nominal sampling density in the Durham Basin is one site per 2 mi/sup 2/. Surface radiometric surveys reveal no anomalous radioactivity in the northern part of the Durham Basin. Uranium concentrations in Triassic rocks are from 0.6 to 9.7 ppM and average 2.9 ppM. Mudrocks contain from 1.3 to 9.7 ppM, and the average is 4.5 ppM. Sandstones contain from 0.6 to 8.8 ppM, and the average is 2.5 ppM. Fanglomerates contain the lowest concentrations of uranium, from 1.4 to 2.0 ppM, for an average of 1.8 ppM. Uranium/thorium ratios average 0.27 for Triassic rocks and are from 0.04 to 1.85. The mean log uranium/log thorium for Triassic rocks is 0.37. Mudrock has the highest average uranium/thorium ratio (0.32), and the range is 0.09 to 0.66. Sandstones have an average uranium/thorium ratio of 0.26, and the range is 0.04 to 1.85. Fanglomerates have the lowest range uranium/thorium ratio (0.19), and the range is 0.12 to 0.19. On the basis of surface radiometric surveys and geologic studies, it is believed that sedimentary strata in the northern part of the Durham Basin are poor targets for further uranium exploration. This conclusion is based on the lack of favorable characteristics commonly present in fluvial uranium deposits. Among these are: (1) carbonaceous material is absent in Triassic rocks of the northern basin, (2) indicators of a reduzate facies in sandstones are not present, and (3) no tuffaceous beds are associated with sediments in the northern Durham Basin.
- Research Organization:
- Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (USA). Savannah River Lab.; North Carolina Univ., Wilmington (USA). Dept. of Earth Sciences
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC09-76SR00001
- OSTI ID:
- 5704699
- Report Number(s):
- DPST-81-141-6; ON: DE82004552; TRN: 82-004702
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
NORTH CAROLINA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS
RADIOMETRIC SURVEYS
URANIUM DEPOSITS
EXPLORATION
QUANTITY RATIO
ROCKS
SANDSTONES
THORIUM
TRIASSIC PERIOD
URANIUM
ACTINIDES
ELEMENTS
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
MESOZOIC ERA
METALS
MINERAL RESOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
RESOURCES
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SOUTHEAST REGION
SURVEYS
USA
050200* - Nuclear Fuels- Exploration- (-1987)