Nuclear fuel and precious-metal occurrences in Precambrian rocks of southeast Wyoming
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-; TRN: 87-002907
- Journal Information:
- Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States), Vol. 70:8; Conference: AAPG Rocky Mountain Section meeting, Casper, WY, USA, 7 Sep 1986
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
URANIUM DEPOSITS
GEOLOGY
WYOMING
COFFINITE
CONGLOMERATES
GOLD
PRECAMBRIAN ERA
PYRITE
URANINITES
CHALCOGENIDES
ELEMENTS
FEDERAL REGION VIII
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
IRON COMPOUNDS
IRON SULFIDES
MATERIALS
METALS
MINERAL RESOURCES
MINERALS
NORTH AMERICA
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE MINERALS
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SULFIDE MINERALS
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
URANIUM MINERALS
USA
050100* - Nuclear Fuels- Reserves
Exploration
& Mining