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Title: National Uranium Resource Evaluation: Marfa Quadrangle, Texas

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6920439· OSTI ID:6920439

The uranium favorability of the Marfa 1/sup 0/ by 2/sup 0/ Quadrangle, Texas, was evaluated in accordance with criteria established for the National Uranium Resource Evaluation. Surface and subsurface studies, to a 1500 m (5000 ft) depth, and chemical, petrologic, hydrogeochemical, and airborne radiometric data were employed. The entire quadrangle is in the Basin and Range Province and is characterized by Tertiary silicic volcanic rocks overlying mainly Cretaceous carbonate rocks and sandstones. Strand-plain sandstones of the Upper Cretaceous San Carlos Formation and El Picacho Formation possess many favorable characteristics and are tentatively judged as favorable for sandstone-type deposits. The Tertiary Buckshot Ignimbrite contains uranium mineralization at the Mammoth Mine. This deposit may be an example of the hydroauthigenic class; alternatively, it may have formed by reduction of uranium-bearing ground water produced during diagenesis of tuffaceous sediments of the Vieja Group. Although the presence of the deposit indicates favorability, the uncertainty in the process that formed the mineralization makes delineation of a favorable environment or area difficult. The Allen intrusions are favorable for authigenic deposits. Basin fill in several bolsons possesses characteristics that suggest favorability but which are classified as unevaluated because of insufficient data. All Precambrian, Paleozoic, other Mesozoic, and other Cenozoic environments are unfavorable.

Research Organization:
Texas Univ., Austin (USA). Bureau of Economic Geology; Bendix Field Engineering Corp., Grand Junction, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC13-76GJ01664
OSTI ID:
6920439
Report Number(s):
PGJ/F-001-82; ON: DE82021096
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Includes 11 sheets of 24x reduction microfiche
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English