Geology, paragenesis and geochemistry of the Centennial uranium deposit, Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan

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The objective of this project is to describe the rocks and minerals associated with a new discovery of uranium (Centennial deposit) in the 1.7 billion year old Athabasca sedimentary basin of northern Saskatchewan. This part of Canada contains the richest uranium deposits in the world, and yields about 20% of the world's uranium which is used to produce fuel for nuclear reactors. There is enormous concern globally about the damage being caused to the Earth's climate by the use of fossil fuels that generate carbon dioxide. Nuclear energy is used to generate about 15% of the world's electricity at present, and it is likely that this proportion will increase as we try and reduce the global carbon footprint. It is important to understand how natural deposits of uranium form, so that new ones can be found in the future. In addition, Canada and Saskatchewan are very rich in natural resources, and economic development in the north of the country and the province is dependent on understanding the geology and origin of these resources. The federal government has committed $100 million to geosciences mapping in the north, and this project represents one of many that are being supported. In detail, the project will form the focus of a Master of Science thesis at the University of Saskatchewan, supported by Cameco, one of the largest uranium producers in the world. Samples collected at the deposit will be analyzed to determine the minerals present in and around the deposit, and the relative timing of the minerals. All mineral deposits, including these uranium deposits, form over a long period of time (thousands to millions of years) and so the composition of the hot brine from which they formed, likely changed over time as well. Thus, different minerals will grow at different times in the deposit's history. Also, the chemical composition of the rocks around the deposit will be measured to determine the origin of these rocks, particularly those in the Precambrian Shield rocks below the Athabasca basin, and the affect that the changing brine composition will have on these rocks. This information will be used to construct a model for the origin of the Centennial deposit, which can be compared to other uranium deposits in the region to improve the ability to find new deposits.