Structural evolution, paragenesis, and origin of the arrow uranium deposit, southwestern Athabasca Basin

阿萨巴斯卡盆地西南部箭头铀矿床的构造演化、共生和起源

• 批准号: 500920-2016
• 负责人: Ansdell, Kevin
• 金额: $ 1.48万
• 依托单位: University of Saskatchewan
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Collaborative Research and Development Grants
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2017-01-01 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=618968
• 关键词: Structural; evolution; paragenesis; origin; arrow

The objective of this project is to unravel the origin and evolution of an exciting new uranium deposit discovery in the 1.7 billion year old Athabasca sedimentary basin of northern Saskatchewan. The Arrow deposit was discovered two years ago and based on resource calculations it could be the third largest uranium deposit in the world, and now forms part of a fledgling uranium camp in the southwestern Athabasca Basin. Overall, this part of Canada contains the richest uranium deposits in the world, and yields about 15% of the world's uranium used to produce fuel for nuclear reactors. Nuclear energy is used to generate about 12% of the world's electricity at present, and it is likely that this proportion will increase as we reduce the global carbon footprint. In detail, the project will form the focus of a Master of Science thesis, as well as four B.Sc. theses, at the University of Saskatchewan, supported by NexGen Energy. Drill core from the Arrow deposit will be examined to relate uranium-bearing and alteration minerals to structures, along which brines would have moved during the evolution of the deposit. Samples will be analyzed by petrography and microprobe to determine the minerals present in and around the deposit, and their composition. The uranium and lead isotope compositions of uranium-bearing minerals will provide information on the age of the deposit and its history, and the oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon isotopes will be used to determine the character of the fluids through time. Representative samples of the rocks around the deposit will also be examined to determine the origin of these rocks, as this part of the Canadian Shield is poorly understood. This information will be used to construct a model for the origin of the Arrow deposit, which can be compared to other uranium deposits in the region to improve the ability to find new deposits. Direct outcomes will be MSc and BSc theses, and journal papers. In addition, new ideas as to the origin of the deposits of this part of northern Saskatchewan will provide economic growth for northern communities, and maintain the province and Canada as one of the leading providers of uranium in the world.

该项目的目标是揭示萨斯喀彻温省北方阿萨巴斯卡沉积盆地17亿年历史的一个令人兴奋的新铀存款发现的起源和演变。阿罗存款是两年前发现的，根据资源计算，它可能是世界上第三大铀存款，现在是阿萨巴斯卡盆地西南部一个羽翼未丰的铀营地的一部分。总的来说，加拿大的这一地区拥有世界上最丰富的铀矿床，产量约占世界上用于生产核反应堆燃料的铀的15%。目前，核能发电量约占全球发电量的12%，随着我们减少全球碳足迹，这一比例可能会增加。详细地说，该项目将形成科学硕士论文的重点，以及四个B.Sc.论文，在萨斯喀彻温大学，由NexGen能源的支持。将对阿罗存款的岩芯进行检查，以将含铀和蚀变矿物与结构联系起来，在存款的演化过程中，盐水将沿着这些结构移动。样品将通过岩相学和微探针进行分析，以确定存款中和周围存在的矿物及其成分。含铀矿物的铀和铅同位素组成将提供有关存款年龄及其历史的信息，氧、氢和碳同位素将用于确定流体随时间的性质。还将检查存款周围岩石的代表性样本，以确定这些岩石的起源，因为对加拿大地盾的这一部分了解甚少。这一信息将用于构建阿罗存款起源模型，可与该地区其他铀矿床进行比较，以提高发现新矿床的能力。直接成果将是理学硕士和理学学士论文，以及期刊论文。此外，关于萨斯喀彻温省北方这一部分矿床起源的新想法将为北方社区提供经济增长，并使该省和加拿大保持为世界上主要的铀供应国之一。