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

该项目的目标是揭示萨斯喀彻温省北部有17亿年历史的阿萨巴斯卡沉积盆地中新发现的令人兴奋的铀矿床的起源和演化。阿罗矿床是两年前发现的，根据资源计算，它可能是世界上第三大铀矿，现在是阿萨巴斯卡盆地西南部一个羽翼未丰的铀矿营地的一部分。总体而言，加拿大这一地区的铀矿储量是世界上最丰富的，生产的铀约占全球用于生产核反应堆燃料的15%。目前核能发电约占全球发电量的12%，随着我们减少全球碳足迹，这一比例很可能会增加。具体地说，该项目将构成一个科学硕士论文的重点，以及四个理科学士学位。这些论文在萨斯喀彻温大学，由NexGen Energy支持。将对Arrow矿床的钻芯进行检查，以将含铀矿物和蚀变矿物与构造联系起来，在该矿床的演化过程中，卤水将沿着这些构造移动。样品将通过岩相学和微探针进行分析，以确定矿床内和周围存在的矿物及其组成。含铀矿物的铀和铅同位素组成将提供有关矿床年龄和历史的信息，氧、氢和碳同位素将用于确定流体随时间的特征。矿藏周围具有代表性的岩石样本也将被检查，以确定这些岩石的来源，因为人们对加拿大盾的这一部分知之甚少。这些信息将被用来构建阿罗矿床的成因模型，可以与该地区的其他铀矿床进行比较，以提高发现新矿床的能力。直接成果将是硕士和理科硕士论文，以及期刊论文。此外，关于萨斯喀彻温省北部这一地区矿床来源的新想法将为北部社区提供经济增长，并保持该省和加拿大作为世界领先铀供应国之一的地位。

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.