Thermal - hydrolic - mechanical - chemical (THMC) modeling of fluid flow and its control on localization of uranium deposits in the northeastern Athabasca basin, Saskatchewan

萨斯喀彻温省阿萨巴斯卡盆地东北部的流体流动热-水力-机械-化学（THMC）模型及其对铀矿床定位的控制

• 批准号: 492026-2015
• 负责人: Chi, Guoxiang
• 金额: $ 4.58万
• 依托单位: University of Regina
• 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=618966
• 关键词: Thermal; hydrolic; mechanical; chemical; THMC

Uranium is an important source of energy, and Canada is the second largest uranium producer in the world. Currently all the uranium production in Canada is from high-grade uranium deposits known as unconformity-related uranium deposits in the Athabasca Basin in northern Saskatchewan. Many of these deposits were discovered based on an empirical model that uranium mineralization took place near faults crosscutting the unconformity between the basin and the basement, where uranium-bearing oxidizing fluids met and reacted with reducing agents, especially graphite and hydrocarbons derived from it. However, with increasing degrees of exploration, this model is facing more and more challenges, and a better understanding of the factors controlling mineralization is needed. The formation of large and rich uranium deposits requires that a large amount of uranium-bearing fluids passed through limited areas where one or more uranium precipitation mechanisms effectively removed uranium from the fluids. This involves thermal - hydraulic - mechanical - chemical (THMC) processes that may be simulated using numerical methods. The numerical models, if correctly established, can be used to predict favourable mineralization sites. In order to find the correct THMC model, multiple scenarios of numerical modeling using different physical and chemical parameters must be carried out and verified by comparing the modeling results with geological observations. It is therefore important to select a study area where much geological data relevant to mineralization have been accumulated. The northeastern part of the Athabasca Basin is chosen for this study because a number of world-class uranium deposits have been discovered in this area, and many of them have been studied in detail in terms of host rock lithology, basement structure, alteration, and orebody geometry and distribution. The research results will help the sponsor (Areva Resources Canada Inc.) and other uranium exploration companies to find more uranium deposits, which will contribute to job creation and economic prosperity for isolated northern communities.

铀是一种重要的能源，加拿大是世界第二大铀生产国。目前，加拿大所有的铀生产都来自萨斯喀彻温省北方阿萨巴斯卡盆地的高品位铀矿床，即不整合相关铀矿床。其中许多矿床的发现是基于经验模式，即铀矿化发生在横切盆地与基底不整合面的断层附近，含铀氧化性流体在此与还原剂，特别是石墨及其衍生的烃类发生接触并发生反应。然而，随着勘探程度的提高，这一模式面临着越来越多的挑战。需要更好地了解控制成矿作用的因素。大型富铀矿床的形成需要大量的含铀流体通过有限的区域，在这些区域中，一种或多种铀沉淀机制有效地将铀从流体中去除。这涉及热-水力-机械-化学（THMC）过程，可以使用数值方法进行模拟.数值模型如果建立正确，可以用来预测有利的成矿部位。为了找到正确的THMC模型，必须使用不同的物理和化学参数进行多方案的数值模拟，并通过将模拟结果与地质观测结果进行比较来验证。因此，选择已积累大量与成矿相关的地质数据的研究区非常重要。选择阿萨巴斯卡盆地东北部进行这项研究，是因为在该地区发现了一些世界级的铀矿床，其中许多矿床已被详细研究了围岩岩性，基底结构，蚀变，矿体的几何形状和分布。研究结果将有助于赞助商（阿海珐资源加拿大公司）这将有助于为偏远的北方社区创造就业机会和经济繁荣。