Factors controlling the formation and localization of reverse-offset unconformity-related uranium deposits along the Midwest Trend, Athabasca Basin, northern Saskatchewan********

控制萨斯喀彻温省北部阿萨巴斯卡盆地中西部趋势沿线反向偏移不整合面相关铀矿床形成和定位的因素********

• 批准号: 530997-2018
• 负责人: Chi, Guoxiang
• 金额: $ 4.35万
• 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: 2018
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2018-01-01 至 2019-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=647515
• 关键词: Factors; controlling; formation; localization; reverse

Uranium (U) mining is an important part of the mining industry in Canada and currently all the U production in Canada is from the Athabasca Basin in northern Saskatchewan. The U deposits in this basin are located near the unconformity between the basin and the basement, and are termed "unconformity-type" or "unconformity-related". Similar deposits are also developed elsewhere in Canada and other parts of the world. It has been recognized for a long time that all of the unconformity-related U deposits are associated with reactivated basement faults crosscutting the unconformity, but it has not been well understood why most of the basement faults are barren and only small portions of some of the reactivated basements are mineralized. Determining the factors that control U mineralization in reactivated basement faults is thus important for U exploration. The proposed research aims to decipher the ore-controlling factors through a detailed geological, geochemical and hydrodynamic study of the Midwest Trend (in NE Athabasca Basin), which hosts several known deposits and is actively explored for new U resources by Orano Canada, the industrial sponsor of this research project. The proposed research consists of six components: 1) three-dimensional (3D) geological modeling, 2) petrographic and paragenetic studies, 3) fluid temperature-pressure-composition characterization, 4) geochemical reaction path modeling, 5) fluid flow modeling, and 6) reactive mass transport modeling. The results will be used to evaluate the best conditions for fluid channelling and fluid-fluid and/or fluid-rock reaction leading to effective precipitation and accumulation of U ores. The research will help Orano and other exploration companies find more U deposits in the Athabasca Basin and other basins with similar geological conditions.

铀（U）开采是加拿大采矿业的重要组成部分，目前加拿大所有的铀生产都来自萨斯喀彻温省北部的阿萨巴斯卡盆地。该盆地的铀矿床位于盆地与基底之间的不整合面附近，被称为“不整合型”或“不整合相关型”。加拿大其他地方和世界其他地区也开发了类似的矿床。长期以来，人们认识到所有与不整合面有关的铀矿床都与横切不整合面的重新活动的基底断层有关，但一直没有很好地理解为什么大多数基底断层是贫瘠的，而一些重新活动的基底中只有一小部分被矿化。因此，确定控制重新活动的基底断层中铀矿化的因素对于铀勘探非常重要。拟议的研究旨在通过对中西部趋势（阿萨巴斯卡盆地东北部）进行详细的地质、地球化学和水动力研究来破译控矿因素，该区域拥有多个已知矿床，并由本研究项目的工业赞助者加拿大欧安诺积极勘探新的铀资源。拟议的研究由六个部分组成：1）三维（3D）地质建模，2）岩石学和共生研究，3）流体温度-压力-成分表征，4）地球化学反应路径建模，5）流体流动建模，6）反应质量传输建模。结果将用于评估导致铀矿石有效沉淀和积累的流体通道和流体-流体和/或流体-岩石反应的最佳条件。该研究将帮助欧安诺和其他勘探公司在阿萨巴斯卡盆地和其他地质条件相似的盆地发现更多铀矿床。