Basin-related uranium systems

这项研究涉及皇后大学的研究人员和Raven Minerals的专家，他们将专注于确定控制沉积盆地中铀流动性和沉淀的关键因素，并预测加拿大特定盆地系统中新的铀矿可能存在的位置。之所以选择沉积盆地，是因为它们提供了世界上大部分的铀，而且最有可能蕴藏未来的资源。这项研究将需要四年的时间才能完成，涉及几个HQP（3名研究员，3名PDF，3名博士，2名硕士，4名理学士），并将重点研究加拿大盆地中的三种类型的铀矿化，包括：（1）不整合相关矿床，最高品位的矿床，研究重点是加拿大的阿萨巴斯卡盆地;（2）加拿大西部盆地中的陆地碳酸盐（钙质岩型）矿床及其可能性;（3）砂岩型矿床，使用怀俄明州和科罗拉多的砂岩型矿床，以评估这些矿床是否可能在加拿大。这项研究将审查已知矿床何时形成，需要什么样的环境，什么样的化学反应对固定和保存矿床至关重要，矿床是如何演变的，以及如何通过整体盆地分析和表面取样来确定加拿大的铀矿化地区。拟议的研究还将提供对控制近地表环境中元素迁移的关键因素的了解，包括铀的可能来源和使用其同位素的探路者元素。这将影响勘探，因为更有能力了解如何在深度对这些矿床进行化学“成像”。对加拿大工业的好处是，认识到加拿大盆地的前景很好和可能贫瘠的地区，以及发现地下铀矿的新勘探工具和战略，其技术同样适用于其他商品。对皇后大学的研究人员和学生的好处是有可能在以前未充分研究的领域进行研究，使用和开发新的分析技术，包括同位素示踪，以及接触现实世界的勘探计划和协议。

This study involves researchers from Queen's University and experts from Raven Minerals who will focus on identifying the critical factors that control uranium mobility and precipitation in sedimentary basins, and predict where new uranium deposits may reside within specific basin systems in Canada. Sedimentary basins have been selected because they supply most of the world's uranium and are most likely to contain future resources. The research will require four years to complete, involve several HQP (3 Research Associates, 3 PDFs, 3 PhD, 2 MSc, 4 BSc), and will focus on three styles of U mineralization in basins in Canada including: (1) unconformity-related deposits, the highest grade deposits, with research focused on the Athabasca Basin in Canada; (2) terrestrial carbonate (calcrete-type) deposits and their potential to occur in Western Canada Basin; and (3) sandstone-hosted deposits using those in Wyoming and Colorado to assess whether these deposits are likely in Canada. The research will examine when known deposits formed, what environments are required, what chemical reactions were critical in fixing and preserving the deposits, how the deposits have evolved and how areas of uranium mineralization in Canada can be identified through holistic basin analysis and surface sampling. The proposed research will also provide an understanding of the critical factors controlling element migration in the near surface envionment, including the likely source of uranium and pathfinder elements using their isotopes. This will influence exploration given the higher capacity to understand how such deposits can be chemically "imaged" at depth. The benefits to Canadian industry are recognition of both highly prospective and likely barren areas of basins in Canada and new exploration tools and strategies for discovery of undercover uranium deposits, with techniques that are equally applicable to other commodities. The benefits to Queen's researchers and students are the possibility to conduct research in previously understudied areas, the use and development of novel analytical techniques including isotope tracing, and exposure to real-world exploration programs and protocols.