Characteristics of Uranium Mineralization in Red Clastic Formations in the Southwestern Margin of the Ordos Basin

Abstract

Sandstone-type uranium deposits in China are mainly found in two kinds of clastic formations: the gray clastic formations in the Lower-Middle Jurassic Series and the red clastic formations in the Cretaceous, Paleogene or Neogene (Liu et al., 1997; Chen et al., 2003; 2011). Uranium mineralization is mainly hosted by red clastic formations interlayered with gray medium-or fine-grained clastic formations. Red clastic formations are the main uranium-producing and prospecting target layers in the Erlian and Songliao Basins of northern China, where many large and medium-sized uranium deposits have been found, such as the Qianjiadian (Luo et al., 2007; Pang et al., 2010) and Baolongshan (Xu et al., 2011) deposits in the Songliao Basin and the Nuheting and Subeng deposits (Kang, 2011) in the Erlian Basin. Several small and medium-sized uranium deposits have also been found in other basins, such as the Hongshan deposit (Li et al., 2010) in the Jiudong Basin, the Dahongshan deposit (Guo et al., 2015) in the Chaoshui Basin, the Wangjiachong deposit (Jiang et al., 2017) in the Hengyang Basin and the Guojiawan deposit (Sun, 1998; Chen et al., 2011) and the Hangjinqi Deposit (Zhang et al., 2017) in the Ordos Basin. Thick red clastic formations are widespread throughout all basins in northern China and in the red basins in southern China; therefore, studies on the characteristics of uranium mineralization in red clastic formations will expand the exploration space of sandstone-type uranium resources in China. Uranium mineralization in red clastic rock formations in the Erlian and Songliao basins has been systematically studied, resulting in breakthroughs in uranium exploration. However, studies on uranium mineralization in the southwestern Ordos Basin are still relatively limited, in particular in terms of geological reactions, geological features and key ore-controlling factors. Such gaps in the

Detrital zircon U–Pb geochronology and geochemistry of sandstones in the Siziwang Banner, Central Inner Mongolia: Implication for tectonic evolution

“…In addition, trace elements with similar geochemical properties are not easily differentiated in the geological process, and are relatively weak under the influence of weathering and diagenesis, they thus can reflect the geochemical information of the source region well (Zhang et al, 2016). The La/Th versus Hf source rock attribute identification diagram is often used for the sources of sediments (Floyd & Leveridge, 1987).…”

Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Uraniferous Sandstones in Fault Zone, Wadi El Sahu Area, Southwestern Sinai, Egypt: Implications for Provenance, Weathering and Tectonic Setting

“…Zr/Hf ratio values may result from the effect of seawater, these contrasting values could point to the seawater effect following the effect of hydrothermal solutions, as evidenced by the inherited values of the isovalents. According to Zhang et al (2020) uranium mineralization changes from surficial infiltration or phreatic oxidation in the upper part to interlayer oxidation in the lower part. It is worth mentioning that the presence of complex M-W type tetrad effects in the gold-mineralized plutons and in many rocks of sedimentary composition may indicate that these conjugate tetrads could be considered as evidence for gold mineralization.…”

Geological and Geochemical Characteristics of the Zhiluo Formation in the Bayinqinggeli Uranium Deposit, Northern Ordos Basin: Significance for Uranium Mineralization

“…Since the Mesozoic, the Ordos Basin has been influenced by far-field effects of the India-Asia Plate collision and the subduction of the Pacific Plate beneath the eastern Asia Plate. The Ordos Basin is thought to be an intracontinental Mesozoic basin lying upon a Paleozoic platform, although it has tectonically active margins (Zhang et al, 2017(Zhang et al, , 2020. The basement was formed primarily in the Archean and Proterozoic (Yang, 2003;Guo et al, 2010) and is covered with Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous sediments along with minor amounts of Paleogene and Neogene materials/rocks, but Upper Jurassic and Upper Cretaceous deposits are absent (Fig.…”