High-resolution seismic survey from the McArthur River region: contributions to mapping of the complex P2 uranium ore zone, Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan

Abstract

The primary objective of the high-resolution survey was to offer a detailed subsurface image of the complex P2 fault zone, hosting the world's largest high-grade uranium deposits. Raw seismic data have low signal-to-noise ratio; nevertheless the implemented processing procedure considerably improved its quality. Interpretation of the two lines integrates all available background information such as regional geology; structural, stratigraphic, and diagenetic features associated with the borehole information including stratigraphic and petrophysical properties; and seismic analogies for the basement from other high-grade metamorphic terranes. The resulting interpretations generally agree with previous geological knowledge, but add new exploration insights, such as: 1) the complex 3-D geometry of the P2 fault zone, 2) the existence of additional dekameter-scale, fault-controlled structures associated with the P2 zone, 3) syntectonic deposition of the upper parts of the Manitou Falls Formation in this area; and 4) the internal architecture of the metamorphic basement.

Tectono-metamorphic evolution of the pre-Athabasca basement within the Wollaston–Mudjatik Transition Zone, Saskatchewan

“…Annesley and Madore (1994) observed that the Wollaston-Mudjatik boundary, in the Wollaston Lake area, marks an abrupt change of lithology and structural style. However, to the southwest, Annesley et al (2005, and references therein), Gyorfi et al (2007), Hajnal et al (2010), among others, showed that this domain boundary is a highly heterogeneous transition zone both across and along strike.…”

“…Annesley and Madore (1994) initially suggested that the WMTZ marks an abrupt change of structural style and speculated that it is a major crustal-scale thrust and (or) strike-slip zone. In contrast, Annesley et al (2005), Gyorfi et al (2007), and Hajnal et al (2007) suggested that the junction between the Wollaston and Mudjatik domains was wider, variable in width, and highly heterogeneous in terms of lithology, deformation style, and P-T conditions. But in all cases, the WMTZ is regarded as a fundamental tectonic boundary that reworked the Hearne margin during the THO .…”

Unconformity-associated uranium deposits of the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan and Alberta

“…Line of section is shown as NW-SE in Figure 4A. B) Diagrammatic structural cross-section south of Key Lake, adapted from Tran (2001) and Györfi et al (2007), illustrates structural geometry of the Wollaston-Mudjatik transition zone that underlies the most economically productive area of the eastern Athabasca Basin. Line of section is shown as W-E in Figure 4A.…”

The Contact uranium prospect, Kiggavik project, Nunavut (Canada): Tectonic history, structural constraints and timing of mineralization

“…In both the Athabasca and the McArthur basins, the importance of structural control has been recognized (Hoeve and Quirt, 1984;Baudemont and Pacquet, 1996;Baudemont and Federowich, 1996;Tourigny et al, 2007;Jefferson et al, 2007;Kyser and Cuney, 2015). Uranium is linked to ductile to ductile-brittle shear zones in the Eagle Point , Nabarlek (Wilde and Wall, 1987), and Jabiluka (Polito et al, 2005a,b) deposits, to faults in the McArthur and Dominique-Peter deposits (Györfi et al, 2007;and Baudemont and Fedorowich, 1996;respectively), to breccias in the case of the Shea Creek deposit (De Veslud et al, 2009), and to a complex combination of folding and brecciation in the Jabiluka deposit (Polito et al, 2005a,b).…”