URANIUM MINERALIZATION HOSTED BY THE PALEOZOIC SANDSTONES AT SOUTHWEST SINAI, EGYPT | ||
| Nuclear Sciences Scientific Journal | ||
| Article 7, Volume 2, Issue 1, 2013, Pages 99-122 PDF (14.05 M) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/nssj.2013.30987 | ||
| Author | ||
| AHMED E. A. SHATA | ||
| Nuclear Materials Authority,Cairo, Egypt | ||
| Abstract | ||
| The uranium mineralization hosted by the Paleozoic sandstones is one of two types: The first is the syngenetic continental/littoral paleoplacers (refractory Th-U bearing minerals) which were detritus from far distant source rocks. These minerals are mainly uranothorite, thorite, zircon, cheralite, chevickinite, davidite, xenotime, and monazite. Meander loops and channels with deep scours appear to be the most favourable sites for this mineralization. The second is the tectonic-lithologic sandstone-type uranium deposits being epigenetic U-enrichment within the sandstones along the permeable fault zones. It contains saleeite, sodium-meta-autunite, threadgoldite and uvanite in addition to REE-bearing iron and aluminium phosphate minerals; vivianite, goyazite, wavellite, florencite and plumbogummite. The studied Paleozoic sandstones are enriched in P2O5, Al2O3, Fe2O3, TiO2, Zr, Y, Sr, Ni, Cr, Zn, Pb, Ba, V, U and Th relative to the Upper Continental Crust (UCC). This enrichment may be attributed to the high content of zircon, iron oxyhydroxides, phosphate minerals (either uranium or aluminium phosphates) and iron titanium detrital minerals. Ga, W, Sn and REE show considerable concentrations in the radioactive Cambro-Ordovician sandstones at Gabal Hemeyir and Ras Millan areas. The tectolithologic sandstone-type uranium deposits is occurring in significant quantities in the ferruginous sandstones of El Adedia Formation at both Gabal Hemeyir and south Wadi El Sahu localities as well as its equivalent sandstones of Araba Formation at Ras Millan area. These promising deposits represent important U-resources in southwest Sinai. The tectolithologic U–type deposits are stacked as discordant bodies through more than one stratigraphic horizon at Gabal Hemeyir, south Wadi El Sahu and Ras Millan areas. The importance of these localities for uranium mineralization is related to possible presence of reduced environment along these fault zones. | ||
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