URANIUM A silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table with atomic number 92.

It is assigned the chemical symbol U. The uranium establishing six isotopes, the most common of which are U-238 (146 neutrons) and U-235 (143 neutrons). Its density is about 70% higher than that of lead, but not as dense as gold or tungsten. It occurs naturally in low concentrations in soil, rock and water, and is commercially extracted from uranium-bearing minerals such as uraninite. Geology of Uranium Deposits

Uranium occurs in a number of different igneous, hydrothermal and sedimentary geological environments.

1. UNCONFIRMITY RELATED DEPOSITS Unconformity-related deposits arise from geological changes occurring close to major unconformities. Below the unconformity, the meta sedimentary rocks which host the mineralization are usually faulted and brecciated. Minerals are uraninite and pitchblende. The main deposits occur in Canada and Australia Unconformity-related deposits constitute a major proportion of Australia's total uranium resources, and much of Australia's total production since 1980 2. SANDSTONE RELATED DEPOSITS Sandstone uranium deposits occur in medium to coarse-grained sandstones deposited in a continental fluvial or marginal marine sedimentary environment. Impermeable shale/mudstone units are interbedded in the sedimentary sequence and often occur immediately above and below the mineralized sandstone. Uranium is precipitated under reducing conditions caused by a variety of reducing agents within the sandstone. The main primary uranium minerals are uraninite and coffinite. The USA has large resources in sandstone deposits in the Western Cordillera region, and most of its uranium production has been from these deposits, recently by in situ leach (ISL) mining. 3. QUARTZ PEBBLE CONGLOMERATE DEPOSITS Detrital uranium occurs in some Archaean-early Palaeoproterozoic quartz-pebble conglomerates that unconformably overlie granitic and metamorphic basement. Quartz-pebble conglomerate uranium deposits occur in conglomerates deposited in the range 3070-2200 million years ago. Fluvial transport of detrital uraninite was possible at the time because of the prevailing anoxic atmosphere. Major examples are the Elliot Lake deposits in Canada and the Witwatersrand gold-uranium deposits in South Africa. The mining operations in the Elliot 4. BRECIA COMPLEX DEPSOITS

The deposit occurs in a hematite-rich granite breccia complex in Craton. It is overlain by approximately 300 metres of flat-lying sedimentary rocks. The Olympic Dam deposit is one of the worlds largest deposits of uranium, and accounts for the major part of Australias uranium resources. The deposit may contain iron, copper, uranium, gold, silver, rare earth element and fluorine. 5. VEIN DEPOSITS Vein deposits of uranium are those in which uranium minerals fill cavities such as cracks, veins, fissures, pore spaces, breccias and stockworks. The dimensions of the openings have a wide range, from the massive veins of pitchblende. Examples are Schinkolobwe deposit (Democratic Republic of the Congo) and Port Radium deposit (Canada) to the narrow pitchblende-filled cracks, faults and fissures in some of the ore bodies in Europe, Canada and Australia. 6. VOLCANIC AND CALDERA RELATED DEPOSITS Uranium deposits of this type occur in acid to intermediate volcanic rocks and are related to faults and shear zones within the volcanics. Uranium occurs in veins or disseminated and is commonly associated with molybdenum and fluorine. These deposits make up only a small proportion of the world's uranium resources. Significant resources of this type occur in China, Kazakhstan, Russian Federation and Mexico. 7. SURFICIAL DEPOSITS Surficial uranium deposits are broadly defined as young (Tertiary to Recent) near-surface uranium concentrations in sediments or soils. These deposits usually have secondary cementing minerals including calcite, gypsum, dolomite, ferric oxide, and halite. Uranium deposits in calcrete are the largest of the surficial deposits. Uranium mineralisation is in finegrained surficial sand and clay, cemented by calcium and magnesium carbonates. 8. METASOMATIC DEPOSITS Metasomatite deposits consist of unevenly disseminated uranium in structurally deformed rocks that were affected by sodium metasomatism.- the introduction of sodium (or potassium or calcium) into these rocks. Major examples of this type include Espinharas deposit (Brazil) and the Zheltye Vody deposit (Ukraine). 9. COLLAPSE BRECCIA PIPE DEPOSIT These occur in circular, vertical collapse structures filled with coarse fragments and a fine matrix of the penetrated sediments. The collapse pipes are 30-200 metres in diameter and up to 1000 meters deep. Uranium mineralization is mostly within permeable sandstone breccias within the pipe. The principal uranium mineral is pitchblende. The best-known examples of this type are deposits in the Arizona Strip in Arizona, USA. Several of these have been mined.

10. PHOSPHORITE DEPOSITS Sedimentary phosphorites of marine origin contain low concentrations of uranium in finegrained apatite. Uranium concentrations are 0.01-0.015% U3O8. Very large phosphorite deposits occur in the USA (Florida and Idaho), Morocco, Jordan and other Middle Eastern countries and these are mined for phosphate 11. LIGNITE DEPOSITS Uranium mineralization occurs in lignite and in clay and sandstone immediately adjacent to the lignite, in the Serres Basin, Greece, in North and South Dakota, USA and at Mulga Rock, Western Australia. Uranium has been adsorbed on to carbonaceous matter and consequently no discrete uranium minerals have formed.