unconventional uranium resources - indian scenario · pdf fileunconventional uranium resources...

Unconventional uranium resources- Indian scenario

By

Anjan ChakiDirector

Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and ResearchDepartment of Atomic Energy

Government of India

“Uranium from Unconventional Resources” IAEA theme meeting, Vienna, 3 – 6 November, 2009

PreviewUranium provinces Indian scenarioPhosphorites U.P., Uttarakhand and Rajasthan statesCambrian Black shales Himachal Pradesh and UttarakhandMonazite East and West coasts of IndiaLignite ash Tamil Nadu statePlaya sediments Semi-arid to arid regions of RajasthanConcluding remarks Present status of investigations and future plans


Kaladgi basin, Karnataka

Bhima basin, Karnataka Southern Cuddapah

Basin, Andhra Pradesh

Srisailam, Palnad and Kurnool sub-basins,Cuddapah basin ,Andhra Pradesh

Mahadek basin, Meghalaya

Singhbhum Shear Zone, Jharkhand

North Delhi Fold Belt, Rajasthan and Haryana

Major Uranium Provinces of India

Vein type Sandstone typeUnconformity ralatedStratabound

Deposit type Province State

Vein type Singhbhum Shear ZoneNorth Delhi Fold BeltBhima & Kaladgi basinsUmraBodal & Jajawal

JharkhandRajasthan&Haryana KarnatakaRajasthanChhattisgarh

Unconformity related Cuddapah basin Andhra Pradesh

Stratabound Cuddapah basin Andhra Pradesh

Sandstone type Mahadek basin Meghalaya

India’s major uranium provinces


Uraniferous Phosphorites of India


USGS open file report No. 02-156-A (2002) has listed more than 65 occurrences of phosphorites in India.Of these, 55 occurrences are sedimentary phopsphorite deposits and 10 are magmatic deposits Nearly half a dozen more apatite occurrences associated with carbonatites are knownAmong the 55 sedimentary phosphorite occurrences, 9 aresignificant deposits having more than 2m thickness and extending over more than 2 km strike length.


Major phosphorite formations in India


Phosphorites of Bijawar basin

Bijawar basin


Stratigraphy of Bijawar basin

Middle to Upper Proterozoic

Vindhyan Super Group

-------------------------Unconformity-----------------------

Lower ProterozoicGangau Formation Sandstones, shale and

PhosphoritesBajna dolomitesDargawan trapMalehra chert breccia-------------------------Unconformity-----------------------

Archaean Bundelkhand Group Granitoid complex with meta-sedimentary enclaves


Bijawar phosphoritesArea Hirapur-MardeoraDistrict Chattarpur and Sagar districts of Madhya

PradeshGeology Part of Bijawar Group of rocks in the Bijawar

basin. Overly the Bundelkhand granitoids and underly the Vindhyan Super Group sediments

Stratigraphy Occur at the upper parts of the basin (Gangau formation) along with conglomarate, dolomite, sandstone, shale, conglomarate and basic volcanics

Extension Occur as four horizons of varying dimension from 220 – 1400m. Thickness from 1 to 35m

Nature Reddish brown, fine grained with 15 -48% P2O5

Exploitation Being exploited by State mining corporation for fertilisers

Uranium content 100 ppm. Systematic evaluation not doneRemarks Potential deposit for exploitation


MASRANADURMALA

BUTSI

MAJHGAONMITHIANGAON

KUMALI

NAUR

KUKHI

BANALI

SATENGAL

MALDEOTA

CHAMASARI

DHOBIGHATTONETA

KAPHULTI

KIMAIKOLTI

GEOLOGICAL MAP OF MUSSOORIE SYCLINE, DEHERADUN AND TEHRI-GARHWAL DISTRICT, UTTRAKHAND

DOLERITEOLIVE SHALE AND SHALE MARLQURTZITE MEMBERCALCAREOUS MEMBERARENACEOUS MEMBERARGILLACEOUS MEMBERCHERT MEMBER (CHERT AND PHOSPHORITE UNITS)LIMESTONE AND DOLOMITEPHYLLITES, SCHISTOS, QUARTZITE

1Km 0 2 4Km

INDEX

KROL FORMATION

LOWER TAL FORMATION

UPPER TAL FORMATIONSUBATHU FORMATION

STRIKE & DIP OF BEDDING

FAULTTHRUST

STRIKE & DIP OF FOLIATION

DARAK

After GSI


INDEX

KROL FORMATION

LOWER TAL FORMATION

UPPER TAL FORMATIONSUBATHU FORMATION STRIKE & DIP OF BEDDING

FAULT

THRUST


GEOLOGICAL MAP OF MUSSOORIE SYNCLINE, DEHRADUN AND TEHRI-GARHWAL DISTRICTS, UTTARAKHAND


Age Group FormationLower-Middle Proterozoic

Central crystallines of Himalayas

---------------------- Main Central Thrust ------------------------------500Ma(early Cambrian)

Tal Group Koti Dhamam formation- ArenaceousSankjholi formation- Arenaceous and argillaceousShalian formation (Carbonaceous shale, Phosphorites and Cherts)

Krol Group Krol- A (shale Carbonate facies)Infra Krol (Argillaceous facies)

650Ma(Neo Proterozoic)

Blaini Group Boulder bed (Tillite facies)

---------------------- Main Boundary Thrust ------------------------Tertiary Siwalik Group Sandstone – shale sequence

Stratigraphy of Lesser Himalayas


Mussoorie PhosphoritesArea MussoorieDistrict UttarakhandGeology Lower Tal Group of Cambrian sediments of Lesser

Himalayas. Occur in association with Carbonaceous shale and Chert.

Stratigraphy Occur between Garhwal (MCT) and Krol (MBT) thrustsExtension Extend for nearly 75km. Phosphorites are 1 to 5m

thick. Uranium mineralisation is restricted to the bottom 1.5m of the phosphorite horizon. In general uranium mineralisation confined to the Phosphorites, Chert and Black shale association.

Nature Fluorapatite (collophane) and DahliteExploitation Not exploited by so farU3O8 content 200 - 980ppm. Uranium concentration is high because

of the intimate association of carbonaceous shaleRemarks Environmentally fragile. Steeply dipping syncline


GEOLOGICAL MAP OF RAJASTHAN(After Sinha-Roy 1998)

Ganganagar

0 25 50 75 100km

Alluvium & sandTertiary SequenceDeccan TrapsMesozoic SequenceBap Boulder BedMarwar SupergroupVindhyan SupergroupMalani Igneous SuiteErinpura GraniteSendra GraniteSirohi, Ras, punagarh GroupBarotiya GroupSendra GroupBhim GroupGogunda GroupAjitsagar, Bairath, Anasagar etc. GraniteAjabgarh GroupAlwar GroupDarwal, Anjana GraniteJhalara GraniteJharol (Lunawada) Group & UltramaficsDebari GroupDelwara (=? Raialo) GroupBerach GraniteUntala, Gingla GraniteHindoli GroupComposite Mangalwar-Sandmata ComplexMangalwar Complex

DELHISUPERGROUP

ARAVALLISUPERGROUP

BASEMENTSEQUENCE

82°74°

82°74°

16°

24°

16°

24°

DelhiJaipur

Kolkata

MumbaiNagpur

ThiruvananthapuramChuru

BikanerJhunjhunu

Sikar

Nagaur

Jaisalmer

JodhpurAjmer

Alwar

JAIPUR

Bharatpur

Sawai Madhopur

Jhalawar

KotaBundiBhilwara

Chitaurgarh

Barmer

Jalore

Sirohi

Udaipur

Tonk

Dungarpur

Banswara

N

Kirouli Phosphorites(Phosphorite lenses

in limestone)

Udaipur


Kirouli


Kirouli

Stratigraphy of Kirouli area

Lower Proterozoic Aravalli Super Group Nathdwara GroupDolomite and schistphosphoritesJharol GroupQuartzite and phyllitesUdaipur GroupConglomarate, phyllite, schist andStromotalites

--------------------- Unconformity ------------------------Archaean Pre-Aravalli Migmatites, schists

and metabasics


Kirouli Phosphorite, Udaipur district, Rajasthan

Area KirouliDistrict Udaipur district, RajasthanGeology Nathdwara Group of Aravalli Super Group of Lower

Proterozoic ageStratigraphy Occur at the lower part of the Aravalli Super GroupExtension Extend for 2.5km. 10 major lenses of phosphorites

from 10x1m to 30x50m delineated in cherty brecciated limestone.

Nature Sand size phosphate set in a matrix of microcrystalline phosphate and limonite with an average 17% P2O5

Exploitation Not exploited so farU3O8 content 260 to 840 ppmRemarks Low P2O5 content and mode of occurrence of phosphorite as pockets inhibits its exploitation


Uranium from monazite



%

Monazite content in beach sand generally ranges from 0.02 – 0.88%. The higher concentrations up to 5% are confined to very few places along Tamil Nadu and Kerala coasts.

Aeolian Teri sands of Tamil Nadu contain 0.02 to 0.11% monazite.

Riverine placers of Siri river, Chattisgarh state contain 0.6 to 0.8% monazite.



Average ThO2 content : 9%ThO2 resource in monazite : 963,900 tonnesTh Metal = 847,268 tonnes

Average U3O8 content in monazite: 0.3%U3O8 resource in monazite : 32,130 tonnesU Metal = 26,989 tonnes

Average REO content : 60%REO resources = 6,426,000 tonnesFor every tonne of REO produced from monazite co-production of ThO2 will be 150 kgU3O8 will be 0.006 kg.

Monazite Resources - 10.70 million tonnes

REO in Monazite : 60%La2O3: 23%, CeO2: 46%, Nd2O3: 20%, Pr6O11: 5.5%, Sm2O3: 2.5% and other REO: 3%.

In view of modest U and abundant Th resources, India has planned to use thorium in the 2nd and 3rd stages of the nuclear power programme.

Monazite at present is separated as by-product of ilmenite mining at Manavalakurichi, Chavara on the west coast and Chatrapur on the east coast.


Uranium from carbonaceous shale


MASRANADURMALA

BUTSI

MAJHGAONMITHIANGAON

KUMALI

NAUR

KUKHI

BANALI

SATENGAL

MALDEOTA

CHAMASARI

DHOBIGHATTONETA

KAPHULTI

KIMAIKOLTI

GEOLOGICAL MAP OF MUSSOORIE SYCLINE, DEHERADUN AND TEHRI-GARHWAL DISTRICT, UTTRAKHAND


1Km 0 2 4Km

INDEX

KROL FORMATION

LOWER TAL FORMATION

UPPER TAL FORMATIONSUBATHU FORMATION

STRIKE & DIP OF BEDDING

FAULTTHRUST


DARAK

After GSI


INDEX

KROL FORMATION

LOWER TAL FORMATION

UPPER TAL FORMATIONSUBATHU FORMATION STRIKE & DIP OF BEDDING

FAULT

THRUST


GEOLOGICAL MAP OF MUSSOORIE SYNCLINE, DEHRADUN AND TEHRI-GARHWAL DISTRICTS, UTTARAKHAND

A

B


Area Black Shale (phosphatic) Grey / Earthy shale Limestone/calc. mudstoneU3O8 (ppm) U3O8 (ppm) U3O8 (ppm)

Dobighat 25 – 940 25 -Baradwara 25 – 900 25 -Daunk 25 – 390 - -Loharigarh 50 – 400 - -Chamasari 130 – 2800 12 – 920 2 -520Timli 200 – 560 - 100 – 290Sarkhet 44 – 520 - -Loarkha 25 – 1100 15 – 100Narayanpur 56 – 970 51 6Kokliyalgaon 45 – 67 7 -110 -Ghuttu 58 – 100 - -Durmala 95 – 190 22 -

Uranium values from Mussoorie black shales


77° 30' 77° 35'

30°40'

30°37'

Phagni

Koti Dhaman

Derbai

TilkanaRajana

NerabagBagh

Tatuwa

Pherog

Dochi

Kandi

F

F

Infrakrol FormationMassive Dolomite

Banded Siltstone Member

Chert MemberCarbonaceous Member

Sankholi FromationGraywacke Member

Lower Quartzite MemberShale Member

Algal Limestone MemberUpper Quartzite Member

Shaliyan Fromation

Earthy Dolomite MemberEarthy Siltstone Member

Arkosic sandstone Member Koti Dhaman Formation

Tal Group

FF

F

F

F

F

F

Bulich

GutailaTiklata

m1000 0 1 2 3 4 5km

30°42'

30°35' (After O.N Bhargava et. al 1998)

GujonThountha

INDEX

RichordDor

Uraniferous Zone (2006-08)

30°

40°

55°

20°

20°

40°

15°

25°

45°

15°

30°

35°

30°

40°

STRIKE AND DIP40°

Krol Group

Geological map of Nigali Dhar syncline, Sirmour district, H.P. showing uraniferous zones


Carbonaceous shales of Lesser HimalayasArea Krol belt, Lesser HimalayasDistrict States of Uttarakhand and Himachal PradeshGeology Part of Cambrian Tal Group Group of rocks

sandwiched between the Main Boundary thrust and Main Central Thrust of the Himalayas. Disposed in five major synclines Viz. Nigali Dhar, Korgai, Mussoorie, Garhwal and Nainital synclines.

Stratigraphy Occur at the Lower parts of the Tal Group as Carbonaceous shale-Phosphorite-Chert association

Extension The belt runs for more than 300km. Thickness of black shale from 1 to 130m

Nature High organic content and presence of pyrite Exploitation Not exploitedUranium content 20 to 390ppm. Systematic evaluation not doneRemarks Fragile Himalayan belt


High organic content and presence of pyrite in black shales. Organic matter acts as a powerful reductant and maintains the reducing environment which protects the mineralization from oxidation and remobilisation.Major components of black shales are silica and clay minerals, Organic matter, sulfides, and carbonate. No discrete uranium mineral is recordedU occurring in adsorbed state on sapropelic organic matter and also associated with phosphate- bearing mineral, fluorapatiteHigh biological productivity during Cambrian might have played an important role in uranium concentration in black shales. Cyanobacterial mats form physical traps to remove Uranium from solutions.


Uranium from lignite ash


coal ash, specifically ash from lignite burning coal plants located in areas where the lignite contains higher than normal levels of uranium. Since uranium oxides are not flammable, the uranium oxide gets left behind in the ash, so there is a potential that it will contain commercially useful quantities of uranium -something close to few hundred parts per million that is generally considered interesting.


Coalfields Geological horizons Locations

Tertiary Coalfields

Early Pleistocene to Upper Pliocene

Lignites in the Kashmir Valley-Nichahom lignite

Miocene Lignites of South Arcot , Tamilnadu and of Kerala

Oligocene to Upper Eocene Jaipur, Nazira and Makum coalfields of Assam ; Namchick and Namphuk coalfields of Arunachal Pradesh

Middle Eocene Lignites of Palana, Rajasthan and Kutch

Lower Eocene Coals of Darranggiri, Rongrenggiri in the Garo Hills; Cherapunji, Mawlong and Nongstoin in Meghalaya, Mikir Hills in Upper Assam, and Coals of Jammu coalfields– Kalkot, Metka, Mahogala, Chakar Dhanwal Sawalkot-Lodhra, Kura and Chinkah

Upper Gondwana Coalfields

Upper Jurassic Chikiala and Kota in the Kota Stage in Maharashtra ; Satpura region in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh; Ghuneri in Kutch below the Umia Stage

Upper Permian Raniganj, Jharia, Bokaro and Karanpura coalfields of the Damodar valley in West Bengal and Bihar

Lower GondwanaCoalfields

Lower Permian All Lower Gondwana coalfields of the Indian Peninsula, including Damodar Valley, Mahanadi Valley, Brahmani Valley, Son Valley, Pench-Kanhan Valley, Pranhita - Godavari Valley and Wardha Valley, coalfields of Himalayas; Darjeeling district of W. Bengal; Ranjit Valley of Sikkim; Abur, Daphla and Aka hills of Arunchal Pradesh


Lignite bearing Miocene sandstones


Neyveli

State Proven resources

Indicated resources

inferred Total

1 Tamil Nadu 2831.00 23,793.03 5119.60 31,743.63

2 Rajasthan 560.91 2620.60 1129.92 4311.43

3 Gujarath 785.27 259.40 1618.08 2662.75

4 Jammu & Kashmir -- 20.25 7.30 27.55

5 Kerala -- -- 9.65 9.65

6. West Bengal -- 0.29 0.86 1.15

Total 4177.18 26693.57 7885.41 38756.16

Lignite reserves of India(Million tonnes)


Uranium investigations in Cuddalore formationSouth eastern part of Indian peninsula is exposed with NE-SW trending detached outcrops of Gondwana-Cretaceous-Tertiary-Quartenery sediments overly granitoid basement rocks and extend over 300km.

The Miocene Cuddalore sandstones comprise major argillaceous sandstone, fire clay, laterite and Lignite seams of 8-24m thickness

14 -700ppm uranium in lignite with few values of upto 1000ppm

Systematic exploration planned in the near future


Location U3O8 (ppm)(Total)

Cu(ppm)

Co(ppm)

Pb(ppm)

Zn(ppm)

Th(ppm)

Mine – 1A 2 10 10 10 70 10Mine – 1A 2 <10 <10 10 20 20Mine -1 180 1420 20 50 240 40Mine -1 180 1780 80 70 500 60Mine -1 540 2410 40 290 200 60Mine -1 9 20 300 <10 1050 10Mine -1 370 1320 40 90 260 60Mine -1 (shale)

4 170 <10 20 60 230

Uranium and other metal concentration in Neyveli lignite


Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited is a Government owned lignite mining company administered through the Ministry of Coal. NLC operates the largest open pit lignite mines in India and mines around 24 million tonnes of lignite per year for the thermal power stations with an installed capacity of 2490 Mw of electricity per year.

NLC has expanded its project to Rajasthan to exploit the lignite resources for thermal power production.Lignites of Cuddalore sandstone (Miocene) contains 25-35% of carbon, 46-50% of moisture, 15% organic compounds and around 4 - 5% mineral ash.

2 to 540ppm uranium values recorded in the lignites of Neyveli

Ash content of Neyveli lignite is 4 to 5%A presumed average 100ppm of U3O8 in the lignite ash makes 120 tonnes U3O8 in the annual production of lignite ash

Proposed to investigate the pit containing nearly fifty years of ash for uranium extraction by heap leaching.

Ash pit has the potential to produce significant uranium.


Uranium from Playa sediments


Uranium in playa Sediments The term ‘Playa’ is used to refer to flat and generally barren portions of the arid basins of usually internal and closed drainage that periodically flood and accumulate detrital and evaporite sedimentsThere are about 50,000 playas in the world of which about 1000 have areas greater than 100 sq kmUraniferous playa deposits have been located in South Africa, Australia and Chile. No deposit of this type was known earlier to contain sufficient mineralisation to constitute a viable depositRecently, M/s. Uranex has identified the ‘Bahi Project’ in Tanzania which contains an estimated resource of 3000 tonnes U3O8 at an average grade of 218 ppm U. Uranium is found in unconsolidated playa/lake sediments in amorphous form in cracks and on grain surfaces and occurs within top 20 m of lake.


Characteristics of Salt lakes of northwest Rajasthan (Source : GSI)

Name of lake / Playa Area (sq km) Thickness of lake sediments (m)

Saline or Non saline

Sambar 243 +25 Saline , Mg/ClKuchaman 8.5 20 SalineSargot 2.2 20 SalineDidwana 10.4 20.30 SalineBap-Phalodi 51 - SalineDedyan-ka-Rann 5.8 1.4 Presence of minor saltLunkaransar 4.5 - SalinePachpadra 82.79 - SalineGudi Rann 17.3 1.4 SalinePokaran Rann 12.1 5 SalineLawan ka Rann 5.6 1.4 Presence of minor saltJhalaria ka Rann 7.8 1.2 Saline in deeper portionMertha Rann 26.0 3.3 Saline in deeper portionKhara Rann 14.3 1.5 SalineKanod Rann 23.0 +3.2 Saline


Salt pans in Didwana salt lake

Didwana salt lake

Mud (clay) & fluvial wash in a dug well section

Satellite image of Didwana salt lake

Ridge of car.phy./quartzite


Sample no. U (T)(ppm)

U(L)(ppm)

K20(%)

V(ppm)

Rock type

DLUD-P-1 13 9 1.91 140 Clay/siltDLUD-P-2 82 79 1.39 55 Clay/siltDLUD-P-3 71 68 1.22 58 Clay/siltDLUD-P-4 67 60 1.24 55 Clay/siltDLUD-P-5 16 10 2.04 58DLUD-P-6A 89 63 0.41 14 Calcretised

silici-clastic sediment of fluvial origin

DLUD-P-6B 110 95 0.29 <10

DLUD-P-7 50 37 1.42 41 Clay/siltAverage of 8 well section samples

64 49

Open Well Section sample Results, Didwana Lake(Central Portion)


Sample no. U (T)(ppm)

U(L)(ppm)

K20(%)

V(ppm)

Rock type

DLUD-1 74 71 1.31 16 Clay/siltDLUD-2 32 24 1.59 28 Clay/siltDLUD-3 67 66 1.31 21 Clay/siltDLUD-4 10 7 2.08 19 Clay/siltDLUD-6 23 20 0.41 22 Clay/siltDLUD-7 17 11 1.98 11 Clay/siltDLUD-8 32 23 1.04 11 Clay/siltDLUD-5 190 175 0.48 27 Calcretised

silici-clastic sediment of fluvial origin

Water TableAverage of 8 well dump samples

55 49

Uranium values in well dump samples, Didwana Lake (Central Portion)


Uranium in Didwana playa sediments

Average 60ppm of uranium in the top 5m of unconsolidated sediments (clay and silt) above water tablePlaya sediments rich in calcite, gypsum and halite.Uranium concentration increases below water tableBrine well water samples in the lake contain 466-2072ppb uraniumUranium occur in the cementing material of sedimentsNo carnotite reported in the uraniferous playa sediment samplesLow Eh, alkaline pH and high content of uranium in the lake water facilitate Uranium deposition with the playa sedimentsplaya sediments appear to be 20,000 years and younger


Concluding remarksIndian Phosphorite deposits with relatively low P2O5content in general do not make this attractive for phosphoric acid and uranium production

Uranium from Indian monazites is a viable option

Exploitation of uranium from lignite ash is a workable proposition

Extensive uraniferous black shale deposits of Himalayas contain low grade uranium

Uraniferous playas of Rajasthan state could be an interesting option in the near future, needs further exploration


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