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Cloutier et al 2011 (MD)_Eagle Point.pdf (19.6 MB)

Geochemical, isotopic, and geochronlologic constraints on the formation of the Eagle Point basement-hosted uranium deposit, Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan, Canada and recent remobilization of primary uraninite in secondary structures

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posted on 2023-05-20, 04:59 authored by Jonathan Cloutier, Kyser, K, Olivo, GR, Brisbin, D
The Athabasca Basin hosts many world-class unconformity-related uranium deposits. Recently, uranium reserves for the Eagle Point basement-hosted deposit have increased with the discovery of new mineralized zones within secondary structures. A paragenetic study of Eagle Point reveals the presence of three temporally distinct alteration stages: a pre-Athabasca alteration, a main alteration and mineralization comprised of three substages, and a post-main alteration and mineralization stage that culminated in remobilization of uraninite from primary to secondary structures. The pre-Athabasca alteration stage consists of minor amounts of clinochlore, followed by dolomite and calcite alteration in the hanging wall of major fault zones and kaolinitization of plagioclase and K-feldspar caused by surface weathering. The main alteration and uranium mineralization stage is related to three temporally distinct substages, all of which were produced by isotopically similar fluids. A major early alteration substage characterized by muscovite alteration and by precipitation Ca-Sr-LREE-rich aluminum phosphate-sulfate minerals, both from basinal fluids at temperatures around 240°C prior to 1,600 Ma. The mineralization substage involved uraninite and hematite precipitated in primary structures. The late alteration substage consists of dravite, uranophane-beta veins, calcite veins, and sudoite alteration from Mg-Ca-rich chemically modified basinal fluids with temperatures around 180°C. The post-main alteration and mineralization stage is characterized by remobilization of main stage uraninite from primary to secondary structures at a minimum age of ca. 535 Ma. U-Pb resetting events recorded on primary and remobilized uraninites are coincident with fluid flow induced by distal orogenies, remobilizing radiogenic Pb to a distance of at least 225 m above the mineralized zones.

History

Publication title

Mineralium Deposita

Volume

46

Pagination

35-56

ISSN

0026-4598

Department/School

School of Natural Sciences

Publisher

Springer-Verlag

Place of publication

175 Fifth Ave, New York, USA, Ny, 10010

Rights statement

Copyright 2010 Springer-Verlag

Repository Status

  • Open

Socio-economic Objectives

Uranium exploration