WORLD OVERVIEW OF URANIUM DEPOSIT TYPES

Appendix II provides a list and description of the OECD/NEA–IAEA classification scheme for uranium deposit types, which is used in this publication. Table 2.1 indicates that the black shales, phosphate and lignite-coal deposit types make up the highest proportion of the world’s uranium resources, based on the original contained resource. The large number of sandstone and vein (granite and metamorphite-related) type deposits contrasts with the relatively few deposits of the other types owing to the large number of relatively small tonnage sandstone and vein-type deposits. Representing 3.4 % of the total deposits, unconformity-related deposits occur primarily in Australia and Canada and are relatively few in number.

However, some unconformity type deposits have very large resources of >100 000 tU, including Jabiluka 2 and Ranger 3 in Australia, and Cigar Lake and McArthur River in Canada, and therefore the total resources associated with this deposit type are large. Additionally, the Cigar Lake and McArthur River deposits also have very high average grades of >10% U. For the haematite breccia complex type, the associated resources primarily occur in the giant Olympic Dam deposit in South Australia, which is the largest exploited uranium resource in the world.

Initial resources associated to unconventional uranium type deposits (black shales, phosphate and lignite-coal) total to 44.96 million tU, 69.3 % of the world total initial resources.

Table 2.2 indicates the worldwide distribution, by region, of the known deposits, according to deposit type [2.23, 2.24].

TABLE 2.1. WORLD URANIUM DEPOSIT TYPES [2.23, 2.24]

(Number of deposits identified and initial uranium resources for ca. 3600 deposits, as of September 2019)

Deposit type Number of deposits Proportion (%) World total initial resource (tU) Proportion (%)

Unconformity-related 121 3.4 1 691 744 2.6

TABLE 2.2. WORLDWIDE DISTRIBUTION OF URANIUM DEPOSITS BY REGION [2.24]

(as of September 2019)

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2.2.1. Deposit types in Africa

The most frequent uranium deposit types identified to date in Africa are sandstone (135 deposits, 32.8 %) and quartz-pebble conglomerate (114 deposits, 27.7%) types. Surficial, intrusive and metasomatite deposits and uranium associated with phosphorite have also been reported.. Of these, 285 (69.3%) are located in South Africa, Namibia and Niger. Quartz-pebble conglomerate and sandstone types are the most common types in South Africa, intrusive and surficial types in Namibia, sandstone type in Niger (Table 2.3).

TABLE 2.3. URANIUM DEPOSITS BY TYPE (UDEPO [2.24]) (as of September 2019)

Deposit type Algeria Angola Botswana Cameroon Central African

Deposit type Guinea Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Morocco Namibia Niger Nigeria

Sandstone 0 1 2 1 0 1 1 47 1

(cont.)

Deposit type Senegal Somalia South

Africa Tunisia Uganda

United Republic of

Tanzania Zambia Zimbabwe Total

Sandstone 0 0 54 0 0 3 8 1 135

2.2.2. Deposit types in Western Europe

As of September 2019 UDEPO [2.24] reported 570 identified uranium deposits occurring in 12 countries in Western Europe (Table 2.4). The unusually high number (459) and percentage (80.5%) of vein-type deposits (granite-related), as compared with the worldwide frequency (1.9%) is notable. Vein type deposits (granite and metamorphite-related) were the primary source of uranium production in Germany, France, Spain and Portugal. Sandstone type deposits were also significant production sources in Germany and France.

TABLE 2.4. WESTERN EUROPE URANIUM DEPOSITS BY TYPE IN 8 COUNTRIES [2.24]

(as of September 2019)

Deposit type Austria Belgium Denmark Finland France Germany Italy

Sandstone 0 0 0 2 36 9 0

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(cont.)

Deposit type Portugal Spain Sweden Switzerland United

Kingdom Total

Sandstone 0 5 0 0 0 52

Quartz-pebble congl. 0 0 0 0 0 1

Volcanic 0 0 1 1 0 15

Intrusive 0 0 1 0 0 7

Vein 100 61 10 4 4 459

Metasomite 0 0 2 0 0 2

Black Shale 0 0 5 0 0 28

Lignite-coal 0 3 0 0 0 4

Phosphate 0 0 1 0 0 2

Total 100 69 20 5 4 570

2.2.3. Deposit types in Central, Eastern and South-eastern Europe

As of September 2019, the IAEA’s uranium deposit database (UDEPO) [2.24] reported 651 identified uranium deposits occurring in 14 countries in Central, Eastern and South-eastern Europe (Table 2.5). The most frequent uranium deposit types identified to date in Central, Eastern and South-eastern Europe are vein-type (223 deposits, 34.3%), sandstone-type (179 deposits, 27.5%), metasomatite-type (74 deposits, 11.4%) and volcanic-related type (60 deposits, 9.2%).

In the Czech Republic, 70 % of the total production has been mined from vein type deposits (granite-related and metamorphite). Sandstone type deposits have been mined (and are still mined) using in situ leach technology in the Czech Republic and in the Russian Federation, and by in-situ leaching and underground methods in Bulgaria. Metasomatite type deposits have been the primary production source in Ukraine and it is a major type of identified resource in Ukraine and in the Russian Federation.

Volcanic type deposits are important with respect to the Russian Federation, where 152 700 tU (92.6 %) of all production (through the end of 2016) has come from volcanic type deposits from the Streltsovska caldera, Siberia, and 18 % of the indicated resources are associated to this type of deposits. Lignite-coal deposits constitutes a major type of resources in the Czech Republic (37 deposits).

TABLE 2.5. CENTRAL, EASTERN AND SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE URANIUM DEPOSITS BY TYPE [2.24]

(as of September 2019)

Deposit type Bulgaria Czech

Republic Estonia Greece Hungary North

Macedonia Poland Romania

Federation Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Turkey Ukraine Total

Unconformity 4 0 0 0 0 0 4

2.2.4. Deposit types in South-eastern Asia, Pacific, East Asia

As of September 2019, UDEPO [2.24] reported 381 identified uranium deposits occurring in ten countries in the region (Table 2.6). Of these 381 deposits, 81.6% are in Australia and China. The high percentage reflects not only the very large areas of the two countries, but also the extensive amount of exploration

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undertaken, together with favourable geological host environments and relative success in exploration.

165 deposits (43.3% of those in the region) are located in Australia. This includes the haematite breccia complex at Olympic Dam in South Australia, which is the world’s largest individual uranium resource.

146 deposits (38.3 %) are located in China. Sandstone is the most common type of deposit and sandstone-hosted deposits have been identified in six countries (49 in Australia, 41 in China, 10 in Mongolia, 6 in Viet Nam, 2 in Japan and 1 in Thailand ). The second most common are vein- type deposits (55 in China), followed by volcanic-related type (32 in China, 20 in Mongolia) and unconformity-type (37 in Australia).

TABLE 2.6. URANIUM DEPOSITS BY TYPE [2.24]

(as of September 2019)

Deposit type Australia China Indonesia Japan Korea, Republic of Mongolia

Unconfor-mity 37 0 0 0 0 0

Deposit type New Zealand Philippines Thailand Vietnam Total

Unconformity 0 0 0 0 37

61 2.2.5. Deposit types in Middle East, Central and Southern Asia

As of September 2019, UDEPO reported 296 identified uranium deposits occurring in 14 countries in the Middle East, Central and Southern Asia [2.24]. To date, the most important uranium deposit type identified in the area is the sandstone hosted type (104 deposits, 35.1%), mainly located in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Vein (granite and metamorphite-related) in India and Kazakhstan, volcanic-related in Kazakhstan, types of uranium mineralization, have also been reported (Tables 2.7 and 2.8).

TABLE 2.7. URANIUM DEPOSITS BY TYPE (UDEPO [2.24]) (as of September 2019)

Deposit type Pakistan Saudi Arabia

Syrian Arab

Republic Tajikistan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Total

Unconformity 0 0 0 0 0 0 4

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TABLE 2.8. URANIUM DEPOSIT TYPES (UDEPO [2.24])

Deposit type Morphology Country Deposits

Sandstone

Roll front

Kazakhstan Inkaï, Kanzhugan, Moynkum

Uzbekistan Bukinai, Sugraly, Uchkuduk

Tabular India Domiasat

Vein Metamorphite

Kazakhstan Vostok, Zvezdnoye

India Jaduiguda, Narwapahar

Metasomatite Na-metasomatite

India Rohil

Iran Saghand

Unconformity

Stratiform

structurally-controlled India Lambapur, Peddagattu

Black shales Uzbekistan Djantuar, Rudnoye

Carbonate India Tummallapalle

Phosphorite Jordan Al Shedaye

2.2.6. Deposit types in North, Central and South America

As of September 2019, UDEPO [2.24] reported 1301 identified uranium deposits in 12 countries in North, Central and South America (Table 2.9). Of these, 1110 deposits (85.3%) are in Canada and the USA. This high percentage reflects the very large area of the two countries, the very large number of small sandstone-type deposits reported in the USA, as well as the large amount of exploration conducted, together with the favourable geological host environments and the success of exploration programmes.

In Canada, there are an unusually high number of unconformity-related type deposits (76). These represent 62.8% of the world total of unconformity type deposits. Intrusive, vein-type and quartz-pebble conglomerate deposits have also been reported in Canada. In contrast, 799 (89.5%) of the US deposits are of the sandstone-hosted roll front type. Consequently, both unconformity and quartz-pebble conglomerate type deposits constitute the primary source of uranium production in Canada whereas sandstone-hosted type deposits have dominated production in the USA.

TABLE 2.9. DEPOSIT TYPES (as of September 2019)

Deposit type Argentina Bolivia Brazil Canada Chile Colombia Guyana

Unconformity 0 0 0 76 0 0 0

Deposit type Mexico Paraguay Peru USA Venezuela Total for all the North, Central and South

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