Database name: |
Uranium Deposits, Athabasca Basin |
Custodial agency: |
Geological Survey of Canada |
Compilers: |
Sunil S. Gandhi |
Release date: |
2007-03-02 |
|
|
Deposit name(s): |
Maybelle River; Maybelle River Uranium Zone; Maybelle River Prospect |
Political location(s): |
Canada; Province or state: Alberta; Nearest community: Uranium City, Saskatchewan (190 km 308°) |
NTS map data: |
074L02 (Larocque Lake) |
Deposit clan (type): |
Unconformity-associated |
Deposit (sub) types: |
Unconformity-associated - Proterozoic - clay-bound; mineralization at sub-Athabasca unconformity above a 50 m wide graphitic mylonitic zone trending NNW; regolith is 15 m thick; alteration chloritic beneath mineralization, illitic in the sandstone host; Reference: Kupsch, B. G., 2003: Stratigraphy of the Athabasca Group and Alteration Surrounding the Maybelle River Uranium Trend in Alberta; M. Sc. Thesis, University of Alberta, 410 p.. |
Deposit status: |
drilled showing; Size category: unknown |
Geologic province: |
Churchill - Rae Craton |
Geologic subprovince: |
Taltson-Thelon Magmatic Zone |
Geologic district: |
Western Athabasca Basin / Western Lloyd Domain |
Deposit object located: |
drill hole |
Commodities: |
U |
Mineralization styles: |
massive bodies at unconformity; fracture-filling and associated dissemination |
Geological ages: |
Late Paleoproterozoic - Middle Mesoproterozoic (host rocks) Middle Mesoproterozoic - Late Mesoproterozoic (mineralization) |
Tectonic setting: |
continental basin-intracratonic; stable; Formal name: Athabasca Basin (host rocks) |
Coincident features: |
lithology (mylonitized and faulted graphitic zone trending north provided channels for hydrothermal solutions from the basement to the sub-Athabasca unconformity); Coincident feature name: Maybelle River Trend paleoregolith (paleoweathered boundary of basement with unconformably overlying siliciclastic strata) |
Regional tectonic structure: |
graphitic mylonitic zone (a 50 m wide mylonitized basement gneiss with graphitic zones; trend NNW; marked by a shallow depression at the unconformity with the sandstone above) Tectonic structure name: Mayblle River Conductor Zone |
Host rocks: |
(1) metamorphic; graphitic schist (mylonitized graphitic metapelite zone at unconformity); Depositional setting: platform-shelf; Metamorphic grade: amphibolite (upper) - granulite; Component: mineralization zoneExternal host rock forms: | schistose-gneissic metasediments | Host rock protoliths: | pelite and semipelite (carbonaceous pelites and semipelites; remnants of a Paleoproterozoic sequence); Host rock protolith name: Graphitic Paragneiss | Internal host rock structures: | foliated to gneissic; schistose | Individual lithologies: | graphitic metapelite (strata subjected to high grade metamorphism, granitization; intruded by granitoids; later mylonitized; the graphitic zone detected as an EM conductor) |
(2) metamorphic; orthogneiss (granitoid intrusives in metasedimentary); Metamorphic grade: amphibolite (upper) - granulite; Component: mineralization zoneExternal host rock forms: | massive to gneissic | Host rock protoliths: | granitoid plutons with supracrustal remnants (exposed in basement windows in Maybelle River area; the plutons and inclusions are equivalents of the Taltson Magmatic Zone and the Earl River Gneiss); Host rock protolith name: Wylie Lake Granitoid Suite | Internal host rock structures: | medium to coarse grained | Individual lithologies: | tonalite (products of partial melting of granitic gneisses) granite (products of partial melting of granitic gneisses) felsic-mafic gneiss (volcanic and sedimentary rocks in the late Paleoproterozoic Taltson zone; includes alkaline granites) |
(3) surficial; laterite (metapelites and granitoid gneisses); Host series: paleoregolith; Depositional setting: subaerial; Metamorphic grade: unmetamorphosed; Component: mineralization zoneExternal host rock forms: | paleoregolith lateritic profile | Host rock protoliths: | mafic and felsic gneisses and mylonites (crystalline rocks, shears and fault zones in the basement to a depth of 15 to 40 m from the sub-Athabasca unconformity; deeper along faults and shears); Host rock protolith name: Wylie Lake Granitoid Suite | Internal host rock structures: | saprolitic |
(4) sedimentary; sandstone-siltstone-conglomerate (basal unit of the Athabasca Group in western part of the basin); Depositional setting: fluviatile; Metamorphic grade: unmetamorphosedExternal host rock forms: | thin to thick bedded | Host rock protoliths: | sandstone-siltstone-conglomerate (50 m thick coarse grained massive sandstone with scattered pebbles; interbedded with conglomerate, pebbly sandstone, siltstone and clay clast mudstone); Host rock protolith name: Fair Point Formation | Internal host rock structures: | fine to very coarse grained | Individual lithologies: | sandstone (strata form upper part of the formation, which pinches out to the east; 75 km east of Maybelle River is the recently defined basal Shea Creek sequence) conglomerate (strata form upper part of the formation, which pinches out to the east; 75 km east of Maybelle River is the recently defined basal Shea Creek sequence) mudstone (strata form upper part of the formation, which pinches out to the east; 75 km east of Maybelle River is the recently defined basal Shea Creek sequence) |
(5) sedimentary; sandstone-siltstone-conglomerate (100 m thick; medium grained sandstone with basal coarser beds); Depositional setting: fluviatile; Metamorphic grade: unmetamorphosedExternal host rock forms: | thin to thick bedded | Host rock protoliths: | sandstone (moderately well sorted sandstone; fine to medium grained; commonly contains clay intraclasts, up to 1 % of the rock; minor siltstone and mudstone beds); Host rock protolith name: Manitou Falls Fomation | Internal host rock structures: | medium to coarse grained | Individual lithologies: | sandstone (undeformed except for fracturing due to silica dissolution above the mineralized zone leading to collapse breccia) |
(6) sedimentary; sandstone (15 to 20 m thick preserved; overburden 15 to 30 m); Metamorphic grade: unmetamorphosedExternal host rock forms: | thin to thick bedded | Host rock protoliths: | sandstone (fine to medium grained sandstone with scattered pebbles, and pebbly sandstone beds at the base); Host rock protolith name: Lazenby Lake Formation | Internal host rock structures: | fine to medium grained, siliciclastic | Individual lithologies: | sandstone (undeformed except for fractures filled by quartz and/or clay, above and around the mineralized zone) |
|
Metallogenic signatures: |
U-Ni-Co-As-Pb-Au |
Alteration signatures: |
illite alteration: illite, dominant in and around high grade ore; What was altered: sandstone host chlorite alteration: chlorite, new generation; bleaching; What was altered: paleoregolith argillic alteration: fracture-filling and replacement in wallrock; What was altered: fractures in strata above mineralized zone desilication: hydrothermal removal of silica; related fracturing; What was altered: sandstone above mineralized zone silicification: deposition of secondary quartz; What was altered: sandstone above mineralized zone tourmalinization: tourmaline; What was altered: host rocks in and around mineralized zone hematization: secondary hematization around mineralized zone; What was altered: sandstone and paleoregolith |
Mineralogy: |
(alteration): chlorite, illite, quartz - secondary (late stage veins and fracture-fillings): quartz, pyrite (massive ore): uraninite - cubic, pitchblende, coffinite, galena, pararammelsbergite, rammelsbergite, gersdorffite, niccolite, apatite, gold |
Deposit shape: |
lens, high grade coreDeposit dimensions: | length: 20 metre width: 10 metre thickness: 5 metre |
|
Qualified comments: |
(Applies to: discovery and development) This showing was detected by airborne and ground radiometric surveys in 1969-70 and geochemical survey in 1974. An IP survey was conducted in 1975-76. Some 85 holes were drilled in anomalous zone, revealing two high grade intersections in 1977. A 2.5 km long zone tested by 20 holes, with best intersections of 17.8 % U over 5 m and 14.4 % U over 2 m in holes MR-39 and MR-34, respectively. They are 10 m apart in an E-W cross-section at 200 m depth. |
Links to other databases: |
GSC U-Th File (Prasad); Key value: 10203 |
References: |
Card, C., 2002 |
New Investgations of the Basement to the Western Athabasca Basin |
D, Section EXTECH IV Athabasca Uranium, In Summary of Investigations 2002, Volume 2, Saskatchewan Geological Survey (CD-ROM), Edited by Anonymous, Miscellaneous Report, Saskatchewan Geological Survey, Saskatchewan Industry and Resources, 2002-4.2, 371 p., 1 disks, p. 283 - 299 |
Collier, B., 2002 |
Detailed Stratigraphy and Facies Analysis of the Paleoproterozoic Athabasca Group along the Shea Creek-Douglas River Transect, Northern Saskatchewan |
D, Section EXTECH IV Athabasca Uranium, In Summary of Investigations 2002, Volume 2, Saskatchewan Geological Survey (CD-ROM), Edited by Anonymous, Miscellaneous Report, Saskatchewan Geological Survey, Saskatchewan Industry and Resources, 2002-4.2, 371 p., 1 disks, p. 259 - 274 |
Kupsch, B. G., 2002 |
Preliminary Results from a Study of the Geology and Alteration at the Maybelle River Uranium Zone, Athabasca Basin, Alberta, EXTECH IV |
D, Section EXTECH IV Athabasca Uranium, In Summary of Investigations 2002, Volume 2, Saskatchewan Geological Survey (CD-ROM), Edited by Anonymous, Miscellaneous Report, Saskatchewan Geological Survey, Saskatchewan Industry and Resources, 2002-4.2, 371 p., 1 disks, p. 275 - 282 |
Kupsch, B. G., 2003 |
Stratigraphy of the Athabasca Group and Alteration Surrounding the Maybelle River Uranium Trend in Alberta |
M. Sc. Thesis, University of Alberta, 410 p.. |
Ramaekers, P.; Yeo, G. M.; Jefferson, C. W., 2001 |
Preliminary Overview of Regional Stratigraphy in the late Paleoproterozoic Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan and Alberta. |
In Summary of Investigations 2001, Volume 2, Saskatchewan Geological Survey; EXTEC IV Athabasca Uranium Multidisciplinary Study, Edited by Anonymous, Miscellaneous Reports, Saskatchewan Geological Survey, Saskatchewan Department of Energy and Mines, 2001- 4.2b, 1 disks, p. 240 - 251 |
Saskatchewan Geological Survey, 2003 |
Geology, and Mineral and Petroleum Resources of Saskatchewan |
Miscellaneous Report, Saskatchewan Industry and Resources, Publication code 2003-7, 173 p., 4 maps. |
Wheatley, K.; Cutts, C., 2005 |
Overview of the Maybelle River Uranium Mineralization, Alberta, Canada |
Topic: Uranium Geology & Deposits, In Symposium on Uranium Production and Raw Materials for Nuclear Fuel Cycle - Supply and Demand, Economics, the Environment and Energy Security (IAEA-CN-128): Extended Synopses, Edited by Anonymous, International Atomic Energy Agency Conference (International Symposium), IAEA in co-operation with OECD/NEA, WNA, NEI and UN-ECE, International Atomic Energy Agency, CN-128, 344 p., p. 46 - 47 |
Wilson, J. A., 1987 |
The Economic Potential of the Western End of the Athabasca Basin |
In Economic Minerals of Saskatchewan, Edited by Gilboy, C. F.; Vigrass, L. W., Special Publication, Saskatchewan Geological Society, Saskatchewan Geological Society, 8, 216 p., p. 138 - 152 |
|