EXTECH IV ATHABASCA URANIUM DEPOSIT DATABASE
Geological Survey of Canada, Saskatchewan Industry and Resources, and Alberta Geological Survey


DEPNO COUNTRY LOCATION ALLNAMES COMMODITIES
40026 Canada (Saskatchewan) 59.23.07 N -- 109.54.03 W Maurice Bay Uranium Deposit U

Database name: Uranium Deposits, Athabasca Basin
Custodial agency: Geological Survey of Canada
Compilers: Sunil S. Gandhi
Release date: 2007-03-02
   
Deposit name(s): Maurice Bay Uranium Deposit
Political location(s): Canada; Province or state: Saskatchewan; Nearest community: Uranium City (70 km 257°)
NTS map data: 074N05 (Maurice Bay)
Deposit clan (type): Unconformity-associated
Deposit (sub) types: Unconformity-associated - Proterozoic - clay-bound; the Main, B, 2A, F and Maurice Creek zones are typical basal sandstone-hosted polymetallic occurrences, whereas the A zone has en echelon veins in an intensely silicified fault zone in the basement; Reference: Homeniuk, L. A.; Clark, R. J. M., 1986: North Rim Deposits, Athabasca Basin; Chapter 4, Section Saskatchewan Unconformity-associated and Sedimentary-hosted Deposits of Helikian Age, In Uranium Deposits of Canada, Edited by Evans, E. L., Special Volume, The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 33, 323 p., p. 230 - 240
Deposit status: advanced prospect; Size category: small; Status comments: 0.12 Mt ore
Geologic province: Churchill - Rae Craton
Geologic subprovince: Zemlak Domain
Geologic district: Athabasca Basin (Northwest Rim)
Deposit object located: drillhole
Commodities: U
Mineralization styles: disseminated (above unconformity); fracture fillings (basement at unconformity)
Geological ages: Middle Paleoproterozoic (mineralization)
Middle Paleoproterozoic (host rocks)
Tectonic setting: continental basin-intracratonic; stable; Formal name: Athabasca Basin (host rocks)
epicontinental deformation zone-fold belt; unstated; Formal name: Murmac Bay Group (host rocks)
continental surficial-paleoweathering; stable; Formal name: Sub-Athabasca Group regolith (alteration)
Coincident features: unconformity (sandstone of the basal Fair Point Formation of the Athabasca Group overlies graphitic granitized metasediments); Coincident feature name: Sub-Athabasca unconformity
basement ridge (the Main zone is an elongate body along fault zone on south flank of the horst with bulk of mineralization in Athabasca sediments at the unconformity); Coincident feature name: Basement horst
basement ridge (the fault zone on the north flank of the horst hosts the A zone with high grade pitchblende veins along chloritized shears in quartz-hematite breccia); Coincident feature name: Basement horst
lithology (flat-lying sandstone on the horst between the Main and A zones, hosts the B zone of disseminated sooty pitchblende, which straddles a northeast fault); Coincident feature name: Fair Point Formation
Regional tectonic structure: fault zones (basement horst or wedge bounded by an east-trending fault zone to the south and a southeast-trending one to the north; 500 m wide in the deposit area) Tectonic structure name: pre-Athabasca faults
east-trending fault zone (southern fault zone dips 45-60° to the south, has vertical displacement of 30 m increasing to the west creating a basement window; hosts the Main zone) Tectonic structure name: pre-Athabasca faults
southeast-trending fault zone (fault zone on the north flank of the horst dips 50° northeast and has a vertical displacement of 100 m; it hosts the A zone and numerous quartz veins) Tectonic structure name: pre-Athabasca faults
Host rocks: (1) metamorphic; metasedimentary schist (high-grade metapelitic gneisses with minor interlayered amphibolite; locally graphitic and granitized); Depositional setting: marine; Metamorphic grade: granulite
External host rock forms:schistose-gneissic metasediments
Host rock protoliths:pelite and semipelite (part of the Archean Murmac Bay Group associated with orthogneisses; affected by Paleoproterozoic events; locally albitized); Host rock protolith name: White Lake Complex
Internal host rock structures:foliated to gneissic; schistose
Individual lithologies:metapelite (paragneisses with variable amounts of quartz, feldspar, biotite, cordierite, garnet; and minor phases muscovite, graphite, apatite, sphene and zircon)
metasemipelite (paragneisses with variable amounts of quartz, feldspar, biotite, cordierite, garnet; and minor phases muscovite, graphite, apatite, sphene and zircon)

(2) surficial; laterite (hematitic and chloritic weathering profile developed on crystalline basement); Host series: paleoregolith; Depositional setting: subaerial; Metamorphic grade: unmetamorphosed
External host rock forms:boundary of red and green zones gradational
paleoregolith
Host rock protoliths:paragneisses and paraschists (profile 40 m deep; up to 100 m along faults; abrupt boundary with unaltered rocks; lower green zone illitic and chloritic; upper red zone hematitic); Host rock protolith name: sub-Athabasca basement
Internal host rock structures:textures well preserved; coarse grains less altere
Individual lithologies:laterite (plagioclase and K feldspar first to alter to illite; then garnet and biotite to chlorite forming upper part of green zone; then hematization above it)

(3) sedimentary; mudstone-sandstone-conglomerate (basal unit of the Athabasca Group; includes fanglomerate; overlies crystalline basement); Host series: fanglomerate; Depositional setting: fluviatile; Metamorphic grade: unmetamorphosed
External host rock forms:beds and lenses
Host rock protoliths:fanglomerate-mudstone-sandstone (interbedded with conglomerates, mudstones and fanglomerates; 130 m thick at the deposit)
Internal host rock structures:fine to very coarse grained
Individual lithologies:conglomerate (fanglomerate lenses formed from talus near faults of the basement horst; red mud matrix; fine silty and sandy beds contain mudcracks and mud mudclasts)
mudstone
sandstone
Host rock stratigraphy:Athabasca Group, Fair Point Formation

(4) sedimentary; sandstone-conglomerate (basal unit of the Athabasca Group in the northwestern part of the basin); Depositional setting: fluviatile; Metamorphic grade: unmetamorphosed
External host rock forms:thin to thick bedded
Host rock protoliths:conglomerate-pebbly sandstone (areally extensive and thick siliciclastic sediments overlapping basal part of the formation; increasing maturity upward; flat-lying; lack of faulting); Host rock protolith name: Upper Fair Point Formation
Internal host rock structures:fining upward strata
Individual lithologies:muddy sandstone (4 units from base up: muddy sandy conglomerate, muddy sandstone, conglomeratic muddy sandstone, and muddy pebbly sandstone; hematite coating on grains)
conglomerate (4 units from base up: muddy sandy conglomerate, muddy sandstone, conglomeratic muddy sandstone, and muddy pebbly sandstone; hematite coating on grains)
Host rock stratigraphy:Upper Fair Point Formation
Country rocks: (1) metasedimentary and granitic gneisses; (granitic gneisses dominate in deposit region); Country rock name: White Lake Complex ; Metamorphic grade: granulite
Country rock protoliths:sandstone-siltstone-shale, and granite (probably equivalents of late Archean Murmac Bay Group; includes mafic lenses; granitized and intruded by granites; at Rae craton-Taltson zone boundary); Country rock protolith name: White Lake Complex
Individual lithologies:quartzitic, pelitic, mafic gneisses (paragneisses with one or more of: cordierite, garnet, sillimanite, muscovite, hornblende, graphite; orthogneiss magnetic; variably mylonitized complex)

(2) granitic gneisses; (includes granodiorite, quartz diorite and megacrystic granodiorite); Country rock name: Wesern Granodiorite Complex; Metamorphic grade: amphibolite (upper) - granulite
Country rock protoliths:granodiorite-quartz diorite-quartz monzonite (massive to moderately foliated granitic intrusions in White Lake Complex; contain numerous mafic oval inclusions; cut by aplite dykes and pegmatites); Country rock protolith name: Wesern Granodiorite Complex
Individual lithologies:granodiorite to quartz diorite (two varieties of granodiorite: medium-coarse grained, and megacrystic with feldspar crystals up to 12 cm long; quartz diorite finer grained, foliated)

(3) fanglomerate-shale-siltstone-sandstone; (flat-lying, undeformed); Country rock name: Fair Point Formation; Metamorphic grade: unmetamorphosed
Country rock protoliths:fanglomerate-shale-sandstone (basal unit of Athabasca Group in the west; lenses of fanglomerate near basement faults and red fine siltstones with mudcracks; overlapped by sandstone); Country rock protolith name: Fair Point Formation
Individual lithologies:fanglomerate-shale-siltstone-sandst (sandstone with conglomerate beds dominates the formation more than 120 m thick in the deposit area; studies on diagenesis indicate burial of 2 to 3 km)

(4) breccia; (sedimentary breccia with minor diabase and tuff, 2 km SW of the deposit); Country rock name: Diatreme; Metamorphic grade: unmetamorphosed
Country rock protoliths:sandstone and conglomerate clasts (angular to rounded clasts of sandstone, conglometare and quartzite in matrix of quartz grains cemented by carbonate; includes 'felsic' altered clasts); Country rock protolith name: Diatreme
Individual lithologies:heterolithic breccia (clasts of the Athabasca Group and basement rocks in )
Metallogenic signatures: U
U-Cu-Au
Alteration signatures: lateritic alteration: hematite, chlorite, illite; What was altered: basement gneisses
diagenetic alteration: hematite coating; local bleaching; ferrous illite; What was altered: sandstone
desilication: yellow-white clay; local solution collapse breccia; What was altered: mineralized sandstone
argillic alteration: 'muddy ore': mixed pitchblende, clay and hematite; What was altered: mineralized sandstone
argillic alteration: as in mineralized sandstone; local carbonatization; What was altered: mineralized gneissic basement
Mineralogy: (alteration): uranophane, hematite, illite, kaolinite, chlorite, dravite, calcite
(disseminated mineralization): pitchblende - impregnation/replacement
(irregular aggregation): pitchblende - rimmed spheroids
(massive ore): pitchblende - sooty, coffinite, goyazite, ilsemannite, chalcocite, covellite, bornite, chalcopyrite, djurleite, clausthalite, zincosulphate, siderite, pyrite, gold, arsenide, telluride, phosphates
(vein mineralization): pitchblende - crystalline
Radiometric ages: Object dated: Host Rocks(3); Age - Ma: 1,690; Dating method: Rb-Sr; Concentrate: whole rock; Source rock: paragneiss and granitic gneiss; Event dated: paleo-weathering; Interpretive comment: the age is close to Rb-Sr ages from other parts of the basin on the sub-Athabasca paleo-regolith; Reference: Harper, C. T., 1996: Geology of the Maurice Bay Area, Saskatchewan; In Report of Activities, Edited by Anonymnous, Paper, Geological Survey of Saskatchewan, p. 21 - 23

Object dated: Mineralogy(2); Age - Ma: 750; +26; -26; Dating method: U-Pb; Concentrate: pitchblende; Source rock: vein; Formal name: basement-hosted mineralization; Event dated: mineralization (hypogene); Interpretive comment: based on the least discordant data on 4 pitchblendes within a few cm, from core of DDH-12 on Zone 2A; Reference: Höhndorf, A.; Voultsidis, V.; von Pechmann, E., 1985: U/Pb Isotopic Investigations of the Maurice Bay Uranium Deposit, Saskatchewan, Canada; Chapter 2, Section Unconformity-type Deposits in Saskatchewan, In Geology of Uranium Deposits, Edited by Sibbald, T. I. I.; Petruk, W., Special Volume, The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 32, 268 p., p. 151 - 154

Object dated: Mineralogy(2); Age - Ma: 1,196; +24; -24; Dating method: U-Pb; Concentrate: pitchblende; Source rock: uranium ore; Formal name: basement-hosted mineralization; Event dated: mineralization (early); Interpretive comment: oldest apparent Pb207/Pb206 age on sample 6476 from DDH-503 at 116.7 m; east margin of the Main zone; Reference: Höhndorf, A.; Voultsidis, V.; von Pechmann, E., 1985: U/Pb Isotopic Investigations of the Maurice Bay Uranium Deposit, Saskatchewan, Canada; Chapter 2, Section Unconformity-type Deposits in Saskatchewan, In Geology of Uranium Deposits, Edited by Sibbald, T. I. I.; Petruk, W., Special Volume, The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 32, 268 p., p. 151 - 154

Object dated: Mineralogy(1); Age - Ma: 400; +15; -160; Dating method: U-Pb; Concentrate: whole ore; Source rock: uranium ore; Formal name: mineralization in Athabasca sandstone; Event dated: mineralization, remobilized; Interpretive comment: apparent Pb207/Pb206 ages of 9 sandstone samples are in 400-300 Ma range indicating repeated Pb loss; Reference: Höhndorf, A.; Voultsidis, V.; von Pechmann, E., 1985: U/Pb Isotopic Investigations of the Maurice Bay Uranium Deposit, Saskatchewan, Canada; Chapter 2, Section Unconformity-type Deposits in Saskatchewan, In Geology of Uranium Deposits, Edited by Sibbald, T. I. I.; Petruk, W., Special Volume, The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 32, 268 p., p. 151 - 154
Deposit shape: tabular
Deposit dimensions:length: 1,500 metre
thickness: 10 metre
height: 200 metre
Qualified comments: (Applies to: discovery and development) Exploration by a Joint Venture of Saskatchewan Mining Development Corporation, Eldor Resources Limited and the operator Uranerz Exploration and Mining Limited, carried out airborne and ground radiometric surveys in 1969-70. A single mineralized glacial erratic of Athabasca sandstone was first located near Fidler Point in 1970. This led to an extensive mineralized boulder fan, the source area of which was postulated later from glacial study. IP, EM and geochemical surveys were also conducted during 1974-76. In 1977 diamond drilling in the potential source area of the boulders, with hign magnetic relief, led to the discovery of high grade mineralization of the Main Zone in hole MB-14. Drilling continued till 1979 and a total of 823 holes were drilled in the area. It defined the Main Zone and located other zones that are smaller and/or lower in grade.

(Applies to: reserve/resource descriptions) The Main Zone contains 90 % of the resources. It is defined by 150 drill holes that indicated 0.12 Mt averaging 0.5 % U, and outlined its size as 1500 x 60 x 20 m. Other 5 zones within 500 m of it are small and lower in grade.
Links to other databases: SMDI; Key value: 1203
GSC U-Th File (Prasad); Key value: 3774
References:
Bennett, R. W., 2002
Geological Atlas of Saskatchewan, Version 5 (2002)
Government of Saskatchewan, CD-ROM

Bickford, M. E.; Collerson, K. D.; Lewry, J. F., 1994
Crustal History of Rae and Hearne Provinces, Southwestern Canadian Shield
Precambrian Research, Volume 68, p. 1 - 21

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

Cumming, G. L.; Kristic, D.; Wilson, J. A., 1987
Age of the Athabsca Group, Northern Alberta
In Program with Abstracts: Joint Annual Meeting, Geological Association of Canada-Mineralogical Association of Canada, Edited by Anonymous, Program with Abstracts, Joint Annual Meeting, Geological Association of Canada and Mineralogical Association of Canada, Geological Association of Canada, 12, p. 35 - 35

Cumming, G. L.; Krstic, D., 1992
The Age of Unconformity-Related Uranium Mineralization in the Athabasca Basin, Northern Saskatchewan
Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, Volume 29, p. 1623 - 1639

Harper, C. T., 1978
Uranium Metallogenic Studies, Maurice Bay
In Summary of Investigations 1978, Edited by Saskatchewan Geological Survey, Miscellaneous Report , Saskatchewan Geological Survey, 78-10, p. 74 - 83

Harper, C. T., 1979
Uranium Metallogenic Studies: Maurice Bay Area, Geology and Mineralization
In Summary of Investigations, 1979, Edited by Saskatchewan Geological Survey, Summary of Investigations, Saskatchewan Geological Survey, 79-10

Harper, C. T.; Taylor, R. P.; Fryer, B. J., 1986
Geology and Lithogeochemistry of the Maurice bay Uranium Deposit, Northern Saskatchewan
Chapter 4, Section Saskatchewan Unconformity-associated and Sedimentary-hosted Deposits of Helikian Age, In Uranium Deposits of Canada, Edited by Evans, E. L., Special Volume, The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 33, 323 p., p. 241 - 249

Harper, C. T., 1996
Geology of the Maurice Bay Area, Saskatchewan
In Report of Activities, Edited by Anonymnous, Paper, Geological Survey of Saskatchewan, p. 21 - 23

Hoffman, P. F., 1990
Subdivision of the Churchill Province and Extent of the Trans-Hudson Orogen
In The Early Proterozoic Trans-Hudson Orogen, Edited by Lewry, J. F.; Stauffer, M. R., Special Paper, Geological Association of Canada, Geological Association of Canada, 37, p. 15 - 39

Höhndorf, A.; Voultsidis, V.; von Pechmann, E., 1985
U/Pb Isotopic Investigations of the Maurice Bay Uranium Deposit, Saskatchewan, Canada
Chapter 2, Section Unconformity-type Deposits in Saskatchewan, In Geology of Uranium Deposits, Edited by Sibbald, T. I. I.; Petruk, W., Special Volume, The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 32, 268 p., p. 151 - 154

Homeniuk, L. A.; Clark, R. J. M., 1986
North Rim Deposits, Athabasca Basin
Chapter 4, Section Saskatchewan Unconformity-associated and Sedimentary-hosted Deposits of Helikian Age, In Uranium Deposits of Canada, Edited by Evans, E. L., Special Volume, The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 33, 323 p., p. 230 - 240

Lehnert-Thiel , K. ; Kretschmar, W. , 1979
The Discovery of the Maurice Bay Uranium Deposit and Exploration Case History
In Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Annual Meeting, Winnipeg, Manitoba, September 1979, Edited by Anonymous, Abstract Volume, Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy

Lehnert-Thiel, K.; Kretschmar, W.; Petura, J., 1981
The Geology of the Maurice Bay Uranium Deposit
In CIM Uranium Field Excursion Guidebook, Edited by Anonymous, Guidebook, Geology Division, Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, p. 8 - 13

Marmont, S., 1988
Unconformity-type Uranium Deposits
In Ore Deposit Models, Edited by Roberts, R. G.; Sheahan, P. A., Geoscience Canada Reprint Series, Geological Association of Canada, Geological Association of Canada, 3, p. 103 - 115

Mellinger, M. , 1985
The Maurice Bay uranium deposit (Saskatchewan): Geology, host- rock alteration and genesis
In Geology of Uranium Deposits, Edited by Sibbald, T. I. I.; Petruk, W., Special Volume, The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 32, 268 p.

Mellinger, M., 1985
The Maurice Bay Uranium deposit (Saskatchewan): Geology, Host-rock Alteration and Genesis
Chapter 2, Section Unconformity-type Deposits in Saskatchewan, In Geology of Uranium Deposits, Edited by Sibbald, T. I. I.; Petruk, W., Special Volume, The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 32, 268 p., p. 140 - 150

Prasad, N., 2002
Uranium File: Canmindex
Geological Survey of Canada, Canadian Mineral Occurrence Index (Canmindex), CD-ROM

Ramaekers, P., 1981
Hudsonian and Helikian Basins of the Athabasca Region, Northern Saskatchewan
In Proterozoic Basins of Canada, Edited by Campbell, F. H. A., Paper, Geological Survey of Canada, Geological Survey of Canada, 81-10, 444 p., p. 219 - 233

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

Ruzicka, V., 1984
Unconformity-related Uranium Deposits in the Athabasca Basin Region, Saskatchewan
Section Unconformity-related Types, In Proterozoic Unconformity and Stratabound Uranium Deposits, Edited by Ferguson, J., TECDOC, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria, 315, 338 p., p. 217 - 267

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.

Saskatchewan Industry and Resources, 2001
Saskatchewan Mineral Deposits Index
Government of Saskatchewan, Geological Atlas of Saskatchewan, Internet

Thomas, D. J.; Mathews, R. B.; Sopuck, V., 2000
Athabasca Basin (Canada) - Unconformity-type Uranium Deposits: Exploration Model, Current Mine Development and Exploration Directions
In Geology and Ore Deposits 2000: the Great Basin and Beyond; May 15 - 18, 2000 Symposium Proceedings (CD-ROM), Edited by Cluer, J. K.; Price, J. G.; Struhsacker, E. M.; Hardyman, R. F.; Morris, C. L., Symposium Proceedings, Geological Society of Nevada, Geological Society of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, 647 p., p. 103 - 126

Tremblay, L. P., 1982
Geology of the Uranium Deposits Related to the Sub-Athabasca Unconformity
Paper, Geological Survey of Canada, Publication code 81-20, 56 p..

Wilson, N. S. F.; Stasiuk, L. D.; Fowler, M. G., 2002
Post-mineralization Origin of Organic Matter in Athabasca Unconformity Deposits, 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. 219 - 224

Resource data:
Disclaimer - Reserves/Resource Data

Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Natural Resources (NRCan) does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy, completeness or fitness for any purpose of Reserve and Resource information (Data) contained in this database, including whether the Data is compliant with any securities regulations or standards, and NRCan does not assume any liability with respect to any damage or loss incurred as a result of the use made of the Data.

Resource and reserve figures are historical in nature. The Data source provided with each set of figures should be cited if the Data are re-reported.

Estimate date: 1989; 0.12 million metric tons ore; Combined with production?: no; Provisional entry?: no; Resource category: probable reserve
Grade-commodity information:U: 0.5 percent
weight-commodity information:U: 600 metric ton
Reference: 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.
Percent weights allocated to deposit: 100.0%

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