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


DEPNO COUNTRY LOCATION ALLNAMES COMMODITIES
40036 Canada (Alberta) 58.12.16 N -- 110.39.34 W Maybelle River; Maybelle River Uranium Zone; Maybelle River Prospect 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): 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 zone
External 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 zone
External 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 zone
External 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: unmetamorphosed
External 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: unmetamorphosed
External 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: unmetamorphosed
External 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 core
Deposit 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


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