Ilmenites and their alteration products, sinkholes for uranium and radium in roll-front deposits after the example of South Tortkuduk (Kazakhstan) - GeoRessources Accéder directement au contenu
Article Dans Une Revue Journal of Geochemical Exploration Année : 2019

Ilmenites and their alteration products, sinkholes for uranium and radium in roll-front deposits after the example of South Tortkuduk (Kazakhstan)

Thomas Boulesteix
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Michel Cathelineau
Marc Brouand
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Herve Toubon
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Nicolas Fiet
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Résumé

The approximate determination of average Ra/U disequilibria in orebodies is one of the most common causes of errors in U reserve estimations. In roll-front deposits, the disequilibria are however frequently distributed following complex geometries, which must be fully understood to prevent major U reserve overestimates and costly unproductive extractive operations. The processes responsible for disruption of the radioactive equilibria and the U and Ra carriers in such complex natural systems remain poorly constrained. In this contribution, we propose an innovative approach, mixing orebody to sub-grain scale studies to unravel the distribution of U and Ra and the processes responsible for their concentration and uncoupling. Using mineral separations, gamma spectrometry and mineral-chemical analyses, we identified the Fe-Ti clusters (altered ilmenite + pyrite/marcasite) as the microsites for coffinite precipitation and Ra concentration. To understand the influence of such clusters on the distribution of U and Ra at the deposit scale, whole-rock Ra/U disequilibria were measured and mapped at a series of ten drill holes along a profile crosscutting the studied roll-front. The main Ra/U disequilibria are encountered around the mineralization in low U content zones. They are controlled by two main processes. (1) In the oxidized zones, the immobility of Th-230 with respect to the U produces patches of Ra disequilibria (carried by the altered U minerals). (2) In the immediate vicinity of the roll-front, the dissolution of the mineralization produces an Ra flux trapped by the alteration products of ilmenites, as definitely confirmed by direct SIMS measurements. Such a process is responsible for the Ra disequilibria envelope located downstream of the richest ores, also known as Ra halo. The highest Ra/U ratios correspond to oxidized upstream samples, but most other high Ra/U ratios are from reduced downstream samples close to the mineralization. Such a low to medium U content envelope with high Ra/U ratios constitutes the main cause of U reserve overestimations.
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hal-02380982 , version 1 (20-07-2022)

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Paternité - Pas d'utilisation commerciale

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Thomas Boulesteix, Michel Cathelineau, Etienne Deloule, Marc Brouand, Herve Toubon, et al.. Ilmenites and their alteration products, sinkholes for uranium and radium in roll-front deposits after the example of South Tortkuduk (Kazakhstan). Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 2019, 206, pp.106343. ⟨10.1016/j.gexplo.2019.106343⟩. ⟨hal-02380982⟩
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