RB 2009/00014 Uranium and uranium mineral systems in South Australia.
Published: 01 Apr 2010 Created: 25 Nov 2024 Revised: 27 Nov 2024

South Australia is well recognised as being significantly enriched in uranium. During 2008/2009, South Australia produced 4 613 t of uranium, representing 45% of Australia's total uranium production of 10 311 t, and equating to 9.5% of the world's...

South Australia is well recognised as being significantly enriched in uranium. During 2008/2009, South Australia produced 4 613 t of uranium, representing 45% of Australia's total uranium production of 10 311 t, and equating to 9.5% of the world's total production of 48 510 t. Extensive emplacement of uranium-enriched felsic igneous rocks occurred in South Australia during the Mesoproterozoic, and to a lesser extent during the Palaeoproterozoic. These igneous rocks are either spatially or genetically directly related to various uranium deposits throughout the state, or have provided a distal source of uranium for translocation and secondary enrichment, e.g. into palaeochannel-hosted deposits or fault-controlled mineralisation formed in older rocks. A variety of uranium deposit or occurrence types occur throughout South Australia, including sediment-hosted, breccia-related and vein-hosted. Significant potential exists in some areas for discoveries of previously unrecognised deposit styles. For example, the Benagerie Ridge in the Curnamona Province is considered prospective for IOCG(±U) type deposits. Recent discoveries of palaeochannel-hosted mineralisation at the Blackbush prospect in the Pirie Basin, and IOCGU mineralisation at Hillside prospect on the south-eastern margin of the Gawler Craton, have highlighted the potential prospectivity of previously unexplored regions of the state. Uranium deposits have conventionally been described using the OECD/NEA and IAEA - derived classification scheme of fifteen deposit types, which is based on their host rock type and geological setting (McKay and Miezitis, 2001). More recently, Skirrow et al. (2009) proposed a revised classification scheme utilising the 'mineral systems' approach, whereby entire ore-forming systems are described, at multiple scales, rather than focussing on deposit-scale properties. Using this process-driven classification scheme, all known uranium occurrences in South Australia have been re-assessed, with new classifications being outlined in this report. In reclassifying each known uranium occurrence, the fluid type(s) and mineral system processes that are interpreted to have resulted in its development have been taken into consideration. As more evidence becomes available, some revision of these preliminary category assignments is expected.

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About this record

Record No d20010152
Topic Geoscientific Information
Type of Resource Document
Category Type
Document Type Departmental Publication - Geological Survey Geoscience Publication
Contributor PIRSA Minerals and Energy Resources Div., Geological Survey Branch
Sponsor
Tenement
Tenement Holder
Operator
Geological Province
Mine Name Radium Hill mine;Radium Ridge uranium workings;East Painter uranium workings;Wild Dog mine;Olympic Dam mine;Acropolis deposit;Mount Victoria deposit;Honeymoon deposit;East Kalkaroo deposit;Goulds Dam deposit;Beverley mine;Four Mile deposit;Pepegoona deposit;Yagdlin prospect;Armchair prospect;Streitberg prospect;Houghton prospect;Inglewood prospect;Prominent Hill mine;Hillside prospect;Oak Dam prospect;Junction Dam prospect
Stratigraphy
Commodity uranium
Notes
Notes: 1st edition.
Geographic Locality: Mount Painter;Mount Gee;Yudnamutana Gorge;Paralana Fault;Yarramba Palaeochannel;Billeroo Palaeochannel;Erudina Palaeochannel;Curnamona Palaeochannel;Wyambana Palaeochannel;Narlaby Palaeochannel;Kingoonya...

Notes: 1st edition. Geographic Locality: Mount Painter;Mount Gee;Yudnamutana Gorge;Paralana Fault;Yarramba Palaeochannel;Billeroo Palaeochannel;Erudina Palaeochannel;Curnamona Palaeochannel;Wyambana Palaeochannel;Narlaby Palaeochannel;Kingoonya Palaeochannel;South Australian Heat Flow Anomaly Doc No: RB 2009/00014

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Language English
Metadata Standard ISO 19115-3

Citations

Use constraints License
License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
Persistent identifier https://pid.sarig.sa.gov.au/document/d20010152
Citation Wilson, T.;Fairclough, M.C. 2010. RB 2009/00014 Uranium and uranium mineral systems in South Australia. Departmental Publication - Geological Survey Geoscience Publication. Government of South Australia.
https://pid.sarig.sa.gov.au/document/d20010152

Technical information

Status
Maintenance and Update Frequency
Geographic Reference GDA2020 (EPSG:7844)
Geo bounding box {"type":"Polygon","coordinates":[[[129,-39],[141,-39],[141,-26],[129,-26],[129,-39]]]}
Purpose

                    
                    

                    
                  
Lineage