PHYSICAL-CHEMICAL FORMATION CONDITIONS OF URANIUM-TITANIUM-METAGEL MINERALIZATION AT THE GOLD-URANIUM ELKON DEPOSIT

Abstract

A wide range of the temperatures of hydrothermal fluid regime (430-103 °C) has been revealed in the result of microthermometric study of the fluid inclusions in the minerals of pre-ore and post-ore stages developed at the Elkon deposit. Average temperatures, as well as the temperature variation are similar for both pre-ore and post-ore stages. It allows sure determination of temperatures of uranium ore formation as 400-120 °C. Fluids possessed Na-chloride, rarely Na-chloride-carbonate composition and moderate salinity (6-16 wt. % · NaCl equiv.). The wide range of tem-peratures confirms an assumption made before that various temperatures were the reason of formation of uranium mineralization both in the form of predominantly amorphous phase (U-Ti-metagel), as well as the rarely crystalline form (brannerite). Abrupt temperature decrease was apparently the main factor of the ore precipitation.

Keywords

• elkon ore district
• uranium-titanium-metagel
• fluid inclusions
• microthermometric study