Submit an Article
Become a reviewer
Elena N. Afanasieva
Elena N. Afanasieva
Leading Researcher, Ph.D., Dr.Sci.
A.P.Karpinsky Russian Geological Research Institute
Leading Researcher, Ph.D., Dr.Sci.
A.P.Karpinsky Russian Geological Research Institute
ST-Petersburg
Russia

Articles

Geology
  • Date submitted
    2022-02-24
  • Date accepted
    2022-05-25
  • Date published
    2022-07-26

Litsa uranium ore occurrence (Arctic zone of the Fennoscandian Shield): new results of petrophysical and geochemical studies

Article preview

Mineralogical, petrophysical and geochemical studies have been carried out to determine the sequence and formation conditions of uranium mineralization within the Litsa ore occurrence (Kola Region). Mineralogical studies show the following formation sequence of ore minerals: uraninite – sulfides – uranophane, coffinite, pitchblende. Two stages of uranium mineralization are distinguished: Th-U (1.85-1.75 Ga) and U (400-300 Ma). The distribution of physical properties of rocks in the area is consistent with the presence of two temporal stages in the formation of mineralization with different distribution and form of uranium occurrence in rocks. The factors that reduce rock anisotropy are the processes of migmatization and hydrothermal ore mineralization, which heal pores and cracks. Fluid inclusions in quartz studied by microthermometry and Raman spectroscopy contain gas, gas-liquid and aqueous inclusions of different salinity (1.7-18.4 wt.% NaCl-eq.). According to homogenization temperatures of inclusions in liquid phase, the temperature of the Paleoproterozoic and Paleozoic stages of uranium mineralization at the Litsa ore occurrence is ~ 300 and 200 °С, respectively. Correlations of the spatial distribution of elastic anisotropy index with an elevated radioactive background allow using this petrophysical feature as one of the prognostic criteria for uranium and complex uranium mineralization when carrying out uranium predictive work.

How to cite: Il’chenko V.L., Afanasieva E.N., Kaulina T.V., Lyalina L.M., Nitkina E.A., Mokrushina O.D. Litsa uranium ore occurrence (Arctic zone of the Fennoscandian Shield): new results of petrophysical and geochemical studies // Journal of Mining Institute. 2022. Vol. 255. p. 393-404. DOI: 10.31897/PMI.2022.44