Some new uranium exploration areas in China

This paper describes how, during the 1980s, China changed the area of emphasis of its uranium prospecting and exploration from South China to North China. The changes were made as a result of the recognition of increased need for uranium resources under the national nuclear development plan. The change in geographic area was accompanied by the de-emphasis of exploration for conventional deposit types known in the south: volcanic, granitic, sandstone and carbonaceous-siliceous-pelitic types to in situ leachable sandstone type and high grade Precambrian hosted deposits. The new programmes resulted in the discovery of sandstone-type uranium deposits in the large continental sedimentary Erlian and Yili basins in North China, as well as granitic pegmatite hosted deposit in Shaanx Province. This paper describes the geology and uranium mineralization of the recently discovered deposits. (author). 4 figs