Abdel Aty B. Salman Former Chairman, Nuclear Materials Authority (NMA), Cairo, Egypt

http://kenanaonline.com/absalman

Geology of the Nile Basin Countries Conference,

Alexandria, Egypt, 20-23 March, 2012

URANIUM POTENTIALITIES IN THE NILE BASIN COUNTRIES *

Abdel-Aty Badr Salman Former Chairman, Nuclear Materials Authority, Cairo, Egypt

Website:http:kenanaonline.com

Abstract River Nile Basin Countries (RNBC) are sharing together water from the great Nile River and

its tributaries and upper Nile lakes. They have, in general, similar major geologic and structural

features within the African carton. These countries include: Egypt, Sudan, Southern Sudan,

Ethiopia, Eritrea,Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania.

Based on the nature of the geologic provinces in RNBC, it is evident that most of these

countries have good potentialities for hosting uranium resources. Moreover, some of these countries

include economic uranium deposits, uranium occurrences and or radioactive anomalies.

The Archean rocks which form the back bone of African craton have a good potentiality for

hosting unconformity related uranium - type deposit. The Pan-African Granites and the associated

acidic volcanics are favor rocks for including vein type uranium resources. Intra-cratonic basins,

which represent prominent structural features in the East Africa Region, can be considered as

important entrapment structures for uranium deposits. The volcanic activities through the East

Africa Region in the various episodes have a remarkable role in redistribution of uranium in many

geologic formations. The Phanerozoic sedimentary successions have certain horizons with good

uranium bearing strata.

______________________

*Presented in Geology of the Nile Basin Conference (GNBCC-2012) as invited talk., Alexandria,

Egypt, 20-23 March,2012)

1. Introduction )NB Countries & Importance of Uranium Resources )

2. Stages for uranium exploration

3. Types of Uranium Deposits

4. Uranium Potentialities in NB Countries

5. Conclusion and Recommendations

NB Countries

* NB countries are 11: Egypt, Sudan, Southern Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania.

* NBC are sharing and show similarities in the main geologic provinces and major structural features.

* The information about U resources in the NBC are scarce, this may cause some deficiency in this presentation.

Egypt

Sudan

Ethiopia

Uganda Congo Kenya

Tanzania

Rwanda

Burundi

Eritrea

1.

NILE

BASIN

COUNTRIES

East Africa Rift &

Nubian - Arabian

Shield

NBC share in the

main geologic &

structural features

•Red Sea Hells

• Intracratonic

Basins

• East Africa Rift

CONGO

CRATON

EAST

SAHARA

CRATON

WEST

AFRICA

CRATON HU

GG

AR

BE

LT

Uranium is essential for nuclear fuel cycle: Nuclear

energy production (Low coast), isotopes production,

other uses, entrance of modern technology fields

STOP

STOP

STOP

EVALUATE

REGIONAL

GEOLOGY

EXPLORE

REGION

EVALUATE

URANIUM

OCCURRENCES

PREPARE FOR

DEVELOPMENT

FAVORABLE

IAEA 1980 BULLETIN VOL. 22, NO 1

NO

YES

YES

YES

NO

NO

URANIUM

FOUND

?

RECOVER

ABLE

?

2. SEQUENCE OF EVENTS IN URANIUM

RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

(Stages for Uranium Exploration)

Deep

Trenches

Exploratory

Wells

1.REGIONAL PHASE

A. COLLECTING INFORMATION

A.3.

TOPOGR. MAPS &

SPACE IMAGES

A.2.

GEOPHYSICAL

MAPS

A.1.

GEOLOGIC &

METALOGINIC

MAPS

REGIONAL SURVEYING B.

B.3. GEOCHEMICAL

SURVEY

B.2 2.2. AIR BORNE RADIOMETRY

B.1. REGIONAL

GEOLOGICAL

Fig. Airborne radiometric survey maps showing total count gamma radiation, uranium and thorium contents in ppm.

2.3

geologic &

RADIOMETRIC

2-2

FOOT

2.1

CARBORNE

RADIOMETRIC

3. DETAILED SURVEY 3.3

Drilling &

exploratory mining

3-2.

Trenching &

Sampling

3.1

Mapping: Top.,Geol

&radiometric

3.4

Ore Reserve

3.5

Ore Configuration

3.4

Ore Grade

4.MINING AND MILLING

Notes Type *Proterozoic: Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan, Canada *The Phanerozoic deposits: Le Rouble, France * Red Sea Hells, Egypt

1.

Unconformity-

related

Extensional basins and intracratonic Carbon: Shirley Basin, Wyoming, USA Sulphides: Benavides Deposit, Texas, USA Tabular: Grants Uranium Region, New Mexico, USA

2.

Sandstone

Upper Archean to Lower Proterozoic age: a. U-dominant with REE): (Blind River — Elliot Lake, Ontario, Canada) b. Polymetallic (Au + U) : Witwatersrand, South Africa

3.

Quartz-

pebble

conglomerate

Spatially related to granite: 1.Intragranitic veins: Fanay, Haute

Vienne, France, 2. Perigranitic veins: Pribram, Czech

Republic, 3. In metamorphic or sedimentary rocks:

Shinkolobwe, Shaba, Zaire

4.

Veins

Intracratonic & Extensional basins (matrix of hematite-rich

breccias) : Olympic Dam, Australia

5.

Breccia

complex

Alaskite: Rössing, Namibia Granite, monazite: Bingham Canyon, Utah, USA. Red Sea Hells, Egypt Peralkaline syenite: Kvanefjeld, Greenland Carbonatite: Phalaborwa, South Africa Pegmatite: Bancroft area, Ontario, Canada

6.

Intrusive

Phanerozoic sediments(Marine)

Utah–Idaho, USA , North Africa and Middle East Phosphate belt

7.

Phosphorite

Extensional basins: Deposits are in circular, vertical (up to 1000 metres in vertical extent) pipes Uranium occurs as pitchblende with sulphides and carbon in permeable breccia matrix (Orphan mine, Arizona, USA )

8.

Collapse

breccia pipe

*stratabound, structure-bound, combinations of both. Rexspar, British Columbia, Canada Ben Lomond, Queensland, Australia

9. Volcanic

(a) stratabound in dominantly unconsolidated surfacial sediments

(b) structure-bound uraniferous within source rocks.

Lake Raeside, Australia

(c) lose detrital recent sediments (Basin) Jordan

10.

Surfacial

*Uranium occurs in alkali silicate metasomatites (albitites,

aegirinites and alkaliamphibole rocks), commonly intruded by

microcline granite.

Zheltye Vody, Krivoy Rog, Ukraine

11.

Metasomatite

Stratabound, disseminated uranium occurs in metasediments

and/or metavolcanics, generally without direct evidence of post

metamorphic mineralization.

12.

Metamorphic

*Irregular concentrations of uranium occur in lignite and in clay

and/or sandstone immediately adjacent to lignite.

North Dakota and South Dakota, USA

13.

Lignite

Uranium (generally 10–400 ppm) and associated metals, such as

Mo, V and Cu, occur in carbonaceous marine shales.

Kolm/Alum Shale, Sweden

14.

Black shale

Fig. : Types of uranium deposits and their related geologic provinces

Massive U - oxide

Alteration zone

More than 500 000 tU in Athabasca area, Cuney, 2007)

The mechanism of Roll front uranium

deposit formation http://www.icmj2.com/03Oct/03OctFeature.htm

Mudstone

Mudstone

Flow of ore bearing solutions

Red altered S.S

Yellow altered S.S

Bleached altered S.S

Ore

Mineralized S.S. decreasing

in grade with arrow

S.S

. T

hic

kn

es

s

5

to

30

f

0 to 200 ft 100 to 500 ft

Geologic Provinces and Uranium Potentialities

Country

* Pre-Pan-African gneissose granitic rocks (Uranium & tantalum-niobium mineralization; disseminated and vein type).

1. Egypt

* Pan African granites (vein type)

* Unconformity uranium contact zone between Precambrian basement and Phanerozoic sedimentary rock

* Volcanic rocks of various ages; vein type uranium

* Carboniferous clastic sediments; banded uranium

Geologic Provinces and Uranium Potentialities Country

*Archaean-Lower Proterozoic Basement (Gold, Tin,

Diamonds, Radioactive elements, Asbestos, Mica,

Graphite & Marble, Int.1); Unconformity and vein type U

2-Sudan & 3-Southern Sudan

* Granite rocks (Miri locality, Kadugli area in the southern part of Kordofan Province in the Nuba Mountains); vein type of U & Th, (Sadig, et al., 1988).

*Tectonic zones breccias, vein type; uranium associated with phosphate ( U= 2220 ppm, P2 O5 ­­= 26,1% with high V content)

* Palaeozoic cover; (Marble, Precious Stones, Heavy

;Uranium Sandstone - type(Metals, Radioactive Material

Geologic Provinces and Uranium Potentialities

Country

*Archean, Early Proterozoic and Contacts between

Precambrian and Phanerozoic sequences ; Unconformity

related type U

4. Ethiopia

Late Proterozoic granites and pegmatite's; vein type U,

lenticular bodies of U- Th rich accessory minerals.

* Volcanic rocks of various ages; vein type uranium

Intra cratonic basins and Carboniferous sequence : Uranium Sandstone – type

Geologic Provinces and Uranium Potentialities

Country

* Neo-Proterozoic unites : Vein and disseminated

uranium with rare earth elements

5. Eritrea

* post-tectonic granitoids and associated volcanic rocks: Vein and disseminated uranium type

• Mesozoic Sediments & intra-cratonic basins (Sandstone intercalated with siltstones): Sandstone uranium type

* Closed basins: Surfacial uranium deposits

Geologic Provinces and Uranium Potentialities

Country

*Late Proterozoic mica schists underlying a quartzite

horizon: Disseminations or as veins of pitchblende, and

secondary uranium minerals

6. Congo

* Shinkolobwe uranium deposits were discovered in 1915. This mine, near the southern Congolese town of Likasi, produced uranium for the first atomic bombs.

* Precambrian massifs bordering, to the south, east and north. 400 km. long belt of uranified minerals, stretching from south of Lubumbashi to Kalongwe,west of Kolwezi east, a vast sedimentary central basin.

Shinkolobwe U mine location, Congo

Gold, Uraninite (Shinkolobwe Mine: Kasola Mine, DRCongo, http://www.mindat.org/photo-241509.html

Becquerelite with fourmarieite on uraninite, Shinkolobwe Mine, Congo

Wulfenite PbMoO4 With kasolite , Shinkolobwe, Shaba, Congo

Pegmatites and granites in eastern and western regions, Buganda and Karamoja.

1

Sandstone in the Rift Valley and Buhweju plateau 2

Unconformities in the metasediments of Buganda- Toro System, Karagwe-Ankolean System, Kyoga Series and Singo-Mityana Series

3

Springs along Rift Valley margins and

4

Volcanic tuffs in Fort Portal area 5

Geologic Provinces and Uranium Potentialities

Country

* Precambrian crystalline Basement Unconformities in the

metasediments of Buganda-Toro System, Karagwe-Ankolean

System, Kyoga Series and Singo-Mityana Series;

Unconformity U- type mineralization and other types

7. Uganda

* Pegmatites and granites in eastern and western regions,

Buganda and Karamoja; vein type U deposits and polymetallic

minerals.

* Volcanic tuffs in Fort Portal area; volcanogenic u deposits

* Sandstone in the Rift Valley and Buhweju plateau; Sandstone

U - type

Geologic Provinces and Uranium Potentialities

Country

* Proterozoic gneisses of the Mozambique belt form the

basement of an intracratonic basin, filled with continental

Permo-Triassic elastics: Vein & Sandstone U type deposits

8. Kenya 9. Rwanda

* Carbonatites: rich in rare earth elements, phosphorus, niobium, uranium, thorium, copper, iron, titanium, barium, fluorine, zirconium: Vein or disseminated U type deposits

* Folded and metamorphosed sediments, mainly schists and quartzites intruded by granites, covers most of Rwanda; Unconformity, Vein and disseminated U- types mineralization

*Cenozoic to Recent volcanic rocks occur in the northwest and west. Some of these volcanics are highly alkaline ; Vein type U

* Tertiary and Quaternary sediments fill parts of the Rift in the western Rwanda; Sandstone and surfacial U types

Namibia Lofdal Carbonatite Complex

Geologic Provinces and Uranium Potentialities

Country

* Folded and slightly metamorphosed clastic sediments of

the Mesoproterozoic Kibaran belt underlie most of

Burundi. The Kibaran rocks are intruded by granites:

Conglomerate, vein type and dissiminated U

10. Burundi

* Igneous and residual phosphate accumulations and weathered carbonatite: Vein and dessiminated U type.

* Tertiary and Quaternary sediments fill parts of the Western Rif : Sandstone and surfacial U deposits

Distribution of carbonatites in Tanzania

(after van Straaten 1989)

Distribution of carbonatites in Tanzania (after van Straaten 1989) http://www.uoguelph.ca/~geology/rocks_for_crops/52tanzania.PDF

Tanzania Uranium Overview (Uraniferous mineralization in the Karoo sandstone (roll-front uranium mineralization)

(http://www.uraniumresources.co.uk/overview/index.htm

Karoo Basins

Tanzania

Mtonya Project

Ruvuma Project

Ruhuhu Project

Kayelekera (Paladin)

15,650 t U3O8 Indian Ocean

Dar es Salam

Zambja

DR

Congo

Geologic Provinces and Uranium Potentialities

Country

* Archean granite and greenstone rocks form the central Tanzania Craton: Conglomerate, vein & dissiminated type

11. Tanzania

*Geological and structural model of Mtonya and demonstrated that conditions favourable for roll-front uranium mineralization

*Interior drainage system and closed basins in Central Tanzania: * Surficial type uranium deposits Low-grade, spotty uranium, occurring partly as discrete minerals (uranyl vanadates and silicates). Types: 1. calcrete in Upper Tertiary to Recent 2. thin, mineralized, strongly silicified sheet calcrete

developed directly over weathered granitic basement rocks.

3. mineralized and silicified calcareous Upper Tertiary valley-fill sediments

* The most promising structural features suitable for hosting U are: Intra-cratonic basins, shears and fault zones within acidic igneous & volcanic rocks, unconformities contact zones between igneous and sedimentary rocks and closed basins nearby phosphate bearing formations

Opening cooperation channels in the field of uranium geology and exploration between NBC

1

The cooperation channels can include training in the fields: 2.a uranium exploration stages 2.b. Radiation safety & protection 2.c. Ore processing and technology

2

Encouragement of investment projects in uranium resources for the private sectors in NBC and forming integrated firms. Demands for uranium will increase in the near future.

3

Study of the possibilities for construction of metallogenic map for the Nile Basin Countries. This map, if constructed, will help the investors to upgrade their activities in these countries

4

NBC are similar to one body, River Nile and its tributaries represent the veins in this body. Our role as scientists to keep this body healthy by unlimited scientific cooperation, this is the main way for the future generations to have respectful life in the Earth Planet ( The science is power).

5

40

Thank You

CV (INTRODUCTION

Name: Prof Abdel Aty Badr Salman Born December 22, 1940, El Monofia Province, Egypt

Former Chairman of Nuclear Materials Authority, Cairo, Egypt

e-mail:absalman2006@yahoo.com - Website: http:/kenanaonline.com/absalman

Adress: Nuclear Materials Authority, P.O.Box: 530, El Maadi, Cairo, Egypt

B.Sc. in Geology and Chemistry, 1962, University of Alexandria, Egypt. M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Geology (1968

&1975), Faculty Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

Career Organizations

Nuclear Materials Authority, Cairo, Egypt: Head of the Northern Eastern Desert-Developing Department,

1977, Head of Production Sector (1997), Vice Chairman (1997-1999), Chairman of Nuclear Materials

Authority, Cairo, Egypt (1999-2000). Since Dec.2000: Emeritus Professor and Scientific Advisor in Nuclear

Materials Authority of Egypt and Consultant.

Scientific works

50 Published articles, 35 unpublished scientific reports. Supervisor on 16 Ph.D. and 21 M.Sc.Theses.

Author of books: Nuclear Age, 2005 and Water Conflict in the Arab Region,2011 (In Arabic)

Other Related Activities: Counterpart and/or consultant for IAEA projects and Egypt representative in

IAEA/OECD Uranium Group for 3 years.

•Member in the boards of: Center of Nuclear Researches, Atomic Energy Authority, Egypt (1998-2001).

•Member of the National Committee of Geology, Academy of Scientific Research and Technology, Egypt

(since 2000)

3. Capabilities for managements of academic and scientific institutions. Planning for uranium exploration

and evaluation of uranium reserves. Geological consultation in various geologic, natural resources and

environmental fields.

Awards: Certificate as a distinguished person who has a considerable achievement in science, included

in “Who is Who in the World”, vol.6, published 1982-1983.