Comparison of the Geochemical Features of Ore-Bearing Horizons at Young and Ancient Hydrogenic Uranium Deposits (Hydrotechnological Aspects)

Geochemical properties of ore-bearing horizons composed of alluvial aluminosilicate terrigenous rocks have been compared at young and ancient hydrogenic uranium deposits. It has been shown that the lithological setting at the young deposit has an elevated neutralization capacity in relation to sulfuric acid of leaching solutions and, in addition, has a rather low reducing capacity. The redox differentiation of ore substance at the deposit is in progress. It ensures an elevated degree of uranium oxidation in ores. Both ore and nonore sandy rocks contain a sufficient amount of natural oxidizer U(IV) in the form of trivalent iron. Ancient deposits, unlike young ones, contain ore-bearing and ore-hosting rocks with a low neutralizing but high reducing capacity and with an elevated degree of uranium and iron reducing, as the reducing environment dominates in all epigenetic geochemical zones. It is suggested that, in this geochemical setting, the process of in situ leaching (ISL) is not effective without addition of artificial oxidizer to the working sulfuric acid solutions.