Relationship between sandstone-type uranium deposits and hydrocarbon in the northern ordos basin

The Ordos Basin is one of the largest proliferous basins and also one of the most important uranium-bearing basins in China. It is characterized by the coexistence of petroleum and uranium in the northern part of the basin. To understand the coexistence mechanism, more studies are called for on the genesis of sandstone-type uranium deposits in the northern part of the basin, especially on the role of hydrocarbon in uranium mineralization. In this study, we investigated the relationship between uranium and hydrocarbon in the northern Ordos Basin using the methods of petrology, mineralogy and geochemistry. Our results show that the hydrocarbon seepage plays an important role in the mineralization of sandstone-type uranium deposits. It greatly affects the reduction in mineralization and the environmental rehabilitation to protect the ore body from being destroyed by the groundwater after mineralization.