Reserves
Brazil holds one of the world’s largest uranium reserves worldwide, which cover the supply of domestic needs on the long run and oversupply will be available for the international market. Brazilian geological reserves evolve from 9,400 ton, knew in 1975, to the actual size, with the possibility of enlargement with prospecting studies and geological researches because they were carried out in only 25% of the national territory The country also holds uranium occurrences associated to other
Measured and Indicated Inferred TOTAL Deposit/Mine < 40US$/kg U < 80US$/kg U Sub-Total < 80US$/kg U 500t 500t 4.000t 4.500t 24.200t 69.800t 94.000t 6.770t 100.770t 42.000t 41.000t 83.000t 59.500t 142.500t Others 61.600t 61.600t TOTAL 66.200t 111.300t 177.500t 131.870t 309.370t LAGOA REAL URANIUM DISTRICT A more detailed work of aerial gamma-ray spectrometry led to the discovery of 33 additional uranium occurrences, also assessed.
Santa Quitéria Deposit (CE) P-U District from Ceará central region is divided into two tectonic units known as Double Belt (Cinturão Dobrado) from Jaguaribe and Santa Quitéria Massif. These limits are exposed by two geological fails known as Groaíra and Itatira. Primitive rocks from Santa Quitéria Massif are the volcanic sediment rocks and possibly basic rocks. These where submitted to a high degree of migmatization and transformed by the granitization of the earth crust about 2 million years ago. Subsequently, they were rejuvenated by two processes about 1,3 and 0,54 million years ago. The host rocks from Santa Quitéria deposit are paragneisses, and big carbonate lenses in the Double Belt (Cinturão Dobrado). First anomalies were discovered there in 1975. The rock in which more than 80% of the mineralization occurs has been described as colofanite.
Worldwide Uranium Reserves Considering the kilogram (kg) of uranium possible to be obtained at costs lower than US$130,00, the world reserves are distributed according to the table below: Country t U3O8 < US$ 130 / kg U t U < US$ 130 / kg U Australia 1.462.000 1.243.000 Kazakhstan 961.000 817.000 Russia 641.000 546.000 South Africa 512.000 435.000 Canada 497.000 423.000 United States 399.000 342.000 Brazil 310.000 279.000 Source: International Atomic Energy Agency - IAEA January 2007
Brazilian reserves:
Brazil registered the 7th largest uranium geological reserve in the world: about 309.000t of U3O8 in the States of Bahia, Ceará,
Distribution of the Brazilian reserves according to AIEA classification:
It was discovered during a series of aero-geophysical surveys between 1976 and 1977 that led to the identification of 19 mineralized areas.
The Caetité massif is located in the South part of the São Francisco Craton in Bahia. Its length is around 80 km and has a variable width between 30 and 50 km. It is formed by Archean microcline gneisses along with granite, granodiorite, sienite and amphybolite. In the South, East and North there are extensive drawdown areas placed beneath mainly by gneiss and green shales of Archean or Lower Proterozoic age.
The region was also submitted to three Tectonic cycles during which the rocks were rejuvenated. This includes the Guriense (3,000 Ma), Transamazonic (1800-2100 Ma) and Espinhaço/Brasiliano (1800-500 Ma) cycles among which the last one was the most significant in terms of mineralization of Lagoa Real.
The basic mine project was concluded in 1996, indicating an open pit mining in the Cachoeira mine (anomaly 13). This anomaly with an average level of 3.000ppm forecasts a production of around 400 tons/year of uranium. Gradually other deposits will be explored, among the existing 33 ones.
Termos | Política de Privacidade | Página inicial
INB - Indústrias Nucleares do Brasil S.A.
© Copyright 2010 - Todos os direitos reservados