Occurrence of uranium in metasedimentary enclaves within basement granite, near Peddur and Kottur, Karimnagar District, Andhra Pradesh

Abstract

Several radioactive anomalies due to uranium and thorium, associated with the mesedimentary enclaves (Archaean) within granite (Archaean to Early-Proterozoic) have been recorded in parts of Karimnagar Granulite Terrain, Karimnagar Dist. At Peddur and Kottur, Uraninite has been identified in the samples of metasediments. The metasediment from these two places have been subjected to granulite facies of metamorphism and host high values of uranium with negligible thorium. In Peddur, samples of metasediments have assayed as high as 1.96% U₃O₈ with negligible thorium, and in Kottur up to 0.059% U₃O₈. Leaching studies on these samples have indicated that most of the U₃O₈ present is leachable. This discovery has opened up the possibility of finding uranium mineralisation in Archaean metasediments and thus provides a thrust for uranium exploration in similar geological environs in India. Further, the basement granite along with the metasedimentary enclaves has the potential to act as a provenance for a possible unconformity type or sandstone type U-deposit in the rocks of overlying Pakhal and Gondwana Supergroup, in Pranhita-Godavari Basin, situated to the east of this area.