Vanadium distribution and behavior in the Paleoproterozoic of the Reguibat Shield: insights from statistical and geochemical analyses

Abstract

Reliable geochemical databases for vanadium ores in thin the vast Precambrian domains of the West African Craton are insufficient to establish regional deposition model that can help in its exploration. Despite the economic interest in vanadium is rapidly expanding, the limited number of geochemical and mineralogical studies focused on its deposition and accumulation in the region restricts our understanding of its behavior and hinders the discovery of potentially exploitable ore deposits. In this study, conducted as part of the Tiris Uranium Project, data from 1195 geochemical analyses using the ICP-MS method, performed on 1065 borehole samples, were statistically processed using Python. The objective is to characterize the geochemical behavior of vanadium and the processes responsible for its concentration in Precambrian granites and surface colluvium of the Reguibat Shield in northern Mauritania. Our results indicate that vanadium behaves as a high field strength element (HFSE) in granites, with a particular concentration in hydrothermalized context. Vanadium shows a strong affinity for FeOt and TiO₂, preferentially concentrating in ferromagnesian-rich granites and titaniferous minerals such as iron oxides, biotite, and ilmenite.