Uranium deposits at the Cebolleta project, Laguna mining district, Cibola County, New Mexico

Abstract

The Cebolleta uranium project in northwestern New Mexico is the site of five sandstone-hosted uranium deposits contained within the Jackpile Sandstone Member of the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation. The uranium mineralization, which has been well-delineated by numerous drill holes, two open-pit and three underground mines, is a series of tabular shaped bodies that were deposited within individual sandstone lenses of the Jackpile Sandstone. Uranium deposits in the project area exhibit characteristics of “trend,” “redistributed,” and “remnant” types of deposits, as described elsewhere within the Grants mineral belt. Significant uranium resources are present in the project area. Introduction The Cebolleta uranium project of Uranium Resources, Incorporated (URI), is located in the Laguna mining district of northeastern Cibola County, New Mexico (Fig. 1). Situated in northwestern New Mexico east of Mount Taylor, the project is approximately 72 km west of the city of Albuquerque and 16 km north-northeast of the Pueblo of Laguna. The Cebolleta project lies in an area of valleys and mesas along the southeastern margin of the San Juan Basin. Elevations within the project area range from approximately 1,798 to 1,983 m above sea level. The project area (Fig. 2), which hosts five significant sandstone-hosted uranium deposits, is positioned near the eastern end of the so-called Grants mineral belt, which Church Rock-Crownpoint subdistrict Smith Lake subditrict Ambrosia Lake subdistrict Nose Rock subdistrict