Note on the Uranium Mineralisation in the Quartzites of Kuladera Area, Sambalpur District, Orissa

Uranium mineralisation has been discovered recently in quartzites near village Kuladera, 15 km ESE of Bamra, Sambalpur district, Orissa. The radioactive quartzites are occurring at the base of the metasedimentary sequence, which is unconformably resting over the unclassified granitoiddgneisses of late Archaean age. Two mineralized quartzite bands, separated by a basic body of epidioritelamphibolite, have been identified. The samples radiometrically assayed 0.018 to 0.15% U₃O₈ and are free of thorium. The uranium minerals identified are uraninite, gummite, torbernite and U-Ti complex. The other mineral phases contributing to the radioactivity are metamict allanite, zircon, anatase, limonite, epidote and goethite. The samples also analysed higher concentration of Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Cu, Mo, Pb and Ag. As the uranium mineralisation is at the unconformity between the Proterozoic metasediments and basement crystallines, it opens up a new and promising potential target area in this part of Orissa for uranium exploration.