The occurrence of uranium at Kilembe Mine, Uganda

Campbell, C.B.. 1951 The occurrence of uranium at Kilembe Mine, Uganda. London, UK, Geological Survey and Museum, 11pp. (WF/AG/51/107) (Unpublished)

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Abstract/Summary

Kilembe mine is situated on the lower eastern slopes of Mt. Ruwensori, which forms the borderland between Uganda and the Belgian Congo. The property is in a fairly advanced stage of development, the enterprise being capitalized jointly by Frobisher Ltd. and Rio Tinto Ltd. The ore-bodies occupy thin-banded, usually crushed, horizons in a series of folded fine-grained metamorphic rocks (granulites and amphibolites), probably of Pre-cambrian age. Mineralization is believed to be related to a prolific series of alaskite dykes which intrude the granulites, usually along their banding. Extensive faulting, as well as the emplacement of basic dykes, has taken place following mineralisation. The ore-bodies have been developed by means of a number of adits at various levels, running into the hillsides on both flanks of a valley. So far over 11,000 feet of underground development has taken place, as well as over 40,000 feet of diamond drilling. The ores contain about 2% copper and 0.18% cobalt, as well as a little gold, silver and nickel. The occurrences of uranium so far found have been confined to one or two very local patches, usually in the form of torbernite (copper uranium phosphate), lining cracks either as small individual crystals or, in association with other copper minerals, as narrow fissure fillings. Radiometric examination of these uraniferous concentrations shows that radioactivity diminishes very markedly over a small distance, both horizontally and vertically. Elsewhere, the background readings underground are generally extremely low and tests of mine adit drainage water and diamond drill cores have so far yielded no encouraging results whatever. On present evidence this uranium occurrence is regarded as of academic interest only. It is recommended that, as development continues, further routine radiometric tests should be made from time to time, covering both new extensions of the workings and new sections of drill core .

Item Type:	Publication - Report
Programmes:	BGS Programmes > Other
Funders/Sponsors:	Geological Survey and Museum, Ministry of Supply
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Report made open in May, 2024.
Date made live:	29 May 2024 11:00 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/537489

Item Type:

Publication - Report

Programmes:

BGS Programmes > Other

Funders/Sponsors:

Geological Survey and Museum, Ministry of Supply

Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:

Report made open in May, 2024.

Date made live:

29 May 2024 11:00 +0 (UTC)

URI:

https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/537489