IAEA-TECDOC-583. Uranium exploration

Transcription

1 IAEA-TECDOC-583 Uranium exploration planning

2 The IAEA does

3 URANIUM EXPLORATION PLANNING

4 FOREWORD

5 In preparing this material EDITORIAL NOTE

6 CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION... 7 Planning for uranium exploration... 9 Uranium: a strategic commodity? A general discussion...

7 I. INTRODUCTION

8 PLANNING FOR URANIUM EXPLORATION For some time a need has been felt for guidelines on the development of uranium exploration projects from the point of view of developing Member State organizations. In recent years the cost of mineral exploration has increased and, at

9 - Contractual Arrangements

10 URANIUM: A STRATEGIC COMMODITY? A GENERAL DISCUSSION During the Advisory Group meeting upon which this document

11 In your presentation you pointed out that we have got to try to persuade the world's policy makers to be thinking of things of 10, 15, 20 years ahead. We have to emphasise the fact that

12 Of course Africa

13 Verma:

14 URANIUM EXPLORATION PLANNING AND STRATEGY A.Y. SMITH, M. TAUCHID Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Management, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna Abstract A country may decided to begin uranium exploration for any of three reasons: 1. to meet the needs of a domestic nuclear power programme; 2. to supply uranium as a commodity to the world market in order to earn foreign exchange; 3. to acquire national information on the country's mineral resource potential with a view

15 A clear policy needs to be defined, however, before a country embarks

16 The phases of a modern exploration programme are;

17 PLANNING AND AREA SELECTION Regions URANIUM EXPLORATION SEQUENCE

18 densities of 1 sample per 1 to 10 km 2 of radon are common. Determination

19 It is clear that a high density of sampling and measurement will

20 DEPOSITION AREA

21 interested parties geological maps

22 3.4 Geochemical Methods Geochemical methods

23

24 because consideration is seldom given to the acquisition of the basic geological knowledge upon which the discovery was based. Thus many of the important sandstone hosted uranium deposits of the United States were found in regions where previous

25 Vlasov: What does DI8CUSSIOH

26 Hemmer: The paper mentions costs of exploration in terms of square kilometres

27 Tauchid:

28 conditions. At the moment I would say it is not useful to look for uranium in phosphates, or calcrete deposits or Rossing type disseminated mineralizations because they will not be economic

29 CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENTS E. MÜLLER-KAHLE Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Management, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna Abstract Conceptually there

30 the Republic of Korea, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and USA are importing variable portions of their reactor related requirements. The development and importance of uranium exploration and production, and their international interrelationship is shown by

31 There

32 Parties to the agreement were the now disbanded Bolivian Atomic Energy Commission (COBOEN),

33 As can be imagined, the main advantage of this agreement, from

34 Since about 1970

35 2) Infrastructural aspects;. regional development,

36 4.1-2 Exploration area The size of the area outlined for the exploration phase depends

37

38 4.2.2 Participation ratio

39 In general,

40 4.2.6 Imports While accepting local legislation concerning imports,

41 Decision making Decision making

42 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

43 DISCUSSION Chairman: Considering that this paper

44

45 until just a few years ago. And whereas there was a reasonable cooperation between the Atomic Energy Commission and the Geological Survey there were certainly areas of friction and disputes over jurisdiction. As an outside observer I think that this division

46 Chairman: That is good to hear. In the past this issue has been a very big problem. Often the governments would say - first you find something and then we will decide what the regulations will be, because if it is a marginal deposit the regulations will

47

48

49

50 An

51 Another major consideration constraining

52 organizations to be engaged in mineral exploration, many different hypotheses can be pursued simultaneously in many locations. There is no "short-list" of officially approved target areas. A large monolithic organization would be unlikely

53 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA O\ Administrative Services Y.P. Claude Financial Services Personnel Services K Fracke CORDILLERAN GEOLOGY DIVISION (Vancouver, B.C.) R.B. Campbell PRECAM8RIAN GEOLOGY DIVISION U.C. McGlynn Geological Research Marine Geology (Pacific Geoscience Centre) Information Services Bear-Slave northern Churchill Superior-Grenville Paleomagnetic Geochronology Petrology Special Projects INSTITUTE OF SEDENTARY AND PETROLEUM GEOLOGY (Calgary,

54 DIRECTOR GENERAL Scientilic Executive Ollicer DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL Energy Ress irch and OevaJopmenl PfOjOClS FronMar Geoscienco Program Oflice Administrative Services l_ Programs and Planning Mineral Development Program Ollice Specal Projects

55 The need to develop these techniques arose independently in

56 The GSC proposed a small increase in the staff carrying out uranium resource appraisal, involving examination of existing mines and radioactive mineral occurrences reported by private exploration companies, and a substantial budget increase to launch systematic uranium surveys.

57 Although inspired by the success and utility of the longer established aeromagnetic survey programme, the URP differed from

58 4.2 Results of the Uranium Reconnaissance Programme By 1978 the energy crisis of 1973 had faded into memory and there was growing public unease about the long term environmental consequences

59 systems could be subjected to field trial". This was the trigger

60 Line spacing 1km i 6km 2Skm o\ OJ Figure

61 a\ Figure 4. Reconnaissance geochemical survey coverage of Canada

62 2) Resource exploration requires

63 6. CONCLUDING REMARKS been The provision of reconnaissance data by government has

64 APPENDIX

65 APPENDIX 2 SYSTEMATIC RESOURCE EXPLORATION - AN OUTLINE The basic requirements

66 Airborne Electromagnetic (AEM); this method, which measures the electromagnetic response of the ground to an electromagnetic transmission from

67 Geochemical Methods Geochemical (including radiometric) methods provide information about

68 reasons connected to the chemistry of these elements the most marked changes in the ratios are associated with uncommon rock forming or hydrothermal processes which, when they occur, often give rise

69 REFERENCES

70 [12] Palacky, G.J.,ed. 1986; Airborne resistivity mapping; Geological Survey

71 Perhaps the legal requirements are not so stringent as they were

72 Chairman:

73

74

75 geochemical prospecting, provided a boost that launched the Department and the nation on an aggressive exploration initiative.

76 - to prepare and compile geological and mineral data on

77 the Prescribed Minerals and Materials Commission (PMMC) Act and the Regulations made there under follow those of the Mines and Minerals Act and the Regulations. The major difference lies in the establishment of a Commission which is a corporate body with perpetual succession

78 Application for mining rights under Part IV of the Act shall be made to the Commission through the Engineer in the Commission

79 Apart from these two inherent parameters, of which the first is an essential or apriori condition, all other parameters

80 genuinely cooperate

81 Investment strategies

82 DISCUSSION Chairman: The Zambian methodology is, in my opinion, exactly on

83 the actual work. In Zambia, who is actually doing the physical work that you call the reconnaissance or prospection for uranium? Money:

84 Tauchid:

85 III.

86 THE ROLE OF OUTSIDE INTERESTS H.D. FUCHS Urangesellschaft mbh, Frankfurt, Federal Republic

87 From

88

89 If such a regime is established and if a country is prepared

90 Another basic rule should

91

92 consumers and also for uranium mining companies to search for new resources outside of Australia and Canada. If countries with favourable geological environments offer more favourable or more competitive conditions

93 have to include the normal disadvantages in these contracts. What is the reason to provide for big areas to do airborne surveys and to cut the time relatively short? This forces the foreign investor not to take more land than he can survey in

94 on

95 for certain things like wasting a mineral deposit, and therefore there must be some regulatory means which have to be discussed. However, we have to be a bit careful. If the economic cutoff is 0.25% and this is in connection with the market

96 investors, and therefore we have to find this narrow path where both sides

97 ATTRACTING FOREIGN COMPANIES (Summary) J. BOURREL Cogéma, Vélizy-Villacoublay, France The question of attracting foreign companies to undertake uranium exploration and development is typically a national problem and has to take into account, among other things, political policy, national needs, investment capability

98 What information and services can the government be expected to provide? Services and support for exploration and mining investment will normally be provided by the national geological survey. The role of the national geological survey will usually

99 In conclusion, the point should be made that careful attention needs to be paid to the disposal of information, particularly that obtained from private investors.

100 Chairman: DISCUSSION

101 Bourrel:

102 that probably

103

104 ROLE OF GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS IN URANIUM EXPLORATION PLANNING

105 State Committee

106 Geological investigation (exploration activity)

107 By the grade of investigation ore reserves are divided into four categories:

108 If the deposit is positively approved in the expert report

109 by specialized territorial geological organizations,

110 Under

111 DISCUSSION Verma: I would like to know how you control the environmental questions, what are the checks and controls on large mining projects in the USSR. What precautions do you take? Vlasov:

112 Vlasov: Indeed we have some cut-off criteria, for example cutoff grade, cut-off thickness,

113 URANIUM EXPLORATION IN INDIA - PERSPECTIVE

114

115 cores

116 Verma:

117

118 investigation described below

119 facilities. These data should be assessed as to quality and an adequate standard of quality of data should be encouraged. Confidentiality of data must be maintained for some agreed period of time. But in the long term, all data must be made available to the public. It should always be borne in mind that the collection of exploration data has cost money and so these data should be maintained in as complete and readily accessible

120 -Some mechanism must be found to monitor the efficiency of the organization in the absence of market forces and of competing companies with which comparisons can be made.

121

122 LIST

123 INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY SMITH, Arthur Y. (Scientific Secretary) TAUCHID, Mohamad Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Management Division