IAEA-TC-542/24

URANIUM MINERALIZATION IN THE

RHYOLITE-BASALT PROVINCE OF THE
DONGARGARH SUPERGROUP,
CENTRAL INDIA

S. N. SINGH, P. KRISHNAMURTHY,
T. M. MAHADEVAN
Atomic Minerals Division,
Department o f Atomic Energy,
Nagpur, India

Abstract
URANIUM MINERALIZATION IN THE RHYOLITE-BASALT PROVINCE OF THE
DONGARGARH SUPERGROUP, CENTRAL INDIA.
The Dongargarh uranium province, comprising a major volcano-plutonic complex with
relatively minor sedimentary units, evolved during the Lower Proterozoic over a time span
o f 2500 to 2200 Ma in a major north-south trending intracontinental rift zone. A continental
bimodal tholeiitic rhyolite-basalt suite and the associated epizonal potassic granites character­
ize the complex. Repeated upthrust emplacement o f the granite plutons probably resulted in
the tight folding and shearing o f the effusive sequence and the associated sediments. Uranium
mineralization is hosted in sheared metabasic and meta-acid volcanic sequences and shows a
spatial preference for their contacts. It is suggested that hydrothermal fluids generated during
the prolonged acid magmatism in the area were enriched in uranium during their migration
to favourable lithostructural locales in the basic and acid volcanics, leading to the formation
o f major ore bodies. Uranium metallogeny and possibly also copper and molybdenum forma­
tion in the region ensued during the time span o f 2200-1400 Ma. The thermal episodes indi­
cated by K -A r mineral ages and the presence o f sedimentary type uranium mineralization in
the overlying Khairagarh sequence limit the age further to a period o f 1600-1400 Ma. This
is in conformity with the age o f uranium mineralization events in the Singhbhum uranium
province lying far to the east o f the area and separated from it by the rather extensive younger
Upper Proterozoic Chattisgarh Supergroup cover.

INTRODUCTION

The region covered by parts o f the Rajnandgaon-Raipur-Durg-Bhandara dis­

tricts o f Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra States in central India has a distinctive
geology and characteristic metallogeny. Uranium deposits o f Bodal and Bhandaritola

399
400 SINGH et al.

LEGEND MINERALIZATION
■ FLUORITE 9 RARSQM

1 (HANDDONGM
a THANEWA5NA

n SHOT
CMLMGHAT SEMES • URANIUM tt TANBEKHAN
2 RARSORI 13 T H A IIT O U
DOMARGARH GRAM tt 3 BAGMMACN

BA SK EFFUSffES 4 JANGAIRUR * C u -P b
RHYOIITE
S mandamtola U KARANTARA

4 BOOAl

ACu ■ Mo
M JAREGAON
7 HALAMJKHAMO
i rular

FIG. It Geological map o f the Dongargarh uranium province [5].

 IAEA-TC-542/24 401

in the Rajnandgaon district and the copper deposits o f Malanjkhand and Pular-
Parsori exemplify the latter. The uranium deposits have special features not shared
by any other o f the known deposits in the world and their genesis is, therefore, o f
particular interest. The characteristics o f these deposits and a tentative model o f their
genesis are presented in this paper, which could constitute the basis for the search
for uranium deposits in similar settings in other areas.

GEOLOGICAL HISTORY

Radiometric surveys carried out in the Rajnandgaon district during the field
season 1972-1973 revealed a unique radioactive anomaly in the quartz-homblende-
biotite (amphibolite) rock around Bodal village (20°39' N , 8 0 ° 4 5 '4 0 ' E), located
66 km south o f Rajnandgaon, the nearest railhead on the Bombay-Howrah railway
line [1]. Subsequent field investigations led to the discovery o f significant radioac­
tive anomalies in sheared quartz porphyry outcrops about 8 km NNW o f Bodal near
Bhandaritola village (20°42'00" N , 80°41 '3 0 ' E) [2]. Geological mapping, radon
emanometry and ground and airborne geophysical surveys followed by drilling and
exploratory mining have helped in identifying uranium resources in the area [3].
Uranium mineralization o f relatively low tenor and extent has also been located in
metarhyolites in Parsori, Baghnadi and Jangalpur and in a younger sequence o f sedi­
ments in the northwestern part o f the area [4],

REGIONAL GEOLOGY

The most prominent geological feature o f the area is the Dongargarh granite
complex o f batholithic dimensions (Fig. 1). It is bounded to the east by rocks o f the
Sakoli Group and the overlying Dongargarh Supergroup which are covered further
to the east by the large Chattisgarh Basin. To the north o f the Dongargarh granite
complex are the formations o f the Sausar, Sakoli and Chilpighat Groups and to the
west, the Sakoli Group. The Dongargarh granites are believed to be intruded into
the volcano-sedimentary complexes surrounding them. Recent age determinations,
however, have revealed that the acid volcanic rocks o f the Dongargarh Supergroup
are temporally related to the Dongargarh granites and, therefore, represent only the
effusive phase o f the granites (Table I).
The formations in the area have an Early to Upper Proterozoic age, the Don­
gargarh granite ages being suggestive o f prolonged acid magmatic activity spanning
the time range o f 2500 to 2200 Ma. The regional stratigraphy and the sequences
exposed in the Bodal-Bhandaritola area are presented in Table II.
TABLE I. RADIOMETRIC AGE DATA ON ROCK TYPES OF THE DONGARGARH URANIUM PROVINCE

Rock type Number o f Age Method Initial Source Comments

samples (Ma) Sr ratio

Dongargarh 8 2465 ± 22 Whole rock 0.701 01 ± 0.000 42 J.N. Gupta A ge o f formation

granite Rb-Sr (unpublished)
isochron

Metarhyolite 8 2503 ± 35 Whole rock 0.703 50 ± 0.001 69 J.N. Gupta Effusive phase o f
(Bodal area) Rb-Sr (unpublished) Dongargarh
granite
SIN G H et *1.

Dongargarh 9 2270 ± 90 Whole rock 0.709 2 ± 0.005 4 [6] Age o f younger

granite phases

Bijli rhyolite 6 2180 ± 25 Whole rock 0.705 7 ± 0.001 5 [6]

(Dongargarh area)

Amgaon gneiss 10 2170 ± 60 Rb-Sr model — [6] interpretation

equivocal
Dongargarh granite 1450-1480 Whole rock [6]
mineral
isochron

Biotite in 3 1460-1640 Mineral Rb-Sr [6]

Indicates a
Amgaon gneiss
pronounced
thermal event
Biotite and feldspar — 1412-1510 K -Ar [6]
during the
in Dongargarh granite
time range
1700-1400 Ma
Biotite in — 1380-1420 K -Ar [6]
Amgaon gneiss

Hornblende in 1560-1662 K-Ar [6]

Amgaon gneiss
TABLE H. REGIONAL STRATIGRAPHIC SUCCESSION OF THE DONGARGARH BELT [5, 7]

Age Dongargarh sequence Bodal-Bhandaritola

sequence

570 Ma
Upper Chattisgarh Raipur Group, Not represented
Proterozoic Supergroup Chandrapur Group
900 Ma -----------------------------------Khairagarh O r o g e n y ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------— ■-----;---------
SINGH et al.

Middle Khairagarh Basalts, Brecciated quartz

Proterozoic Group sandstones veins; dolerite and gabbroic
and shales, dykes
1443-1610 Ma (uralitized)

1600 Ma Dongargarh Unconformity-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Supergroup
c. 2200 Ma Late phases o f Late phases of
Dongargarh granites Dongargarh granites

Lower Nandgaon Pitepani volcanics Metabasics with

Proterozoic Group bands o f tremolite
schists

Bijli rhyolites and Quartz porphyry,

early phase o f microgranite,
Dongargarh rhyolite and early phase o f
granites Dongargarh granites

2500 Ma --------------------------------------- Unconformity — -— -----------— — Faulted contact

Sakoli-----------------------------Tuffaceous shales, Tuffaceous shales,

Group banded haematite, banded haematite,
quartzites and quartzites and
metabasic rocks metabasic rocks

---------- Amgaon O ro g en y ------ ---------------------

Archaean Amgaon Schistose formations, Not exposed
Group quartzites and
granitized
amphibolites

Note: The age o f the older unconformity is modified on the basis o f data presented in Table I.
406 SINGH et al.

I l l i «k<*
I I I I - 1 I .... l l I
* sulphide
° MIHERAIIZATKM

• URANIUM

{S a SHEARS

, - ' F FAULT
f

JOINT W ITH DN>

FOLIATION WITH U P

CONTACT WITH U P

E3 SILICIFED FAULT
ROCK/OUARTZ VEIN

J '' DOLERITE

V7A
lE 3
GABBRO
DTKE

m DOHGARGARH GRANITE

t r - m METARHYOLITE
L l - J PORPHTRY-IHANG MALI)

R R ULTRABASK ROCK

B R U AMPHIBOLITE

METAWHVOLITE ANO
llxi) RHYOLITE-PORPHYRY
(FOOT WALL)

BANDED HAEMATITE
QEJ QUARTZITE

I I PHYLLITIC SHALE

FIG. 2. General geological map o f Bodal and adjoining areas based on photogeological
interpretations [8] and geological mapping [9, 10].

Local geology

The main formations in the Bodal-Bhandaritola area comprise an early

sequence o f shales, slates, phyllites and banded iron formations o f the Sakoli Group
overlain by metarhyolites and metabasic flows and the associated volcano-plutonic
phases o f the Dongargarh granites. This sequence was intruded later by gabbros and
dolerites, and the ore zones at both Bodal and Bhandaritola are intruded by these
rocks (Fig. 2).
 1AEA-TC-542/24 407

STRUCTURE

The rocks o f the area have been tightly folded, with the major set o f folds hav­
ing the axial plane trending roughly N -S with both limbs showing steep dips. Small
disharmonic folds with axes plunging at 20° to 40° towards the NW are common.
Cross-folding results in easterly swings in the strike in some areas, for example west
o f Karmatara (Fig. 2).
The sequence o f acid-basic-acid metavolcanics in Bodal, bounded by Sakoli
shales on either side, represents a major syncline, the core o f which exposes the
metabasic formations, now represented by the amphibole-biotite-quartz rocks (a
type o f orthoamphibolite). The mineralized metabasic rocks are exposed along the
core o f a syncline, bounded to the east by a large mass o f intrusive gabbro and to
the west by the Dongargarh granite.
Two major shears are noticed in the area — the Bodal shear striking N 40°W -
S40°E and the Bhandaritola shear striking N 15°E -S15°W . There are a number o f
faults that traverse the area striking N -S , as well as ENE-WSW and NW -SE.

PETROGRAPHY

Basic volcanics

The metabasic rocks o f the area are generally massive but exhibit a discernible
foliation due to elongation o f prisms o f hornblende and flakes o f biotite in places.
They show many relict igneous textures such as those o f porphyritic and amygdaloi-
dal types. They have a metamorphic overprint resulting in crude foliation, microfrac­
tures and late stage slip planes. Coarsening o f the fabric is evident particularly along
the sheared zones.

A d d volcanics

The acid volcanics o f the area comprise strongly porphyritic to fine grained
types, characterized by flow layers in many exposures. At several places the
metarhyolites show foliated fabric. The porphyritic varieties consist o f large
phenocrysts and augen o f orthoclase, acid plagioclase and bluish quartz with minor
amounts o f biotite, chlorite and sericite in the groundmass. The main accessories are
zircon, apatite, sphene and uraninite. The quartz porphyries bordering the
Dongargarh granites at Bhandaritola, which host part o f the uranium mineralization,
have structures and textures akin to those described as ‘protoclastic’ [11-13]. The
presence o f protoclastic rocks is characteristic o f die epizonal environment o f
emplacement o f the Dongargarh granite plutons. The relatively less metamorphosed
nature o f these acid volcanics contrasts with die metamorphic features o f the basic
rocks.
408 SINGH et al.

Dongargarh granites

The Dongargarh granites near Bhandaritola are mostly coarse grained and in
places porphyritic. They are feebly foliated and comprise quartz, orthoclase,
microperthite with minor amounts o f hornblende and biotite. Zircon and epidote
occur as accessories.

Later basic intrusives

The gabbros consist o f saussuritized plagioclase and hornblende formed by

uralitization o f the pyroxenes with minor amounts o f ilmenite and opaque oxides.
The dolerites are unaltered and consist mainly o f clinopyroxenes, and calcic
plagioclase, with minor opaque oxides.

METAMORPHISM

The shales and phyllites o f the Sakoli Group and the metarhyolites have
registered a very low grade o f metamorphism, not exceeding the impress o f the
greenschist facies. Though metabasic rocks in the area preserve many primary igne­
ous features, assemblages o f hornblende ± oligoclase and hornblende + andesine
indicate metamorphism under the epidote amphibolite and amphibolite facies [14].
This higher metamorphic impress could possibly be due to diaphthoretic changes
brought about by introduction o f water into these rocks under conditions o f shearing
and low temperatures, the metamorphic facies being influenced by the low water
vapour pressures. As is well known, basic rocks respond to such changes more than
acidic and sedimentary rocks like shales and phyllites, since the metamorphic
changes are from high temperature assemblages to lower temperature assemblages.
Regionally, therefore, the degree o f metamorphism is that o f the greenschist facies
or even lower, and locally, especially in basic rocks, a higher metamorphic facies
is seen.

PETROCHEMISTRY AND TECTONIC ENVIRONMENTS

A clue to the tectonic environment o f evolution o f the rocks o f the area may
be obtained from die petrochemistry o f die volcanic rocks. The metabasic rocks have
a chemistry akin to those o f subalkaline tholeiite and basaltic andesite. There is a
large silica gap between diem and die associated rhyolites, emphasizing the bimodal
nature o f the association (Figs 3 and 4). This suggests continental affinities and is
in keeping with their Early to Middle Proterozoic age. The epizonal and potassic
character o f the granites and the relative preponderance o f rhyolites over basalts also
 IAEA-TC-542/24 409

0-0 □

7>0
ALKALINE ROCKS,
x "
0-0

so * • o • O

gZO 3 O
4.0 ■ Z o o
5 <?’ •
oo SUB A L K A LIN E
AO TH O LE IITIC ROCKS
o °o +
CM>0 *4

+
o 2-0
£ A
2 A
1-0

______ i______ i______ i______ i______ i______ ■ ■__y i .j______I .. ,l______ i 1,

co io st v, sc sc co ci r to t t k to ;i co

BASALTS — ♦ B A S A L T IC — < -A N O € S IT E S —
ANOESITES
--------------- -- S1O2 (W t% )

FIG. 3. Na2 O + K 2 O versus SiO2 diagram o f the metabasic rocks and metarhyolites o f the
Bodal-Bhandaritola area [15, 16].

FIG. 4. MgO—(FeO + Fe2 O j)—(Na2 O + K 2 O) diagram o f the metabasic rocks and

metarhyolites o f the area [15, 17].
410 SINGH et al.

TABLE III. U -T h-K CONTENT (ppm) IN ROCK TYPES OF THE

DONGARGARH SUPERGROUP (BODAL-BHANDARITOLA AND
ADJACENT AREAS)

Number of
U Th K
samples

Metarhyolites and
quartz porphyries 11 5.8 30.2 4.20
Dongargarh granites 24 5.8 30.8 4.07
Metabasic rocks 43 2.0 6.3 0.92
Sakoli shales 3 5.3 16.4 2.98

confirm such a continental set-up. It is, therefore, suggested that the development
o f the Dongargarh Supergroup was possibly heralded by rifting o f the crust in the
beginning o f the Early Proterozoic and was followed by acid and basic volcanism
and synchronous granite emplacement.

U -T h-K content in rocks

Abundances o f U , Th and K in the granites, the acid and basic volcanic rocks
o f the Dongargarh Supergroup and the Sakoli shales are presented in Table m . It
may be seen that the U and Th contents in the acidic rocks are higher than crustal
averages.

Radiometric age data

The radiometric age data based on total rock Rb-Sr isochrons, K-Ar mineral
ages and Rb-Sr mineral ages are presented in Table I.
It may be seen that the Dongargarh granite complex has a large time span o f
emplacement and crystallization, covering the period 2500 to 2200 Ma; the different
phases have their temporal equivalents in the acid eftusives.
The mineral ages are suggestive o f a broad time band o f 1700-1400 Ma, when
there was a pronounced thermal event [6].
The initial Sr ratios for the Dongargarh granite and the rhyolites are signifi­
cantly low and point to a derivation from the upper mantle or lower crust.
 IAEA-TC-542/24 411

URANIUM MINERALIZATION

Mode of occurrence

Uranium mineralization is characterized by the following features:

(1) It is essentially confined to sheared metabasic rocks in close proximity to their

contact with metarhyolite, as at Bodal.
(2) Mineralization in similar settings but peripheral to the Dongargarh granite is
seen at Bhandaritola, where there is a strong preference for the metarhyolite-
metabasic contact.
(3) Low grade enrichment o f uranium is commonly seen in metarhyolites and
rhyolite porphyries, as at Parsori, Baghnadi, Jangalpur and Sirmal, where the
rocks are sheared and fractured. The mineralization is under different stages
o f investigation and is not discussed here.

A common feature observed in both Bodal and Bhandaritola is the presence o f

xenoliths and thin bands o f rhyolite porphyry in the mineralized metabasic rocks. At
places, even alternating bands o f the two rock types are seen. This feature is a signifi­
cant indication o f the possibility o f assimilation o f the acid volcanics by the later
basic rocks.

Ore mineralogy and paragenesis

In the Bodal ores, pitchblende and uraninite form fine veins and dissemina­
tions. Radioluxography and solid state neutron track detection studies reveal that
pitchblende and uraninite occur in. microfractures without any mineralogical
preference, thereby confirming their epigenetic nature [18], However, development
o f high grade ores (0.38% U 3 O8 ) is confined to metabasics containing iron rich
hornblende and opaque oxides [19]. This could be due to the geochemical influence
o f F e 2 + /F e 3 + ratios in the amphiboles in localizing mineralization.
Pyrrhotite, pyrite and marcasite are the common sulphide minerals. Minor
amounts o f chalcopyrite, molybdenite, galena and polydymite (a N i-C o sulphide
mineral) are also present. The content o f Cu, Ni, Zn and Mo in the Bodal and
Bhandaritola ores is shown in Table IV.
Ilmenite with an alteration halo o f microcrystalline anatase is present [20]. The
presence o f fine grains o f electrum is also suspected [21]. The ore zone contains en
echelon veins o f bluish quartz a few metres in length and up to half a metre thick.
Stringers o f quartz and occasional adularia veins are also present. They in places
contain sulphide minerals such as pyrite, pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite and pentlandite.
Interestingly, the ore bodies contain fine spheroidal aggregates o f graphite,
associated with the gangue [20]'. The graphite could be a primary mineral and may
412 SINGH et al.

TABLE IV. MINOR METAL CONTENT IN BODAL AND

BHANDARITOLA ORES (ppm)

Rock type Locality Number o f Cu Ni Zn Mo

samples

Metarhyolites and Bhandaritola 160 17 20 73 <25

quartz porphyries

Metabasic Bodal 308 105 71 133 <25

rocks
Bhandaritola 63 79 44 150 <25

TABLE V. SULPHUR ISOTOPE CONTENT OF SULPHIDE MINERALS

FROM BODAL ORE
MS CDT per mille
Sample Description
No.

PK/BDL/OZ-S2 Pyrite from radioactive + 1.87

(AM D/S/50) zone, first level drive, Bodal Mine

PK/BDL/TT-1/S1 Pyrrhotite from sheared + 1.94

(AM D/S/51) quartz porphyry o f the foot wall from
borehole N o. BDL/TT-1 at about 125 m depth

Notes: Standard deviation o f mass spectrometric measurement: ± 0 .0 5 per mille.

Overall reproducibility: ± 0 .3 per mille.
Analysed by T. Chabria in the Atomic Minerals Division laboratories.

possibly also have influenced the uranium mineralization. A tentative paragenetic

sequence Of the mineralization in the ore zone is given in Fig. 5.

Sulphur isotope data

Pyrite and pyrrhotite samples from Bodal ore zones have given values o f
+ 1 .8 7 to + 1 .9 4 per mille. The small spread o f 6 M S values near 0 o/ o o is sug­
gestive o f a magmatic origin o f the sulphur (Table V).
 IAEA-TC-542/24 413

ILMENITE

PYRRHOTITE

PYRITE

CHALCOPYRITE

PITCHBLENOE

BLUE QUARTZ "Y

ANO AOULARIA-I
(VEINS) WITH r
SULPHIDES I PRE-KINEMATIC POST-KINEMATIC

T CC) c 500* c 100"

FIG. 5. Paragenetic sequence o f uranium and sulphide mineralization o f Bodal.

(a )

(18) (b)

FIG. 6. Semivariogram o f Bodal deposit (a) accumulation and (b) thickness [22],
 414
TABLE VI. GEOLOGICAL EVOLUTION OF THE DONGARGARH URANIUM PROVINCE
Upper Proterozoic Formation o f Chattisgarh sedimentary basin
Closing o f Khairagarh Orogeny
Middle Proterozoic Continued basic volcanism
Sedimentary type uranium mineralization
Deposition o f arkose, conglomerates and tuffs
with rhyolitic provenance

SINGH et al.
Subsidence and formation o f basins o f sedimentation
Hydrothermal activity and uranium mineralization
Onset o f crustal adjustments and shearing
Continued emplacement o f Dongargarh granites
Eruption o f subalkaline tholeiitic basalts
Early Proterozoic Minor sedimentation (tuffs and clays)
Eruption o f rhyolites and emplacement o f
Dongargarh granites
Rifting o f crust and formation o f basins o f deposition
Late Archaean Evolution o f Sakoli and the older Amgaon Groups
 IAEA-TC-542/24 415

Variogram for the Bodal ore body

The variogram models (E-W direction) for die variables thickness and
accumulation are presented in Fig. 6. The modelling has revealed that both the thick­
ness o f the ore bands and the accumulation (grade and thickness) can be regarded
as regionalized variables. They have spatial variability which can be modelled by a
spherical variogram. The model shows that the random functions (i.e. uranium
mineralization) can be considered as a composite o f random (noise) fluctuations and
a spatial structure. The nugget effect accounts for 35% o f the total variability. The
remaining 65% is accounted for by a well defined spatial correlation. At least for
the E-W direction the continuity is established for about 150 m (range) and beyond
this range the variables become independent [22].

DISCUSSION

The uranium metallogeny in the Dongargarh rhyolite-basalt province has to be

viewed in the light o f the geological evolution o f the region as a whole. A postulated
model o f evolution is summarized in Table VI and discussed in detail below.

(1) The Lower to Middle Proterozoic Dongargarh uranium province covers a

north-south trending linear belt bounded by rocks o f Late Archaean age — the
Sakolis and the Amgaons.
(2) The bimodal association o f subalkaline tholeiitic basalts and rhyolites o f the
early phase o f volcanism and their chemistry (to be detailed elsewhere [15])
point to their emplacement in intracratonic rifts formed at the close o f the Late
Archaean.
(3) The initial strontium isotopic ratios o f the acidic rocks (rhyolites and granites)
suggest their possible derivation by the partial melting o f either the lower crust
or the upper mantle.
(4) The close temporal relationship between the rhyolites and the granites confirms
the volcano-plutonic character o f the acid magmatism in the region.
(5) The time ranges o f the emplacement o f the granitic rocks indicate that the acid
magmatism continued over a long period, between 2500 and 2200 Ma, span-
. ning a major part o f the Lower Proterozoic. The upthrust due to emplacement
o f the Dongargarh granites could itself account for the highly folded character
o f the volcanics and associated sediments and their subsequent deformation.
(6) > The major shearing and hydrothermal activity in the region seem to be the cul­
mination o f this long period o f magmatism and could account for much o f the
uranium mineralization in the area.
416 SINGH et al.

(7) The hydrothermal fluids were generated during the magmatic activity in the
region. The sulphur isotope data lend support to such a view. These fluids pos­
sibly took up much o f the uranium during their sojourn through the uranium
rich acid rocks along their pathways to specific lithostructural locales.
(8) It is possible that the Dongargarh granites and rhyolites themselves could have
contributed uranium to these circulating fluids, though not necessarily close to
the existing pre zones.
(9) H ie xenoliths o f rhyolites in the mineralized basic rocks also could have con­
tributed some uranium into the system, though such additions may not be
significant.
(10) The time o f uranium mineralization could be around 1600 Ma, considering the
closure o f the Dongargarh magmatism to be around 2200 Ma and the begin­
ning o f the Khairagarh sedimentation around 1600-1400 Ma [6]. The presence
o f sedimentary type uranium concentrations in the Borthalao conglomerates
and their equivalents bears testimony to the presence o f uranium rich zones in
the older provenance rocks o f the Nandgaon Group. The indication o f a
pronounced thermal event by numerous mineral ages between 1700 and
1400 Ma also supports an age o f mineralization falling in this time bracket.
(11) This postulated age will have to be confirmed by the U -Pb dates o f the ura­
ninites from Bodal. If is, however, tempting to correlate this age with the date
o f uranium mineralization in the Singhbhum uranium province o f Bihar, which
has been dated at 1478 ± 14 Ma [23]. The two belts are separated by the large
Chattisgarh Basin o f Late Proterozoic to Lower Palaeozoic age.

To sum up, uranium mineralization in the Dongargarh province is a product

o f the generation o f hydrothermal fluids during the continued acid magmatic
processes in the Early Proterozoic, leaching o f uranium by these fluids from pre­
existing acid volcanic sequences and their final deposition in favourable lithostruc-
tural locales.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The data presented in this paper have been generated as a result o f field investi­
gations carried out over more than a decade by a large number o f geologists o f the
Atomic Minerals Division. The authors wish to express their deep gratitude to many
o f these geologists with whom they have had discussions from time to time. The
geochronological data presented in this paper have been communicated by J.N.
Gupta, petrological data by H.M . Verma and Dhana Raju and statistical data by G.
Viswanathan, scientists o f the Atomic Minerals Division.
 IAEA-TC-542/24 417

REFERENCES

[1] SEN, D .B ., A brief note on the geology and occurrence o f uranium at Bodal district,
Rajnandgaon, M .P ., Curr. Sci. 46 (1977) 605.
[2] SAXENA, V .P ., Annual Report for the H eld Season 1975-76, Atomic Minerals Divi­
sion, Dept, o f Atomic Energy, Hyderabad, 1976.
[3] SINHA, R .M ., et a l., “ The discovery o f Bodal uranium deposit in the metabasic rocks
in the Rajnandgaon-Durg uranium province, Madhya Pradesh, India — A case study
o f uranium exploration’’, paper presented at Int. Geol. Congr. M oscow, 1984.
[4] GUPTA, R .K ., PERUMAL, N .V .A .S ., SAGAR, S ., UPADHYAYA, L .D .,
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DISCUSSION

M. CATHELINEAU: Did you observe uranium rich volcanic rocks which

could be interpreted as significant source rocks for uranium?
S.N . SINGH: As a matter o f fact acid volcanic rocks are early effusive phases
o f Dongargarh granite indicating a time span o f 300 Ma (2500-2200 Ma) between
the early effusive phases and final emplacement o f the Dongargarh granites.
Hydrothermal activity generated during magmatic activity possibly imbibed much
uranium during its sojourn through uranium rich acid rocks, localizing the uranium
in favourable structural locales.
Sheared rhyolites away from the granite intrusive areas show anomalous ura­
nium values up to 1000 ppm or more. (Localities 2, 3 and 4 in Fig. 1 show minerali­
zation in sheared rhyolites.)
G.R. EWERS: Could you indicate the size (i.e. tonnage) o f these unconformity
related deposits?
S.N . SINGH: These deposits are not unconformity related. They are o f struc­
turally controlled vein type. We are looking for unconformity related deposits in the
overlying sequence o f the Chattisgarh Supergroup.
These deposits have a potential o f about 3000 t o f U 3 Og .