Uranium deposits of Canada: a review

Over the past 15 years, there has been a resurgence of interest in nuclear power and advanced nuclear fuel cycles because nuclear energy can have a significant impact on the reduction of greenhouse gases. For nuclear power to supplant fossil fuel energy production, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions, a significant increase in the number of nuclear power plants is required. Therefore, a significant increase in uranium production will also be required. Canada is the world’s second largest producer of uranium, with numerous (>2600) uranium occurrences and deposits. Canada hosts six major types of uranium deposits: (1) intrusive, (2) metasomatite, (3) metamorphite, (4) Proterozoic unconformity-related, (5) Paleo quartz-pebble conglomerate deposits, and (6) mafic intrusions in Proterozoic sandstone. Uranium mined from the exceptionally high-grade, high-tonnage Proterozoic unconformity-related deposits of the Athabasca Basin in northern Saskatchewan accounts for all of Canada’s current production; however, there are significant examples of the five other deposit types. In this paper, we introduce uranium geochemistry, classification of deposit types, and review examples of the major types of U deposits in Canada. Specifically, we highlight the geology, alteration and uranium mineralogy, geochemistry, geochronology, and genetic models for the Bancroft district (intrusive), the Michelin deposit (metasomatite), the Beaverlodge and Great Bear Lake districts (metamorphite), the Athabasca Basin deposits (Proterozoic unconformity), the Elliot Lake district (Paleo quartz-pebble conglomerate), and the Matoush deposit (sandstone/mafic dikes in Proterozoic sandstone).