Uranium Transport in F-Cl-Bearing Fluids and Hydrothermal Upgrading of U-Cu Ores in IOCG Deposits

<div>Mineral solubility and speciation for the U-F-Cl system. Minerals are labelled in bold; aqueous predominance fields are shown in the mineral solubility fields with thin red lines. (a) Diagram showing uraninite solubility and U speciation as a function of <i>T</i> (°C) and ƒO<sub>2</sub>. Uraninite is poorly soluble at the phase boundary of magnetite and hematite, and at <svg height="9.59912pt" id="M31" style="vertical-align:-0.6370001pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -8.96212 49.7848 9.59912" width="49.7848pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M620 675H597C578 656 570 650 541 650H144C112 650 104 653 94 675H72C59 618 42 552 23 493L53 491C71 534 88 564 105 585C124 608 144 615 238 615H290L197 121C182 40 174 34 88 28L82 0H361L367 28C275 34 266 38 281 121L374 615H441C522 615 543 608 553 583C562 560 566 531 565 493L597 494C603 551 612 629 620 675Z" id="g113-85"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,11.917,0)"><path d="M512 -3V55L134 254V256L512 456V514L75 281V230L512 -3Z" id="g117-91"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,23.18,0)"><path d="M548 311L516 323C497 274 452 240 400 240C372 240 342 260 316 278C277 305 235 330 188 330C116 330 66 268 40 199L72 187C91 236 136 270 188 270C216 270 246 250 272 232C311 205 353 180 400 180C472 180 522 242 548 311Z" id="g117-131"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,30.84,0)"><path d="M384 0V27C293 34 287 42 287 114V635C232 613 172 594 109 583V559L157 557C201 555 205 550 205 499V114C205 42 199 34 109 27V0H384Z" id="g113-50"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,37.08,0)"><path d="M447 623H65C61 580 56 530 47 475H76C100 541 106 550 172 550H388C308 376 196 170 91 -1L98 -12L172 -2C268 204 360 408 455 611L447 623Z" id="g113-56"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,43.322,0)"><path d="M241 635C89 635 35 457 35 312C35 153 89 -12 240 -12C390 -12 443 166 443 312C443 466 390 635 241 635ZM238 602C329 602 354 454 354 312C354 172 330 22 240 22C152 22 124 173 124 313S148 602 238 602Z" id="g113-49"></path></g></svg>°C, U(VI) fluoride complexes predominate while at <svg height="9.59912pt" id="M32" style="vertical-align:-0.6370001pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -8.96212 42.1252 9.59912" width="42.1252pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M620 675H597C578 656 570 650 541 650H144C112 650 104 653 94 675H72C59 618 42 552 23 493L53 491C71 534 88 564 105 585C124 608 144 615 238 615H290L197 121C182 40 174 34 88 28L82 0H361L367 28C275 34 266 38 281 121L374 615H441C522 615 543 608 553 583C562 560 566 531 565 493L597 494C603 551 612 629 620 675Z" id="g113-85"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,11.917,0)"><path d="M512 230V281L75 514V456L453 256V254L75 55V-3L512 230Z" id="g117-92"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,23.18,0)"><path d="M384 0V27C293 34 287 42 287 114V635C232 613 172 594 109 583V559L157 557C201 555 205 550 205 499V114C205 42 199 34 109 27V0H384Z" id="g113-50"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,29.42,0)"><path d="M447 623H65C61 580 56 530 47 475H76C100 541 106 550 172 550H388C308 376 196 170 91 -1L98 -12L172 -2C268 204 360 408 455 611L447 623Z" id="g113-56"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,35.662,0)"><path d="M241 635C89 635 35 457 35 312C35 153 89 -12 240 -12C390 -12 443 166 443 312C443 466 390 635 241 635ZM238 602C329 602 354 454 354 312C354 172 330 22 240 22C152 22 124 173 124 313S148 602 238 602Z" id="g113-49"></path></g></svg>°C, U(VI)O<sub>2</sub>Cl<sub>2</sub>(aq) is predominant. (b) Uraninite solubility and U speciation as a function of pH and O<sub>2</sub>(aq) at 200°C.</div>

Geofluids

fig8

Figure 8

Figure 8: Uranium Transport in F-Cl-Bearing Fluids and Hydrothermal Upgrading of U-Cu Ores in IOCG Deposits 