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Article

Comprehensive Study on Hydrogeological Conditions and Suitability Evaluation of In Situ Leaching for Sandstone-Hosted Uranium Deposit in Erlian Basin

1
Tianjin Center, China Geological Survey, Tianjin 300170, China
2
Tianjin Key Laboratory of Coast Geological Processes and Environmental Safety, Tianjin 300170, China
3
North China Center for Geoscience Innovation, China Geological Survey, Tianjin 300170, China
4
State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100190, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Water 2024, 16(19), 2785; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16192785
Submission received: 28 August 2024 / Revised: 23 September 2024 / Accepted: 25 September 2024 / Published: 30 September 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil and Groundwater Quality and Resources Assessment)

Abstract

As a strategic mineral and energy resource, the enrichment and metallogenic mechanism of sandstone-hosted uranium deposits are highly dependent on hydrogeological conditions. However, the relationship between sandstone uranium mineralization and hydrogeological conditions has not received sufficient attention yet. The pumping test, hydrogeological parameters and hydrochemical characteristics were employed to analyze the change characteristics of hydrogeological conditions and evaluate the suitability of in situ leaching (ISL). The results showed that the study area in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region could be divided into two groundwater subsystems, namely Quanzha-Engeriyin and Luhai-Zhendai. The latter with relatively high water richness is confined and a main ore-bearing aquifer, which consists of four orebodies. The well discharge (Q) and hydraulic conductivity (K) of Orebody II ranged from 98.40 to 867.36 m3/d and 0.25 to 5.64 m/d, respectively, indicating the aquifer is suitable for the migration, enrichment and mineralization of uranium due to relatively high permeability and fast flow rate. The water storage of Orebodies III-IV gradually deteriorated from east to west in a stepped pattern. And the highest values of Q and K in Orebodies III-IV decreased from 1200 m3/d to 120 m3/d and 1.75 m/d to 0.035 m/d, respectively, suggesting these were conducive to a reduction in and accumulation of uranium under poor hydrodynamic conditions. Additionally, the study area would be defined as three grades, including favorable, relatively favorable and unfavorable areas of ISL according to a comprehensive evaluation. This study provided a scientific basis for evaluating the possibility of in situ leaching for sandstone-hosted uranium deposit.
Keywords: hydrogeological and hydrodynamic conditions; migration and transformation; sandstone-hosted uranium deposit; in situ leaching; Erlian Basin hydrogeological and hydrodynamic conditions; migration and transformation; sandstone-hosted uranium deposit; in situ leaching; Erlian Basin

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MDPI and ACS Style

Meng, L.; Ning, H.; Jiang, W.; Sheng, Y.; Wang, W.; Tang, C. Comprehensive Study on Hydrogeological Conditions and Suitability Evaluation of In Situ Leaching for Sandstone-Hosted Uranium Deposit in Erlian Basin. Water 2024, 16, 2785. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16192785

AMA Style

Meng L, Ning H, Jiang W, Sheng Y, Wang W, Tang C. Comprehensive Study on Hydrogeological Conditions and Suitability Evaluation of In Situ Leaching for Sandstone-Hosted Uranium Deposit in Erlian Basin. Water. 2024; 16(19):2785. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16192785

Chicago/Turabian Style

Meng, Lishan, Hang Ning, Wanjun Jiang, Yizhi Sheng, Wei Wang, and Chao Tang. 2024. "Comprehensive Study on Hydrogeological Conditions and Suitability Evaluation of In Situ Leaching for Sandstone-Hosted Uranium Deposit in Erlian Basin" Water 16, no. 19: 2785. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16192785

APA Style

Meng, L., Ning, H., Jiang, W., Sheng, Y., Wang, W., & Tang, C. (2024). Comprehensive Study on Hydrogeological Conditions and Suitability Evaluation of In Situ Leaching for Sandstone-Hosted Uranium Deposit in Erlian Basin. Water, 16(19), 2785. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16192785

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