Geological background of sandstone-type uranium deposits in Ordos Basin, Northwest China / Геологические предпосылки залежей урана песчаникового типа в бассейне Ордос, Северо-Западный Китай

Uranium is a trace element in the earth’s crust. Because of its low content and uneven distribution, the abundance of uranium in the earth’s crust varies greatly. The general value is on the order of parts per million (10−6), while the highest value can reach 10−4. Although it may seem that the content of uranium is minor, In fact, it is higher than that of tungsten, mercury, silver, and other familiar metals, being even thousands of times higher than that of gold! Uranium primarily exists in various complexes in the valence states of +4 and +6. The simplest and basic chemical combination is UO2 and UO3, which exist in nature in the form of more complicated complexes. Although the existence of uranium is complex and diverse, its regularity is also relatively strong. In various solutions, U6+ and UO 22+ can easily dissolve in water, whereas U4+ and UO 2 generally exist in precipitation states. At present, >170 kinds of uranium-bearing minerals have been found. Among them, the minerals with industrial value are pitchblende, uraninite, autunite, torbernite, carnotite, vanadate, brannerite, coffinite, and tyuyamunite.
Uranium resources provide an important guarantee of national defense and energy security, factors that are crucial for adjusting and optimizing China’s energy structure and improving the ecological environment. The development of nuclear power needs a large and stable long-term supply of uranium resources. Given the development trend of nuclear power, proven uranium resources in China will be unable to meet the needs of China’s medium- and long-term development of nuclear energy. Only by relying on domestic resources can China ensure the supply and price stability of uranium resources. Therefore, expanding the amount of uranium resources in China ensures a long-term stable supply and a strategic reserve of uranium resources. <...>