A study on the state of uranium series disequilibrium in Bangurdih uranium deposit, Singhbhum Shear Zone, Jharkhand, India

This study examines the equilibrium-disequilibrium state of the uranium series in Bangurdih uranium deposit, located in the Singhbhum Shear Zone (SSZ), Jharkhand, India. The mineralization, primarily hosted by quartzite and quartz-chlorite schist, is structurally controlled and formed by vein-type hydrothermal processes. Radioanalytical techniques viz. High Energy Gamma Ray Spectrometry and the Equilibrium (Beta-Gamma) Method are used to estimate Ra(eU3O8) and U3O8 concentrations. Analytical results of 1101 Nos. of radioactive core samples (with eU3O8 concentrations ≥ 100 ppm) from 25 boreholes drilled in Bangurdih are used to assess the state of equilibrium and its implications for uranium exploration. The results show that Bangurdih uranium deposit is in radioactive equilibrium, with a disequilibrium factor (DF) of 1.02 obtained from regression analysis. Results also highlight that high-grade samples (U3O8 > 600 ppm) deviate less from equilibrium indicating towards a possibility of multiple episodes of mineralization.