tional endowment.The endowmentand economic potential for each cost category is
calculated.Technical reviewsof each area or
property assessed
reasonablyguaranteesthe
(Blanchfield,
repeatability of the assessments
1980).
T. McLemore,
byVirginia
Geologist,
NewMexico
Bureau
ol Mines
andMineral
Resources,
NM
New Mexicoincludesparts of four resource
Socorro,
regions and all or part of 22 topographic
A function of the Department of Energy's
are used in calculating the forward-cost cate- quadranglesat a scaleof l:250,000(fig.2).
(DOE) National Uranium Resource Evaluagories. Cost categories do not represent the Most of the reservesand production from
price at which the estimated resources would
tion (NURE) program is to estimate the uraNew Mexico are from the Colorado Plateau
nium resources of the United States. These be sold becauseexpenditures prior to reserve resourceregion.New Mexicocontainsapproxestimates are based on geological analogy of
calculations (such as land acquisition, ex- imately 50 percentof the $30 reservesin the
ploration, mine and mill development, profit,
an unproductive area or environment with a
United States,amountingto 338,500tons of
productive or well defined ore deposit. This
cost of money, and marketing) are not inUrO' (table 1). The Grantsuraniumregionin
procedure involves a very large data base of
cluded in calculating forward costs. Stressing the Colorado Plateaucontains22 percentof
both known ore deposits and of favorable
that the forward costs used in calculating cost the total resources(cumulative production,
geologic areas or environments believed to
categories include only those capital and
$50 reserves,and potential resources)in the
contain ore deposits. The Atomic Energy
operating costs, in 1980 dollars, which have United States,amountingto 890,000tons of
Commission (AEC), the Energy Resources not yet been incurred is important. In most
U,O, (DOE, 1980b).Seventy-twofavorable
and Development Administration (ERDA),
situations, in today's dollars, forward costs areasare found in New Mexico (table 2) and
and now the DOE have been accumulating
are roughly one-half the actual price (neglect- are found in eachof the four resourceregions
such a data base for over 30 yrs. In 1974, ing inflation) needed to sell U'O' at a profit
(fie. 2). Many of the 72 propertiesor favorNURE was given the task of obtaining more
(Cheney,1981).
able areasin table 2 overlapin location bedata in the form of aerial radiometric and
The estimation of potential uranium recauseof proprietorshipor different geologic
magnetic surveys (ARMS) and hydrogeochemsources involves a complex methodology de- environments,resulting in only 32 areas
ical and stream-sediment reconnaissance vised by the DOE (1980b) and Blanchfield shownin fig. l. Many of the favorableareas
(HSSR) surveys for each l:250,000-scale l"
(1980) and is only summarized in this report.
coincide with areasof previously known urax 20 topographic quadrangle in the United
The United States is divided into 13 resource nium production or uranium occurrences
States. Specialstudies ofuranium deposits not
regions by the DOE on the basis of geologic (Chenoweth,1976).
Uranium
resources
in NewMexicoprogram
discussion
oftheNURE
yet exploited in the United States are included
as part of the data-gathering process. Finally,
each quadrangle was to be fully evaluated and
assessedfor uranium resources. The assessment and evaluation of the accumulated
NURE data for the entire United States is
described and summarized in a report by the
DOE (1980b), from which most of the information for this summary is taken.
The ARMS and HSSR surveys for all 22
quadrangles in New Mexico are completed, although not all of the reports are yet available
from DOE (appendix l). Only l0 quadrangles
in New Mexico are fully assessedand evaluated; three additional quadrangles will be
released in 1982. Six of the HSSR reports include concentrations of 42 additional elements.
Uranium resourcesare defined by the DOE
(1980b) as the sum of known uranium reserves
and estimated potential uranium resources.
Reservesare known quantities of uranium ore,
defined by direct measurementsof known deposits; potential resourcesare the quantities of
uranium believed to be present in areas of
known uranium production or in areas of favorable geologic settings or formations of undiscovered deposits. Potential resources are
divided into three classes-probable, possible,
and speculative(fig. l).
Reservesand potential resourcesare divided
into selected maximum forward-cost categories ($30, $50, and $100 per lb of U,O,) to
cover current economic conditions. Estimated
operating and capital costs not yet incurred
Reserves
(Defined by direct
sampling)
=
Potential resources
lncompletely defined or undiscovered
t
t
t
Probable
Possible
Speculative
FIGURE 1-DsnrNrrron
November l98l
and physiographic characteristics. Favorable
areas are defined in each of the 13 resource
regions as promising geologic environments
that could contain significant resources of
uranium at a minimum grade of 0.01 percent
U.O, to a depth of 5,000 ft. Each favorable
area is classified as probable, possible, or
speculative by the final evaluation team, depending on the location and type of information available for each area. Thus, a promising geologic environment for a particular
area possibly was not assessed.
The amounts of uranium that theoretically
could be produced from an ore deposit for
each cost category ($30, S50, $100 per lb of
UrO') are estimated using engineeringand cost
modeling and probability theory. The endowment is an estimate of the amou,nt of all
uranium-bearing material above a cutoff
grade of 0.01 percent UrOr postulated to occur
in a favorable area to a depth of 5,000 ft and is
calculated using the following equation:
u. = A'F'T'G,
where Q is the conditional uranium endowment in tons, A is the projected surface area of
the favorable area in sq mi, F is the fraction of
A that is underlain by endowment, T is the
tons of endowed rock per sq mi within A ' F,
and G is the averagegrade of endowment. To
account for the uncertainty of the existenceof
uranium deposits in the favorable area, the
conditional endowment (U.) is multiplied by a
probability factor, Po, which is estimated or
derived by the original evaluation team or
principal investigator, resulting in uncondi-
New Mexico Geology
oF RESoURcECLASSES.
Uranium resources
rN Nnw MExIco as
REsERVES
TABLE l-Unerruv
or JeNurnv l, 1980(from DOE' 1980a).
Tonsore
Percenl
U'O.
$30/lb 225,7@,000 0 . 1 3
$50/lb 482,400,0m 0.09
$100/lb 670.500,000 0.08
Tons
u,o.
338,500
448,7W
5r2,300
Percenl aoaal
No. of
ploperlies
U.S. resres
520/o
480/0
46qo
l4O
l8l
183
and potentialresources
Most of the reserves
(table 3) are found in the Colorado Plateau
region (fig. 2) according to the DOE's assessments.Existing uranium deposits and
potential uranium resourcesoccur mainly in
Mesozoichost rocks of fluvial sandstones,
(table4). Uramudstones,and conglomerates
niferous limestones(Todilto Limestone)and
tignites (MenefeeFormation) also are present
in this region. Accordingto the DOE's calculations, the most favorablehost rocks in the
NewMexicoportion of the SanJuan Basinincludethe Morrison, the Chinle,and the Baca
Formations;all threeare potentialstratiform
deposits.
sandstone
The Morrison Formation consistsof four
order)-the SaltWash,
members(in ascending
Recapture,WestwaterCanyon, and Brushy
BasinMembers(fig. 3). The thick sandstones
of the WestwaterCanyon Member contain
largeuranium depositsin the Ambrosia Lake
and Gallup areas.The greenmudstonesand
claystoneswith interbeddedsandstones(includingthe JackpileBed)of the BrushyBasin
Member containuranium depositsin the Laguna and Smith Lake areas.The Salt Wash
Member consistsof interbeddedmudstones
and containsuranium
and fluvial sandstones
deposits in the Carrizo and Chuska Mounof the RecaptureMemberin
tains. Sandstones
the Chuska Mountains also have produced
uranium ore. The Morrison Formation also
containsuraniumdepositsnearSanYsidro.
1977), although the DOE has not included
theseareasin their assessment.
The Basin and Rangeresourceregion (fig.
2) is oneof the most geologicallydiverseareas
in the United States.This regionis characterized by fault blocks forming mountainsand
valleysthat containrocks of many types and
ages.In New Mexico, probable,possible,and
speculativepotential uranium resourcesare
present(tables 2 and 3). According to the
DOE, potential uranium resourcesoccur as
and contact-metasohydrothermal-magmatic
matic veinsin the Madera Limestone,Popotosa Formation, Precambriangranitic rocks,
and YesoFormation(table4). Roll-typesandstonedeposits(GalisteoFormation)and uraniferouslimestonedeposits(YatesFormation)
alsoarepostulatedas occurringwithin this resourceregion(table4).
A small areain the CaballoMountains(A,
fig. 2) is identifiedby the DOE (1980b,fig. l3)
as beinga speculativepotentialresourcearea,
but the DOE doesnot includean assessment
report on the area. The Caballo Mountains
contains
area, near Truth or Consequences,
numerous uranium occurrencesin Precambrian rocks and the Abo (Permian), Mesaverde(UpperCretaceous),
and McRae(Upper
Cretaceous-Tertiary)Formations (Templain
and Dotterrer,1978).The Thurmanand Palm
Park Formations (Tertiary) were considered
as hosts for speculativepotential uranium
depositsby the DOE in 1979(DOE, 1979).
Uranium- and thorium-bearing syenites
(Staatzandothers,1965)and radioactivefault
and shearzoneswithin granitic rocks (Templain and Dotterrer, 1978)occur in the Precambrianterrain. Radioactivityis associated
with copper mineralsin the red beds of the
Approximoleboundoryof resourceregion
(potentiol
Abo Formation, similar to many radioactive
resource
oreosos definedby DOE
tl98Ob, fis. 131)
red-beddepositsthroughoutthe southwestern
United States(Gibson,1952).The unassessed
Probobleond possiblepotenliol uroniumresources
area specificallyidentifiedby the DOE coin!
cideswith the outcrop of the Mesaverdeand
pofenliol resources
[3 Specutotive
McRae Formations in the Cutter sag area
(Kelley,1955).Bushnell(1955,p. 85) menI A r e o s h o w no n D O E m o p ( l 9 8 O b , f i g . l 3 ) , b u t f o r
whichno ossessmenl
reporl wosincluded
tions reddish sandstonesin the uppermost
bedsof the MesaverdeGroup unconformably
overlainby the McRae Formation. The uraTopogrophicquodronglescoveringNew Mexico
in theseformationsmay be
nium occurrences
similar to those found in the Red Basinarea,
"*.?:"%'"r""?r',:1"r-'".:hodedoreosrererro
Catron and Socorro Counties (Chamberlin,
FIGURE 2-Rssounce REcIoNs AND FAVoRABLEAREASoF uRANruM porENTrAL RESouRcEsrN Nsw MExrco.
l98l). This area probably will be dropped
Numbered areas refer to approximate locations of potential uranium resource areas included in table 2.
from future assessments
by the DOE (J. A.
Each area was located based on Chenoweth's (1976) map, becauseDOE did not give exact locations for
personalcommunication,l98l).
Olsen,
each area. Also note that only 32 numbered areas appear above whereas 72 favorable areas are listed in
Speculativepotential resourcesare postutable 2-a result of different proprietorship or stratigraphic unit.
lated by the DOE as occurringin the Great
The fluvial sandstonesof the Chinle and and Magdalena,althoughno DOE assessment Plainsand SouthernRocky Mountain (SouthBaca Formationsare consideredby the DOE
report has beenmade for theseareas.These ern Rockiesof NURE) regionsof New Mexico
to contain possibleand speculativepotential widespread
occurrences
aremost likely related (table3). The GreatPlainsregionis characteruranium resources.The Chinle Formation is to a regionalunconformitythat wasburiedby izedby a thick sequence
of Paleozoicsedimenexposedalong the southernrim of the Colo- the BacaFormation(Chamberlin,l98l).
tary rocks overlain by continentalsediments
rado Plateauwhile the BacaFormationis exOther favorablehost rocks assessed
by the derived from the Rocky Mountains (Laraposedin the Red Basin area near Datil (fig. DOE in the Colorado Plateauregion include mide). The SouthernRocky Mountain region
2). The Red Basin uranium depositwas pre- roll-typedepositsin the Burro CanyonForma- in New Mexico includesl-aramideuplifts, exviously assignedto the baseof the BacaFor- tion (Jurassic-Cretaceous)
and the Ojo Alamo posinga Precambrianterrain cut by Tertiary
mation (Bachmanand others, 1957) and is Sandstone(Tertiary) and sandstonedeposits intrusives.and basinsof the Rio Granderift
now considered
by Chamberlin(1981)to occur in the Dakota Sandstone(Cretaceous).The filled with sedimentaryand volcanic rocks.
in an oxidized and bleached(weathered)zone Fruitland Formation (Cretaceous)northwest Potentialuraniumresourcesoccuras roll-type
in the top of the CrevasseCanyonFormation ofFarmington hasproduceduranium ore and or stratiform sandstonedeposits in both
(Cretaceous).
Uranium anomaliesin a similar the SanJoseFormationin Rio Arriba and San regions(table 2) and occur in arkosic sandoxidizedzone are exposednorth of Quemado Juan Countiescontainsuranium (Chenoweth,
'G
New Mexico Geology
November l98l
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some uranium deposits may have been inadequately evaluated or completely overlooked.
Local problems such as rugged topography,
lack of accessroads, and uncooperative landowners hampered field investigations' Not all
of the geology in some quadrangles has been
or if mapping has been completed,
mapped
BYPoRESoURCES
TABLE 3-PoreNrre.l URANIUM
the geology and structure of the area still may
(from table2).
rENrrALcLASS
be poorly understood. Subsurface data in
No, of
Msn tons of Uros
many quadrangles is incomplete. At times the
propertres
$50/tb
$100/lb assessed
$30,/lb
Potential class
ARMS and HSSR surveys were not completed
Colorado Plateau
in time for the final evaluation (for example,
20
492,179
probable
15 , 5 6 1
31 , 5 0 5
the Gallup and St. Johns quadrangles)...Some
22,031
312,483 34
possible
10,045
2
lo2
1,763
50
speculative
of the HSSR data does not indicate from
JO
861,025
53,6U
2s,656
total
which aquifers or formations well-water samBasin and Range
ples were taken.
t
399
6,529
probable
185
40
2
Since the assessmentsare based on geologic
3
196
t2,4lo
402
speculailve
analogy of promising environments with
6
r 8,979
1 ,r9 8
589
total
known deposits, an understanding of the
Great Plains
probable
promising environments and the known depossible
posits must be achieved. Genetic models and
9
5,449
81,431
2,958
sPeculative
9
5,449
81.431
2,958
total
favorability criteria, based on known uranium
Southern Rocky Mountains
deposits, have been subjectively employed to
probable
possible
indicate favorable environments for uranium
I
296
3,448
246
speculative
deposits. Abrupt truncations of favorable
I
296
3,448
246
rotal
areas at quadrangle boundaries (DOE, 1980b,
60,587
970,883 12
29,M9
Total New Mexico
499,308 2l
probable
t5,146
3 l,904
fig. l3) illustrate the subjectivity involved in
possible
10,047
22,040
312,523 36
delineating favorable areas. Thus, an area
t5
6,643
99,052
3,656
lv€
may fit the model or favorability criteria, yet
the probability of a uranium deposit occuring
IN New Mrxrco gv Hosr RocK (from table 2).
TABLE 4-PorENrrAL URANIUMRESouRcES
within this favorable environment may be
Mean tons of U,O.
low. Such may be the case for the Sangre de
No. of
$r00/lb
$30/lb
Deposilclass
$50rb
Properties
Cristo Formation in the Great Plains region of
Age
Formation/hosl
New Mexico. Reid and others (1980) consider
crLoRADo PLATEAU
2t,770 46,ffi6 765,061
stratiform
Juassic
the Sangre de Cristo Formation to be a favorWestwater Canyon Sandstone Member'
26,338
1 , 0 8 3 I,980
stratiform
Tilassic
Chinle Formation
able environment for roll-type uranium depos15,299
1,205
802
stratiform
Jurassic
Jackpile Bed'
8,369
its. However, no broad areas of reduced rock
149
603
stra!iform
Eocene
Baca Formation
8,896
550
291
roll-type
Jurassic-Cretaceous
Burro Canyon Formation
have yet been delineated in this formation.
9,121
695
438
Jurassic
straiiform
Salt wash Member'
'to4
Other areas in New Mexico contain favorable
10,479
392
stratiform
Jurassic
Recapture Member'
l0
1 1, 4 1 5
1,Ol5
442
limestone
Jurassic
Todi.lto Li.mestone
geologic environments for uranium deposits
I
1 , 4 71
45
89
roll'type
Tertiary
Ojo Alamo Sandstone
but because models are lacking or the probI
,
4
1
0
44
8
7
9ndstone
Cretaceous
Dakota Sandstone
3,078
50
lignite
Cretaceous
ability of uranium deposits occurring is low or
Menefee Fotmation'
cannot be measured, these areas are not inBASIN AND RANCE
cluded in DOE assessments.One area, the
I I,136
7t3
310
hydrothermal-magmatic
Pennsylvanian
Madera Limestone
6,529
185
399
roll-type
Eocene
Galisteo Formation
Costilla Peak massif in the Raton quadrangle
1,094
73
29
Precambrian
contact-metasomanc
Granite
Precmbrian
(Reid and others, 1980), was shifted from a fa180
19
3
Permian
lim€stone
Yates Formation
331
2
vorable to an unfavorable area classification
hydrothermal-magmatic
Tertiary
Popotosa Formation
3
hydrothermal-magmatic
Permian
Yeso Formation
becausegeologic data was insufficient to compare with available models.
Gnenr PrnIns
'17,210
2,8t1 5 , 1 6 8
roll-type
Since the DOE's original purpose of the
Pennsylvanian-Permian
Sangre de Cristo Formation
2,521
164
99
stratiform
Jurassic
Motrison Formation
program was to provide an estimate of
NURE
r,694
42
il1
Triassic
stra!iform
Chinle Formation
the uranium resources in the United States,
SoUTHERN ROCXY MOUNTAINS
many of the calculations and assessmentsmay
I,448
246
Pennsylvanian-Permian
stratiform
Sangre de Cristo Formation
not represent actual economic conditions. The
'Morrison
Formation
DOE's assessmentsinclude all favorable en'Mesaverde
Group
vironments to a depth of 5,000 ft. The DOE
assessmentreports include ore distribution at
rN NEw Mnxrco AND THE UNIrno Srarns according to
TABLE S-DrsrnrnurroN oF uRANruMRESouRcES
various depths; many of New Mexico's favorDOE. Reservecalculations are from DOE, 1980a; probable, possible,and speculativecalculations for New
able uranium resources(listed in table 2) are at
Mexico are from table 2 (this report) and for total United Statesare from DOE, 1980b.
depths greater than 2,500 ft.
The DOE assessmentreports also indicate
the endowment for various probabilities of
Resources
Reserves
uranium exceedinga certain amount. This disSpeculative
Possible
Probable
tribution is often several orders of magnitude;
$50 $100 however, only the mean endowment is given in
$50 $100 $30 $ 5 0 s100 $30
$30 $50 $100 s30
99 table 2. The distribution function for eco6
22
373
499
10
l6
32
449
512
339
New Mexico
nomic potential also is given in the reports and
Total
orders of magni696 varies from zero to several
82
641 1,005 3 l l
645 936 1,r22 885 r,426 2,080 346
United States
tude-only the mean is given in table 2.
New Mexico as
Another problem of the DOE assessmentsis
percent of
that the uranium deposits are classified,,in
1
4
1
4
1
.
3
J
I
4
3.4
2.9
1.8 2.2
48
46
52
total
stones and siltstones of the Sangre de Cristo,
Morrison, and Chinle Formations (table 4).
Table 3 shows the potential uranium resources by potential class and table 4 by the
host rock. Most of the probable potential re-
sourcesin New Mexico are found in the Colorado Plateau, although some probable potential resources occur in the Basin and Range
region. Only speculative potential resources
are found in the Great Plains and Southern
Rocky Mountain regions. Most of the potential uranium resources in New Mexico are
found in sandstone deposits in the Colorado
Plateau, although limestone, lignite, hydrothermal-magmatic, and contact-metasomatic
depositsdo occur.
While the majority of the United States' potential resources are in Phanerozoic sandstones, some of the world's largest uranium
deposits are found in Precambrian host rocks
(both granitic and metamorphic). However'
most of the NURE project emphasized Phanerozoic sandstone and volcanic deposits' In
New Mexico, many isolated exposuresof Precambrian rocks were classified as "unevaluated." Detailed geologic mapping and detailed ARMS and HSSR surveys are neededto
fully evaluate the Precambrian rocks in New
Mexico.
Other problems are apparent with the DOE
study. The assessmentof l' x 2o quadrangles
involves a\arge amount of territory to be evaluated in a relatively short period of time and
New Mexico GeologY
November l98l
57
Mountains area. west-centralNew Mexico (abstract):
Albuquerque, New Mexico, American Association of
Petroleum Geologists,Rocky Mountain Section, April
D A K O T AS A N D S T O N
l98l
E
FORMATION
Cheney,E. S., 1981,The hunt for giant uraniumdeposits:
v. 69, no. |, p. 37-48
AmericanScientist,
Jockpile Sondslone
of New MexChenoweth,W.L.,1916, Uraniumresources
B r u s h yB o s i n M e m b e r
ico. n Tectonicsand mineral resourcesof southwestern
BrushyBosin Member
North America: New Mexico Geological Society, Spec.
P u b .N o . 6 ,p . 1 3 8 - 1 4 3
M
O
R
R
I
S
O
N
Weslwoter Conyon Member
-,
1977, Uranium in the San Juan Basin---anoverF O R M A T IO N
view: New Mexico GeologicalSociety, Guidebook 28th
(400-900 fr)
Soll Wosh lrlember
field conference,p. 257-262
Recoplure
Member
of somered bed copper
Gibson, R., 1952,Reconnaissance
depositsin the southwesternUnited States:U.S. Atomic
EnergyCommission,Open-fileRept. RMO-890, 78 p.
J U N C T I O NC R E E K S A N D S T O N E
COW SPRINGS SANDSTONE
Kelley,V. C., 1955,Geologicmap of the SierraCounty
( o - 3 5 0f r )
region, New Mexico: New Mexico Geological Society,
Guidebook6th field conference,2 sheets,scaleI inch :
S U M M E R V I L L EF O R M A T I O N
1 . 8 5m i
( 2 0 - I O Of r )
Molenaar,C. M., 1977,San Juan Basintime stratigraphic
nomenclaturechart: New Mexico Geological Society,
FIGURE 3-Srnerlcr,cpHlc NoMENcLATuns
op Uppsn Junassrc-l-owrnCnrrnceous RocKSrNrsr SnN
p. xii
Cuidebook28thfieldconference,
JueNBnsrN(Molenaar,1977).Thicknesses
areshownin ft measurement.
L. C., and Lessard,
Reid,B. 8., Griswold,G. B., Jacobsen,
R H., 1980, National Uranium ResourceEvaluation,
part, according to their genesisor origin need further evaluation and exploration. FiNew Mexicoand Colorado:U.S. DeRatonquadrangle,
(DOE, 1980b,appendixB). This type of classi- nally, the DOE has accumulated a large
partmentof Energy,Open-fileRept.GJQ-005(80),
83 p.
fication requires a prior knowledgeof the amount of new data (including HSSR and Staatz,M. H., Adams,J. w., and Conklin, N. M., 1965,
Thorium-bearing microcline-rich rocks in the southern
genesisor origin of the uranium deposit, ARMS studies) that still needs to be evaluated
CaballoMountains,SierraCounty, New Mexico: U.S.
which in many casesis not alwaysclear or is with incorporation of available geologic data.
GeologicalSurvey,Prof. Paper525-D,p. D48-D5l
sometimesbasedon an investigator'sinterAcrNowLEpcMENrs-R.
M. Chamberlin Templain,C. J., and Dotterrer,F. 8., 1978,Preliminary
study of the uranium favorability of the Jornada del
pretation or speculation.In many areas of
and F. E. Kottlowski are acknowledged for
Muerto Basin and adjacent areas, south-central New
uranium deposits,remobilizationof uranium their discussion and criticism of this manuMexico: U.S. Departmentof Energy, Open-fileRept.
by meteoricwaters,which tendsto concealthe script.
GJBX-8O(78),22 p.
U.S. Departmentof Energy, 1979,National uraniurnreorigin of the initial mineralization,has ocReferences
sourceevaluation,interim report: Open-file Rept. GJOcurred.
I I l ( 7 9 ) ,1 3 7p
chman, G. O., Baltz, E. H, and Griggs, R L., 1957,
In spite of shortcomings,the DOE assess- B aReconnaissance
-,
1980a,statisticaldata of the uraniumindusrry:
of geology and uranium occurrences of
ments and evaluationsprovide a gross estiOpen-fileRept. GJO- 100(80),9a p.
the upper Alamosa Creek valley, Catron County, New
-,
1980b,An assessment
report on uranium in the
mateof the uraniumresources
Mexico: U.S. Geological Survey, Open-file Rept. TEIin areasof preUnitedStatesof America:Open-fileRept.GJO-l I l(80),
521
viously known uranium occurrencesin New
150p.
Blanchfield, D. M., 1980, Methodology for uranium ren
Mexico (table
S O UT H
N ORTH
5). DOE estimatesconfirm that
the San Juan Basinremainsone of the most
favorable areas for uranium exploration in
New Mexico, eventhough other smaller depositsdo occur in the state.This study (DOE,
1980b)and the individual quadrangleevaluation reports(appendixl) indicateareasthat
source estimates and reliability: Grand Junction, Colorado, Uranium Industry Seminar, U.S Department of
Energy, October 1980
Bushnell, H. P., 1955, Mesozoicstratigraphy of south- central New Mexico: New Mexico Geological Society,
Guidebook 6th field conference, p. 8l-87
Chamberlin, R. M., 1981, Unconformity-related uranium
deposits in Late Cretaceous sandstones in the Datil
Appendix
NewMexico's
minerals
I
Avelleslp NURE queoneNclE REpoRrs (DOE oeeN-nrlE npponrs); these reports are available at the
NMBMMR in Socorro, NM, and the U.S. DOE in Grand Junction, CO. Preliminary reports for pubtic inspection are denoted by an asteriskr.
Quadrangle
Albuquerque
Aztec
Brownfield
Carlsbad
Clifton
Clovis
Dalhart
Douglas
El Paso
Ft. Sumner
Gallup
Hobbs
Las Cruces
Raton
Roswell
SantaFe
Shiprock
SilverCity
Socorro
St. Johns
Tucumcari
Tularosa
58
November l98l
HSSR
ARMS
Folio
GJBX-145(79),2r('t7)
cJBX-129(78)
cJBX-103(78),60(76)
GJBX-l l6(79)
GJBX-6s(80)
GJBX-33(76)
PGJ-016(80)*
PGJ-012(80)*
GJBX-69(78)
GJBX-6e(78),
GJBX-23(79)
(1e82)
cJBX-207(80)
GJBX-69(78),GJBX-244(81)
cJBX-46(80)
GJBX-69(78),
GJBX-23(79)
PGJ-081(81)*
(l e82)
GJBX-21(77)
cJBX-186(80)
GJBX-103(78)
GJBX-l l6(79)
cJBX-228(80)
PCJ-013(80)*
GJBX-138(78)
GJBX-e(80)
GJQ-005(80)
cJBx-197(80),2l(77)
cJBX-143(80)
GJBX-69(78)
PGJ-021(80X
PGJ-024(80)*
(1982)
GJBX-12(81),2l(77)
GJBX- 191(80),69(78),23(8l)
GJBX-9(80)
GJBX-l l6(79)
GJBX-69(78),
GJBX-23(79)
GJBX-163(79)
GJBX-126(79)
PCJ-068(81)+
PGJ-011(80)*
GJBX-104(78)
GJBX-67(79)
PCJ-004(80)*
New Mexico Geology
FluonrrE, CeFr. Cooxn's Prlx urNtNc otsrnrcr, LuNl CouNTY,New Mnxrco
4
isometric Hardness:
Crystal
system:
Cleavage: { ll I } perfect
Specific gravity: 3. I 8
Color: varies greatly; most commonly purple, blue,
green, and yellow Fluorite also occurs as colorless,
pink, white, rose, and brown. Specimen pictured is
green with purple at the intersection of the crystal
faces.
Specimen pictured:25 x 7 cm
Fluorite is a common mineral found throughout New
Mexico. It is commonly associated in hydrothermal deposits with barite, galena, quartz, gypsum, sphalerite,
calcite, and dolomite. Fluorite also is found in pegmatites associated with feldspar, quartz, and garnet. The
name comes from the Latin "fluere," to flow, because
fluorite melts more easily than other minerals that may
otherwise be confused with it. The specimen pictured
has octahedral crystals up to I inch (2.5 mm) on a side.
The specimen was collected in 1980 by Dick Jones of
Dick Jones Mineral Company from a new find of fine
fluorite specimens.
Photo by K. S. Rider