CUDDAPAH BASIN:

A STORE-HOUSE FOR URANIUM DEPOSITS

R.M.Sinha, Additional Director & V.P. Saxena, Regional Director
Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research,
Hyderabad

Cuddapah basin, Andhra Pradesh, endowed with rich mineral wealth, is one of
the important and fairly well studied geological units in peninsular India. The
Middle- Upper Proterozoic Cuddapah basin, has been well known for a variety of
mineral resources, such as diamond, barite, asbestos, copper and lead, besides
limestone and Cuddapah slabs. Some of the world’s finest and famous
diamonds, such as Kohinoor and Regent are the product of this basin. Twenty
five percent of the world’s barite resources are present within the basin.

Uranium exploration in the Cuddapah basin was initiated in the late 1950’s to
search the quartz-pebble-conglomerate type uranium mineralisation which had
dominated the world uranium supply at that time. However, the basal Gulcheru
conglomerates at the base of Cuddapah basin were found to be thoriferous.

Subsequent exploration in the late 1980’s, brought out significant uranium

mineralisation in dolostone. A significant breakthrough was achieved in early
1990’s when uranium mineralisation was located along the unconformity between
Srisailam Formation of Cuddapah Super Group and the basement granites,
thereby establishing in India, for the first time, the presence of unconformity
related uranium mineralisation - a category considered most potential world over.
This mineralisation has close resemblance to the large tonnage unconformity
related uranium deposits of the middle proterozoic age well known from the
Canada and Australia except for its grade and host rock. The systematic and
intensive exploration programme conducted by the Atomic Minerals Directorate
for Exploration and Research (AMD) within the Cuddapah basin led to the
recognition of three distinct types of uranium mineralisation, viz., strata bound,
fracture controlled (both basement granite and sediment hosted) and
unconformity-related type. Out of these unconformity- related uranium
occurrences, with close proximuty to the unconformity between the Srisailam
quartzite/Banganapalle quartzite and the basement granite, are very significant.

Strata bound Uranium mineralisation

The strata bound uranium-mineralisation in southwestern part of the
Cuddapah basin is unique in the sense that no such strata bound uranium
deposit hosted by carbonate rocks is reported in the world. Uranium
mineralisation is hosted by impure phosphatic dolostone of the Vempalle
Formation of the Papaghni Group. It extends from Chelumpalli in the northwest to
Maddimadugu in the southeast over a belt of 160 km with promising mineral-
isation at Tummalapalle, Rachak-untapalli and Gadankipalli in the central part.
 The mineralized dolostone comprises 1-7 m thick, alternating light and
medium to dark grey coloured layer consisting of coarse rhombic dolomite, ultra
fine collophane, brown coloured organic matter, fine-grained opaque minerals
and detrital minerals like quartz and feldspar with authigenic overgrowth.
Mineralisation occurs along the bedding plane, mainly in the form of ultra fine
vanadium-bearing pitchblende and U-Si-Ti complex. The associated ore minerals
include mostly pyrite (As and Ag bearing,) molybdenite (Mo-oxide), chalcopyrite
(Cu-Fe sulphide), bornite (Cu-Fe sulphide), digenite and covellite (Cu-sulphide).
An essentially syngenetic origin is contemplated for this dolostone hosted
mineralisation. A deposit containing over 15,000 tonnes of U3O8 has been
estimated for the explored blocks at Tummalapalle Rachakuntapalle and
Gadankipalle and further potential exists in this setting. Since these deposits are
of low grade (0.042% U3O8) and associated with dolostone, their exploitation
depends on the development of economically viable carbonate leaching
technology.

Fracture/Shear controlled uranium mineralisation

Fracture controlled uranium mineralisation is both basement granite hosted as
well as sediment hosted (Gulcheru Formation, the oldest member of the
Cuddapah Super Group) and occurs along the southern margin of the Cuddapah
basin.

(a) Basement granite-hosted fracture controlled

Detailed radiometric survey in and around Rayachoti-Lakkireddi Palli has led
to the discovery of over 50 uranium-mineralised fracture zones in desilicified and
deformed granitoid. The exploration of these zones has led to identification of
fracture controlled, lensoid hydrothermal uranium mineralisation.

The intensely fractured area between Mulapalli and Konampeta holds promise
for locating deposits of this type. Based on the work carried out so far, it appears
that the ENE-WSW fracture zones occupied by mylonite/phyllonite and marked
by intense heamatitisation, within the pink younger granitoid were found to be
more favourable and better targets for exploration. However, limited exploration
inputs in the best of such occurrences at Mulapalle etc., have indicated that the
Uranium mineralisation associated with the brecciated fracture zones have low
grades and limited depth persistence.

(b) Sediment (Gulcheru Formation)-hosted fracture-controlled

Fractured Gulcheru quartzites have indicated high uranium contents (upto
1.00% U3O8) at several localities spread over 40 km stretch between Madyala
Bodu to west of Racha-kuntapalle. Uranium minerals such as coffinite and
uraninite occur as fracture filling and disseminations with association of sulphide
minerals like chalcopyrite, arsenopyrite and bornite. Exploratory drilling
undertaken at Gandi and some neighbouring areas has indicated high grade
lensoid Uranium mineralisation. The Gulcheru quartzite, affected by structural
disturbances and abundance of reductants like sulphides, holds promise for the
better grade and easily leachable uranium mineralisation.

Unconformity-related Uranium mineralisation

With the discoveries of high grade mineralisation (~ 0.5% U3O8) of the
unconformity-type in the Athabasca basin of Canada and the Pinecreek
geosyncline of Australia, emphasis on exploration was shifted in early 1990’s to
locate fracture controlled unconformity related uranium mineralisation in
Cuddapah basin. Workable deposits of unconformity-related type have been
established at Lambapur-Peddagattu, Nalgonda district and Koppunuru, Guntur
district, Andhra Pradesh, along NW margin of the Cuddapah basin.

Dr. Anil Kakodkar, Chairman, AEC at Cuddapah site, Andhra Pradesh

The deposits at Lambapur- Peddagattu in the Srisailam sub-basin, are

associated with chloritised biotite granite and the gritty quartzite adjacent to the
unconformity contact between them. The Uranium ore bodies are confined to
definite fracture trends in the basement granite. Higher Uranium content (~ 0.1%
U3O8) in the gritty quartzite, immediately above the unconformity, is controlled
by the presence of carbonaceous matter. Uraninite, pitchblende, kasolite and
uranophane are the main U-minerals in Lambapur-Peddagattu deposits. The
primary uranium mineralisation is epigenetic hydrothermal in nature. Sizeable
reserves of nearly 7,000 tonnes of U3O8 have been established in these areas
and exploitation is to be taken up shortly.
 In the Palnad sub-basin, at Koppunuru-Dwarakapuri, the uranium ore body (-
0.1% U3O8) occurs both in the Banganapalle quartzite of the Kurnool Group and
along the unconformity between the basement granite and the Banganapalle
quartzite. Uranium minerals in the Koppunuru deposit are pitchblende, coffinite,
phosphuranylite (Ca-U-Phosphate) and metazeunerite (Cu-U-arsenite)
associated with sulphides of copper, lead and iron. Uranium association with
carbonaceous matter and intergranular sericite clay matrix is common in
quartzite above the unconformity.

In the Kurnool sub-basin, uranium mineralisation has been encountered along

unconformity between the basement granite and Banganapalle quartzite at
Ram-allakota-Sarparajapuram. Pitchblende and uraninite occur as uranium
minerals.

Recent investigation in the northern part of Palnad sub-basin has resulted in

locating promising unconformity-related uranium mineralisation in Rallavagu
Tanda. In this area, mineralisation occurs along the unconformity between the
basement granite and the Banganapalle quartzite. Pitchblende and coffinite are
the main uranium minerals and associated sulphide minerals include pyrite,
chalcopyrite and galena.

Increasing number of uranium discoveries in various environments and the

overall geological favourability indicate a reasonably bright prospect of
delineating some high grade, low-cost, unconformity-related uranium deposits in
the Cuddapah basin. The prospective areas are the outliers of Srisailam quartzite
and the Srisailam sub-basin, Banganapalle quartzite underlain by basement
granite or Cumbum Formation in Palnad sub-basin and the Cumbum Formation
underlying the Kurnool Group rocks, in Kurnool sub-basin. AMD is now planning
to extensively deploy indirect methods of prospecting like geophysical and
geochemical surveys to locate concealed unconformity-related uranium deposits
of high grade, which are hitherto exclusively found in Canada and Australia.
Emergence of Cuddapah Uranium Province has lead to initiation of investigations
in all the Purana (Middle Proterozoic) basins of the country.

The experience of AMD highlights the need to evaluate any geological

environment on its intrinsic merit for mineral potential, based on sound geological
understanding of the ground truth. This also points to the possibility of
encountering a number of surprises in the metal-logenic evaluation of the terrain
when probed at greater depth than that is usually superficially perceived.

However, the constraints in the form of habitation, forests and environmental

problems, particularly in the vast areas falling in the Rajiv Gandhi Tiger
Sanctuary, are challenges that need to be overcome.