DISTRIBUTION PATTERN OF REE AND OTHER ELEMENTS IN THE HOST ROCKS OF THE GUBRUNDE URANIUM OCCURRENCE, NE NIGERIA

Prospecting for high grade uranium deposits in NE Nigeria has over the years among other reasons been handicapped by lack of adequate unders tanding of the elemental primary dispersion pattern associated with kn own occurrences in this region. Thirty six samples from a low grade ur anium occurrence at Gubrunde consisting of disseminated ores and hostr ocks were therefore analyzed for 38 elements by NAA, DNAA, EDXRF and f lame AAS techniques. The analytical data were evaluated using multivar iate statistical techniques. The results show three element groupings (associations). The first group consists of Pb, Ba, Ce, Sm (LREE), tha t am enriched with increasing uranium concentration in the mineralized zone and are therefore capable of serving as pathfinder elements for uranium. The second group comprising of MgO, K2O, CaO, Na2O and the HR EE are depleted in the mineralized zone due to action of hydrothermal fluids and are indicative of altered/mineralized rocks. The third grou p consists of the rest bulk of elements which feature little or no sig nificant enrichment with increasing uranium but associate with ferrugi nization (haematite) and possibly refractory minerals.