Coal-uranium exploration in the Husa Basin, western Yunnan: A new approach

With the aid of the coalfield data from the Husa Basin, western Yunnan, the concept "potential uranium reservoirs" is proposed for the first time in the present paper, and referred to as the sandstone or conglomerate horizons whose natural gamma-ray values are greater than 50γ(or 3.5 PA/kg or 150API or 12.6 (n. C)/kg. hour). Up to now, 40 layers of potential uranium reservoirs have been delineated in the first to third members of the Neogene Mangbang Formation, As indicated by the isopach map and isoline map showing natural gamma-ray (γ) anomalies, the Jielai-Xiaozhai zone in the northeastern part, the Mantong-Manyan zone in the central part, and the Padong-Laowangzhai zone in the southwestern part of the Husa Basin may be selected as the preferred targets for future drilling, and the first and second members of the Mangbang Formation may be selected as the key horizons for future drilling because of large numbers of the potential uranium-bearing beds, greater thickness and higher values of the natural gamma-ray (γ) anomalies in the potential uranium reservoirs in the Husa Basin.