Audio-magnetotelluric exploration for unconformity uranium deposits in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatachewan, Canada

Abstract

Audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) exploration is being evaluated as a tool for locating unconformity related uranium deposits in the Athabasca Basin in Canada. These uranium deposits are often located above graphitic basement conductors that can be located with electromagnetic (EM) methods. A test survey at the McArthur River Mine showed good agreement between the known location of the uranium deposit and that inferred from the AMT data. Electrical resistivity models derived by 2D inversion were validated by comparison with 3D inversion and correlation with well log data. This validation was also tested with 3D forward modeling and 2D synthetic inversions. © 2005 Society of Exploration Geophysicists.