Overview
The presence of uranium minerals in Tanzania has been known for many years. However, prior to the airborne radiometric surveying, few occurrences were considered to have economic potential.
The airborne geophysics survey has identified over one hundred targets worthy of further investigation. For a complete technical report see:
Geological Framework & Regional Metallogeny of Tanzania (
PDF 6MB)
With an increase in demand for uranium in recent years, the anomalies that have been identified in Tanzania and the close proximity of economically proven resources within Malawi make it more feasible than ever to give attention to Tanzania’s ability to deliver a large scale uranium mine or mines.
To that end, Kilimanjaro Mining Company has entered into letters of intent to acquire, a significant number of square kilometers of potentially prosperous uranium licenses adhering to our acquisition criteria.
The interpretations of the survey data in terms of regional geology suggest that six types of deposits occur in Tanzania. These are discussed within the following table.
Summary of Potential Types of Uranium Deposits in Tanzania
(PDF 27KB)
The Four Geological environments that contain potentially significant uranium prospects within Tanzania:
1. In sandstone mainly of the Karoo super group:
These are called sandstone uranium in appearance and mode of formation. The sandstone of the Karoo are reminiscent of the sandstone which hosts uranium deposits in South Africa and in the state of Colorado in USA. No systematic prospecting has been done in the Tanzania Karoo sand stones, but, such work could be very rewarding.
Madaba and Mkuju Prospects are significant uranium occurrences that were evaluated by Geosurvey International airborne and followed up with drilling that show a significant south-east uranium mineralization trend towards Lake Nyasa following the Tanzanian Karoo trough.
MADABA OCCURRENCE
Located in QDS 253, the Madaba area is part of Luwegu River Basin of the East African Karoo super group. The drilling by Geosurvey International (GmbH) was the product decision of the airborne radiometric survey. The best intersections have grades of 0.04% Uranium oxide over 11.7m, the richest contain 0.122% Uranium oxide over 1.6m from a depth 79.5 to 81.1m.
MKUJU OCCURRENCE
The Mkuju occurrence situated in QDS 278/3, 289/1 & 2 and 290/1. The geology consists of mainly sandstone. The investigations indicate over 10 Uranium and Thorium anomalies in the Area.
The Karoo trough in south east Tanzania advances to Malawi and is separated by Lake Nyasa with the Karoo on the other side of the lake having similar geology.
KAYEKERA PROJECT
The Kayekera deposit in the nearby country Malawi is 80 kilometers from the southern border of Tanzania. A notable recent mining development in Malawi has been Paladin Resources decision to commence feasibility study of its Kayekera uranium project, a sandstone uranium deposit in Northern Malawi, 80 kilometers from southern Tanzania border. It contained measured resources of 15,670 tons of uranium oxide @0.08% mostly within 100 meters of the surface.
KANYIKE PROJECT
This is an advanced project with the following:
- High grade uranium rock-chip samples including 2909ppm Uranium oxide
- Over 2.5km long +100ppm uranium oxide soil anomaly with 482ppm peak indicate significant shallow bedrock
LIVINGSTONE PROJECT
Sandstone hosted uranium mineralization was identified on the surface in three separate locations:
- Rock chip channel samples in a trench gave 11m @ 226ppm uranium oxide;
- 1m @ 410ppm uranium oxide.
- 1.2km strike length associated with 4km long airborne radiometric anomaly
Advanced Uranium exploration projects in Malawi
The Malawi uranium occurrences and deposits occur in Karoo sandstone and they form a North TREND to the southern border of Tanzania. They are situated just along Lake Nyasa. Malawi is located in southern Africa in the rift valley surrounded by Tanzania and Mozambique. The country shares similar geology with its neighbors.
2. Calcrete related secondary environment in Quaternary deposit:
Located in central Tanzania in the Craton Basin.
Example at BAHI in Central Tanzania, British Geological survey of Tanganyika in 1953 drilled 6 boreholes. There was a significant intersection at 68m depth with 0.23% of Uranium oxide. The uranium was apparently contained in a felted layer of strontianite. No strontium analysis was performed. The world example of this is the Yeelirrie calcrete uranium deposit in Australia.
3. Gallapo carbonated:
It is situated between Lake Nyasa and Lake Rukwa. The ground radiometric survey conducted by GmbH gave an average of 1000 cps on a 400m long across the Northern carbonated dyke. The uranium samples on the dyke gave between 5 to 177 ppm of uranium oxide. The Gallapo carbonatite is situated just above Lake Rukwa which together with Lake Nyasa they have been formed from East African rifting.
4. Vein type uranium deposit:
At the unconformity between the Karagwe Ankolean and Bukoban.
Licence Map with Tanzania and Malawi Uranium Deposits
