An evaluation of the potential for uranium deposits in Greenland

The exploration for uranium in Greenland has been dormant for approximately 30 years, but in 2013 new Greenlandic legislation opened up the country for uranium exploration and mining. This report outlines the potential for uranium deposits in Greenland. The selection of areas of interest for uranium exploration is based on available geological information and the classification of uranium deposits proposed by the International Atomic Energy Authority. The most prospective types of uranium deposits in Greenland are sandstone deposits, unconformity-related deposits, quartz pebble conglomerate deposits, vein deposits, intrusive deposits, volcanic deposits, and metasomatite deposits.

Based on current geological information, the geographic area with the highest potential for uranium deposits is South Greenland. In this region the strongest candidate deposits are hosted in the Gardar intrusive complex and the sandstones of the psammite zone. West Greenland hosts several carbonatite intrusions; the available data suggests that the Sarfartoq and Qaqarssuk intrusions have an especially high potential for uranium. In North-West Greenland sediments of the Thule Supergroup provide an interesting target for exploration as sandstone or basal unconformity-type deposits. Central East Greenland hosts Mesozoic sandstones and a variety of intrusive complexes, volcanic rocks and veins that also make strong targets for uranium exploration.

This report gives a detailed overview of all areas that host potential uranium deposits and includes a description of all known uranium occurrences in Greenland.