China discovers the world deepest industrial sandstone-type uranium mineralization in Xinjiang Tarim Basin

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CNNC, PUBLISHED 20.07.2025

On July 18, it was announced by the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA) that a team of Chinese experts had discovered the world's deepest sandstone-type industrial uranium mineralization at a depth of 1,820 meters in the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang.

This breakthrough sets a new global record for the deepest discovery of sandstone-type industrial uranium mineralization, marking China's leading position globally in the exploration of deep-earth sandstone-type uranium resources and providing new theoretical support and innovative prospecting approaches for global uranium resource exploration.

Uranium exploration aims to discover and confirm deposits with industrial value while evaluating their resource potential and development prospects. Industrial uranium mineralization serves as a direct and reliable indicator for locating industrial-grade uranium deposits.

This newly discovered industrial uranium mineralization is the first major thick-bedded mineralization found in the red variegated strata of the uninhabited hinterland of the Tarim Basin, filling a significant prospecting gap in China's largest desert-covered region.

It signifies that China has overcome the theoretical barriers of sandstone-type uranium metallogeny and, based on "satellite remote sensing, aerial survey, ground detection, and deep exploration" 3D detection technologies, has established an integrated green and efficient prospecting system for sandstone-type uranium deposits in desert-covered areas.

This achievement represents a prospecting breakthrough in new regions, new strata, new types, and new depths, serving as a model for sandstone-type uranium exploration in China.

Under the guidance and support of the CAEA, the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology under the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) collaborated with Geologic Team No. 216 of CNNC to form a scientific research team for nuclear energy development in the Tarim Basin.

The team innovatively proposed the "exfiltration-infiltration composite genetic regional prediction model", advanced sandstone-type uranium metallogenic theory, and developed efficient deep drilling technology for complex strata in the Tarim Basin, providing strong support for this breakthrough in sandstone-type industrial uranium mineralization prospecting.

Topics: Uranium, Asia, China

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