emirates7 - China has identified the world’s deepest sandstone-type industrial uranium mineralisation at a depth of 1,820 metres in the Tarim Basin, located in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, according to the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA).

As reported by People’s Daily Online, this marks a new global benchmark for the deepest known sandstone-hosted industrial uranium deposit.

Uranium exploration involves locating uranium reserves with potential economic value and evaluating their development feasibility. Discoveries of industrial-grade uranium mineralisation are crucial, as they directly signal the presence of viable uranium deposits.

This particular find is China’s first major discovery of thick industrial uranium mineralisation within reddish, variegated geological layers in a previously uncharted section of the desert at the core of the Tarim Basin. It closes a significant gap in mineral exploration across China’s largest desert region.

According to the CAEA, this breakthrough sets an important precedent for sandstone-type uranium exploration and is expected to greatly strengthen China’s capabilities in prospecting uranium resources in arid, desert environments.