Selected Annotated Bibliography 

of the Geology of Uranif erous and 

Radioactive Native Bituminoii 

Substances, Exclusive of Coals 

in the United States

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1059-E

This compilation was done on behalf of 

the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission 

and is published with the permission of 

the Commission

Selected Annotated Bibliography 

of the Geology of Uranif erous and 

Radioactive Native Bituminous 

Substances, Exclusive of Coals 

in the United States

By HARRIET NELL JONES

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHIES OF URANIUM GEOLOGY

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1059-D

This compilation was done on behalf of 

the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission 

and is published with the permission of 

the Commission

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1958
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

FRED A. SEATON, Secretary

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

Thomas B. Nolan, Director

For sale bj the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office 

Washington 25, D. G. - Price 45 cents
CONTENTS

Page 

Abstract__ _ ____________________________________________________ 177

Introduction._____________________________________________________ 177

Bibliographies of uranium._________________________________________ 179

Annotated bibliography ____________________________________________ 181

Indexes:

Authors. __ _____________________________________________ 201

Geographic areas._____________________________________________ 202

Stratigraphic units___________________________________________ 202

Subjects.________________________________________ 203

ILLUSTRATION

PLATE 1. Index map of the United States showing location of native bituminous substances, exclusive of coals, that have been tested 

for uranium or radioactivity_--_-------__-_____-____-_ In pocket

in

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHIES OF URANIUM GEOLOGY

SELECTED ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE GEOLOGY OF URANIFEROUS AND RADIOACTIVE NATIVE 

BITUMINOUS SUBSTANCES, EXCLUSIVE OF COALS, IN 

THE UNITED STATES

By HAEEIET NELL JONES

ABSTRACT

This bibliography of 49 annotated references lists reports of work that appeared 

before June 30, 1956. The annotations, arranged alphabetically by author, 

emphasize the geologic and mineralogic aspects of uraniferous and radioactive 

bituminous substances, exclusive of coals, in the United States. Indexes to the 

annotations are provided according to author, geographic area, stratigraphic 

unit, and subject.

INTRODUCTION

By definition (Abraham, 1945) native bituminous substances are 

divided into two groups, bitumens and pyrobitumens. Bitumens are 

composed principally of hydrocarbons substantially free from oxygenated bodies, are fusible, and are soluble in carbon disulfide. Native 

bitumens occur in liquid and solid forms. The native liquid bitumens 

include all petroleums or crude oils. Native solid bitumens include 

native waxes, such as ozocerite, asphalts or petroleum tars, and 

asphaltites, such as gilsonite and grahamite. Pyrobitumens are composed principally of hydrocarbons which may contain oxygenated 

bodies. They are infusible and are insoluble, or nearly insoluble, in 

carbon disulfide. Native pyrobitumens are divided into an oxygencontaining group including peats, lignites, and coals, and a virtually 

oxygen-free, asphaltic group including such substances as wurtzilite, 

albertite, impsonite, and ingramite. Thucholites, which are carbonaceous substances that contain uranium and thorium, and perhaps 

rare earths, are pyrobitumens. The composition of thucholite is 

variable and may cause a specimen to fall into either the oxygencontaining or oxygen-free group. All varieties of native bituminous 

substances may be associated with mineral matter.

177
178 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHIES OP URANIUM GEOLOGY

The nomenclature of bitumens and pyrobitumens is used very 

loosely in the literature. This is due to the difficulty in classifying 

many of these substances according to the classification of Abraham 

merely by visual examination. Geologists generally have not obtained precise identifications but rather have used names that seemed 

most appropriate. The nomenclature used by the authors of the 

various references of this bibliography is followed without deviation 

or further discussion. The stratigraphic nomenclature also is that 

used by the authors and does not necessarily follow that of the 

Geological Survey.

In this bibliography emphasis is placed on reports dealing with the 

uranium contents and radioactivity of native bituminous substances 

rather than on mineralogical and chemical studies of these substances. 

Annotations were made of reports that were publicly available before 

June 30, 1956. The distribution of the substances described in the 

references is shown on plate 1. The indicated presence of these 

substances does not imply that they contain sufficient radioactive 

elements to constitute ores.

The occurrence of uranium in bituminous substances is not fully 

understood, but probably it is either suspended as an oxide or is 

present in complex organo-uranium compounds. The uranium content of crude oils ranges from a fraction of a part per billion to a few 

thousand parts per billion, but the equivalent uranium content 

(measured radiometrically) may be considerably higher because 

radium and radon may be present in amounts in excess of equilibrium 

quantities. Asphalts may contain larger amounts of uranium than 

crude oils. No true asphaltites or asphaltic pyrobitumens are known 

to contain more than a few hundred parts per billion of uranium. 

Some of the materials called thucholite contain a few percent uranium 

but do not occur in sufficient abundance to constitute ores. In the 

San Rafael Swell area, Emery County, Utah, and particularly at 

Temple Mountain within this area, organic materials that have been 

called "asphaltite," "glance pitch," "asphaltic sandstone," and other 

names occur in sufficient abundance and carry enough uranium to be 

mined as ores. It is probable that several varieties of bituminous 

materials are present in the district.

In this bibliography references are arranged in alphabetical order 

by the first author and are numbered consecutively. Where the 

author's abstract is used, it is so indicated. Explanatory notes that 

are not in the original authors' abstracts are placed in brackets.

The accompanying map shows the location of deposits of bituminous 

substances referred to in the references. The numbers beside the 

symbols indicate the reference where each occurrence is mentioned.
URANIFEROUS, RADIOACTIVE NATIVE BITUMINOUS SUBSTANCES 179

Mr. Kenneth G. Bell gave valuable assistance in the preparation 

of this bibliography.

This bibliography was compiled by the U. S. Geological Survey on 

behalf of the Division of Raw Materials of the U. S. Atomic Energy 

Commission.

BIBLIOGRAPHIES OF URANIUM

Additional references to the geology of uranium deposits may be 

found in the following general bibliographies:

Alien, R. E., 1953, Uranium and its compounds, a bibliography of unclassified 

literature: U. S. Atomic Energy Comm. TID-3041, issued by U. S. Atomic 

Energy Comm. Tech. Inf. Service Extension, Oak Ridge, Tenn.

Cooper, Margaret, 1951, Preliminary bibliography on uranium and thorium and 

radioactive carbonaceous deposits: U. S. Atomic Energy Comm. RMO-835, 

issued by U. S. Atomic Energy Comm. Tech. Inf. Service Extension, Oak 

Ridge, Tenn.

 1953, Selected bibliography on uranium exploration and the geology of 

uranium deposits: U. S. Atomic Energy Comm. RME-4007, issued by U. S. 

Atomic Energy Comm. Tech. Inf. Service Extension, Oak Ridge, Tenn.

 1953, Bibliography and index of literature on uranium and thorium and 

radioactive occurrences in the United States, Part 1, Arizona, Nevada, and 

New Mexico; Part 2, California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and 

Wyoming: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 64, p. 197-234, 1103-1172.

 1954, Bibliography and index of literature on uranium and thorium and 

radioactive occurrences in the United States, Part 3, Colorado and Utah: 

Geol. Soc. America Bull, v. 65, p. 467-590.

1955, Bibliography and index of literature on uranium and thorium and

radioactive occurrences in the United States, Part 4, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas,

Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma,

South Dakota, and Texas: Geol. Soc. America Bull,, v. 66, p. 257-326.

Postell, P. E., and Voress, H. E., 1953, Unclassified bibliographies of interest to

the atomic energy program: U. S. Atomic Energy Comm. TID-3043, issued

by U. S. Atomic Energy Comm. Tech. Inf. Service Extension, Oak Ridge,

Tenn. 

Wallace, J. H., and Smith, H. B., 1955, Bibliography of U. S. Geological Survey

trace elements and related reports to June 1, 1954: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull.

1019-B, p. 63-144.

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGKAPHY

1 Abraham, Herbert, 1945, Asphalts and allied substances, their occurrence, 

modes of production, uses in the arts and methods of testing: New York, 

D. Van Nostrand Co., Inc., 5th ed., v. 1 and 2, 2142 p. See v. 1, p. 

264-265.

These two volumes contain only one brief mention of uranium in asphalts. 

On pages 264-265 of volume 1, uraniferous asphaltite from the Temple 

Mountain district in the San Rafael Swell area, Utah, is described. These 

volumes contain the most complete information on asphalts of any publication 

to date. They contain a complete review of the history, terminology and 

classification, chemistry, geology and origin, production, and methods of 

mining, transporting, refining, and testing of bituminous substances; also, 

there are brief descriptions of many of the known occurrences of native 

asphalt in the world.

2 Bain, G. W., 1952, Uranium in the Dirty Devil Shinarump channel deposit: 

U. S. Atomic Energy Comm. RMO-66, 40 p., issued by U. S. Atomic 

Energy Comm. Tech. Inf. Service Extension, Oak Ridge, Tenn.

A twelve-kilogram specimen of Dirty Devil No. 6 deposit [San Rafael Swell 

area, Emery County, Utah] had 0.105 percent uranium in two hydrocarbons, 

jasperoid, clay and water soluble components. Another bulk specimen 

averaged 0.069 percent uranium. Hydrocarbons comprise 0.75 percent of the 

rock with an average of 0.30 percent uranium or 0.002 percent of the deposit. 

Jasperoid comprises 38.5 percent of the rock and has an average of 0.089 percent uranium for a total uranium equivalent to 0.034 percent of the deposit. 

Clay and dissolved components comprise 20.5 percent of the rock and carry 

most of the remaining uranium or equivalent to about 0.066 percent for the 

deposit. The low residue of uranium is in heavy minerals.

The ores occur in a river channel deposit of composite type. About 42.5 

percent is a normal gravel alluvium. This is diluted by 35 percent of dune 

sand which helped form pools and filtered out fines that make the remaining 

22.5 percent. The fluviatile fraction is over 60 percent jasperoid pebbles 

and sand.

The jasperoid pebbles, sand, and silt are the primary uranium carrier and 

represent detritus from a leptothermal uranium deposit of Permian age. 

The hydrocarbon is a relatively stable uranium accumulator; enrichment of 

its uranium content occurred during the times of active artesian circulation 

initiated by the Laramide revolution, Oligocene age disturbances, and 

Pliocene warping of the Rocky Mountain peneplain.

Uranium and its daughter elements segregate during migration and each 

has its own accumulator. The entire deposit stays close to radioactive equilibrium, but individual mineral components have departures up to 1,000 fold. 

Author's abstract

181 

457124 58 2
182 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHIES OF URANIUM GEOLOGY

3 Bell, K. G., 1956, Uranium in precipitates and evaporites: Internat. Conf. on 

Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy, Geneva 1955, Proc., v. 6, p. 520-524; 

U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 300 p. 381-386.

Heavy hydrocarbon residues are found in many kinds of rocks and in 

several places these asphaltic materials are uraniferous whereas in other 

areas they are mostly nonuraniferous.

"Solid asphaltite residues and pellets occur in the lower Permian dolomites 

of the Panhandle gas field, Texas, and in dolomites of the Seven Rivers 

gypsiferous member of the Chalk Bluff formation which crop out near Carlsbad, New Mexico." The pellets are small, in some areas are uraniferous 

and in other areas are not, and nowhere is there a sufficient concentration of 

uraniferous pellets in the rocks to constitute uranium ore.

4 Bell, K. G., Goodman, Clark, and Whitehead, W. L., 1940, Radioactivity of 

sedimentary rocks and associated petroleum: Am. Assoc. Petroleum 

Geologists Bull, v. 24, p. 1539-1547.

Determinations of the radioactivity of 21 sedimentary rocks and seven 

associated crude oils have been made by the precision method developed by 

R. D. Evans. The specimens consisted of cuttings and cores from wells in the 

Bartlesville, Cromwell, Frio, Woodbine, and Viola-Simpson formations * * *. 

The radon content of the crude oils [0.47 to 0.05 X 10-12 curies/gm of oil] was 

in one sample 38 times and averaged 10 times, the amount in equilibrium with 

the radium present. The results corroborate the inferences of former investigators that radon tends to concentrate in crude oils. Maximum radon content 

and maximum ratio of radon to radium were found in petroleum produced 

from a permeable, Oligocene (Frio) sandstone of high radioactivity. Cracking 

of hydrocarbons with generation of hydrogen has been proved by S. C. Lind 

to result from bombardment with alpha rays. The amounts of radioactivity 

found in these crude oils are quantitatively sufficient to cause appreciable 

cracking by alpha radiation during geologic time. These reactions, together 

with subsequent hydrogenation, may account for important changes in petroleum. This hypothesis would also explain the presence of hydrogen in some 

natural gases. The hydrogen content of soil gases is suggested as a possible 

method of geochemical prospecting for oil fields. Authors' abstract

Crude oil samples were obtained from the Sun field, Starr County, Tex.; 

Navarro Crossing, Navarro County, Tex.; and the Fitts pool, Pontotoc 

County, Okla.

5 Beroni, E. P., 1954, Reconnaissance for uranium in the United States, 

south-central district, in Geologic investigations of radioactive deposits, 

Semiannual progress report, December 1, 1953 to May 31, 1954: U. S. 

Geol. Survey TEI-440, p. 168-171 (see p. 170), issued by U. S. Atomic 

Energy Comm. Tech. Inf. Service Extension, Oak Ridge, Tenn.

An asphaltic sandstone collected in sec. 35, T. 17 N., R. 26 W., near 

Huntsville, Madison County, Ark., contained 2.51 percent oil, 1.11 percent 

ash in oil, 12 ppm (parts per million) uranium in the oil, and 0.11 percent 

uranium in the ash. The asphaltic material occurs in the Hale formation 

of Pennsylvania^ age, which is overlain by the mildly radioactive Bloyd 

shale of Pennsylvania age.

Uraniferous asphaltic material has now been found on three sides of the 

Ozark dome: Huntsville occurrence on the south, an albertite deposit on
URANIFEROUS, RADIOACTIVE NATIVE BITUMINOUS SUBSTANCES 183

the east, and a tar seep in the zinc mines on the west. The largest amounts 

of uranium in ashes of samples from these occurrences are 0.11, 3.79, and 

0.072 percent, respectively.

6 Beroni, E. P., 1956, Recent uranium discoveries in western Oklahoma: 

Mines Mag. [Colorado], v. 46, no. 3, p. 68-71.

Uraniferous asphaltic pellets occur in Permian red beds along the north 

flanks of the Wichita-Amarillo uplift in Kiowa and Caddo Counties, Okla. 

The pellets range from 1 mm to 5 cm in diameter and are combustible, 

hard, brittle, highly lustrous, and insoluble in carbon disulfide or benzene. 

A few of the larger pellets contain small nuclei of pyrite or limonite. Autoradiographs show that the uranium is uniformly distributed within the 

asphaltite. Spectrographic analyses reveal that the most abundant metals 

in the pellets are uranium, vanadium, iron, nickel, cobalt, lead, and arsenic.

7 Branson, C. C., Burwell, A. L., and Chase, G. C., 1955, Uranium in Oklahoma, 

1955: Oklahoma Geol. Survey Mineral Kept. 27, 22 p.

Uranium in Oklahoma occurs in bituminous sandstone lenses in Permian 

red beds in asphaltic materials, in phosphatic black shales, in oil field brines, 

and in some thin coal seams.

Sandstone lenses of Permian age containing radioactive bituminous 

material occur locally beneath a gray crossbedded bituminous sandstone 

in part of Jefferson and Cotton Counties, Okla. The sandstones are near 

the base of the Garber sandstone.

Uranium in asphaltic pellets has been noted near and north of the Wichita 

Mountains in southwestern Oklahoma. The description of the asphaltite 

occurrences mentioned in this report is quoted directly from the abstract 

by Hill (1954, see reference 27).

8 Breger, I. A., 1956, Association of uranium with a naturally occurring coal 

extract [abs.]: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 66, pt. 2, p. 1534.

Uranium and vanadium are associated with several types of carbonaceous 

material on the Colorado Plateau. Besides coalified wood and crude oil, 

there is also a black lustrous carbonaceous material that usually contains 

sufficient uranium to classify it as an ore. No cellular structure has been 

identified in this material, which occurs either as an impregnation in sandstone or as pellets ranging from several millimeters to several centimeters 

in diameter. In some regions the material variously called asphaltite, 

thucholite, or glance pitch in the literature is in apparent association with 

crude oil, leading to the suggestion that it is a petroleum residue. Because 

of its apparent importance in the geochemistry and emplacement of uranium 

on the Colorado Plateau, investigations of this material have been carried 

out in some detail.

Ultimate analysis, differential thermal analysis, and infrared absorption 

analysis all show the carbonaceous material to be similar to a low-rank coal 

in composition and chemical structure and to be unlike other asphaltites 

such as gilsonite or wurtzilite. Autoradiographic studies also show that the 

uranium is nearly homogeneously dispersed in the carbonaceous matter. 

The evidence obtained to date shows that this so-called asphaltite is not 

related to crude oil but rather is a coal extract derived from coalified wood 

in the region and precipitated under the proper physical and chemical condi-
184 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHIES OF URANIUM GEOLOGY

tions. The highly insoluble nature of the coal extract is thought to result 

from cross-linkage of coal molecules as a result of irradiation by alpha 

particles. Author's abstract

9 Breger, I. A., and Deul, Maurice, 1956, The organic geochemistry of uranium; 

Internat. Conf. on Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy, Geneva 1955, Proc., 

v. 6, p. 418-421; U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 300, p. 505-510.

Uranium is not genetically associated with carbonaceous substances, but 

it is collected by these substances from uranium-bearing solutions that have 

been in contact with them.

Petroleum has the ability to collect and carry uranium; it seems likely that 

asphaltenes and naphthenic acids are important carriers for uranium in 

petroleum.

Little is known of the processes whereby uranium is concentrated in such 

carbonaceous substances as "uraniferous hydrocarbon," "asphaltite," 

"carbocer," and "thucolite." Much of the difficulty is due to the fact that 

there is no definitive information on the origin and interrelationship of these 

substances.

Coal and coalified wood fragments collect uranium, and in many uranium 

deposits, particularly those of the Colorado Plateau, are highly uraniferous.

Uranium may be collected by carbonaceous materials in three ways: 

(a) The soluble uranyl ion may be reduced by organic material to the insoluble uranous ion. (b) The soluble uranyl ion may be reduced by the 

sulfide ion, which is generally associated with carbonaceous material, to the 

uranous ion. (c) Uranium may combine chemically with organic compounds 

to form insoluble compounds.

10 Burton, E. F., 1904, A radioactive gas from crude petroleum: Philos. Mag., 

v. 8, p. 498-508.

The petroleum used in the experiment was obtained from wells near 

Petrolia, Ontario, Canada, in the Corniferous limestone. An electroscope 

was used to measure the radioactivity of the gas.

It was found that the crude petroleum contains a strongly radioactive gas, 

which is similar to the emanation from radium, and that it may contain a 

slight trace of a radioactive substance more persistent than the radium 

emenation.

This reference is thought to be the first description of the radioactivity of 

crude petroleum.

11 Chase, G. W., 1954, Occurrence of radioactive material in sandstone lenses of 

southwestern Oklahoma: Oklahoma Geol. Survey Mineral Kept. 26, 8 p.

Sandstone lenses of Permian age containing radioactive bituminous material occur locally beneath a gray crossbedded bituminous sandstone in part 

of Jefferson and Cotton Counties, Okla. The sandstones are near the base 

of the Garber sandstone.

This article is reprinted with modifications in Mineral Report 27 of the 

Oklahoma Geological Survey (see reference 7, Branson and others, 1955).

12 Davidson, C. F., 1955, Concentration of uranium by carbon compounds: 

Econ. Geology, v. 50, p. 879-880.

Article is a short discussion prompted by an earlier discussion (see reference 

22, Gruner, 1955), of the origin of hydrocarbons in certain uranium ores on
URANIFEROUS, RADIOACTIVE NATIVE BITUMINOUS SUBSTANCES 185

the Colorado Plateau. It is suggested that the uraniferous asphaltites on 

the Colorado Plateau may have been "formed by the polymerization or 

condensation of simpler hydrocarbons under the influence of radioactive 

emanations."

13 Davidson, C. F., and Bowie, S. H. U., 1951, On thucholite and related hydrocarbon-uraninite complexes, with a note on the origin of the Witwatersrand gold ores: Great Britain Geol. Survey Bull. 3, p. 1-19.

Uranium in mineral hydrocarbons was first noted in 1868 in specimens from 

bitumen-impregnated granite gneisses and mica schists of Archean age in 

Sweden. Since this discovery, uraniferous hydrocarbons have been discovered elsewhere in Sweden, Australia, Canada, Karelia (Russia), Japan, 

Great Britain, and South Africa. Uraniferous hydrocarbons have been 

found in granite, pegmatite, quartz veins, metalliferous veins, and the gold 

ores of the Witwatersrand.

The article consists mostly of a complete mineralogic description of the 

occurrence of uraniferous hydrocarbons at an abandoned mine on the Isle of 

Man and in the gold ores of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. The 

mineragraphy of uraniferous hydrocarbons from Monnta, South Australia, 

and Parry Sound, Ontario, is also described.

The authors conclude that thucholite and other uraniferous solid hydrocarbons originated from the polymerization of petroleum by the action of 

radioactive emanations.

14 Erickson, R. L., Myers, A. T., and Horr, C. A., 1954, Association of uranium 

and other metals with crude oil, asphalt, and petroliferous rock: Am. 

Assoc. Petroleum Geologists Bull., v. 38, p. 2200-2218.

Twenty-nine samples of crude oil, 22 samples of natural asphalt, and 27 

samples of oil extracted from petroliferous rock were analyzed for uranium^ 

vanadium, nickel, copper, cobalt, molybdenum, lead, chromium, manganese, 

arsenic, and zinc. Most of the crude-oil samples were collected from E[ansas? 

Colorado, Texas, and California, most of the asphalt from Utah, and most 

of the petroliferous rocks from Utah and Colorado. Exact locations for the 

samples are given in analytical tables. The data may have important 

implications on the origin of oil and the migration of both oil and the contained metals.

Ash of crude oil does not contain as great a concentration of uranium as 

does ash of asphalt and of oil extracted from petroliferous rock. Ash of 

asphalt and ash of oil extracted from petroliferous rock were found to contain 

the nearly constant suite of metals named above, and these are the same 

metals that are common in the uranium deposits of the Colorado Plateau.

The results suggest that uranium, like other metals, is concentrated in 

the heavier, more asphaltic, portions of petroleum. The data also suggest 

that uraniferous asphaltic deposits may be formed through volatilization, 

oxidation, and polymerization of a petroleum whose ash was enriched in 

uranium, vanadium, copper, arsenic, molybdenum, nickel, and other metals 

at the time the petroleum was formed.

15 Everhart, D. L., 1951, Geology of uranium deposits, a condensed version 

with mineral tables by Muriel Mathez: U. S. Atomic Energy Comm. 

RMO-732, issued by U. S. Atomic Energy Comm. Tech. Inf. Service 

Extension, Oak Ridge, Tenn.
186 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHIES OF URANIUM GEOLOGY

Uranium ore deposits are in a wide variety of geologic environments in 

igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. The article briefly describes the 

most important geologic features of 11 classes or types of uranium deposits.

One of the classes or types of deposits is called "uranium-bearing asphalt 

deposits." The deposits described consist of uraniferous lenses, globules, 

and irregular masses in certain Triassic rocks of the San Rafael Swell, Utah. 

The asphalt cements the grains of the sandstone and forms replacement 

masses. At some places in the swell the principal metal in the asphalt is 

uranium, whereas at other places vanadium or copper occurs with uranium 

in the asphalt. Gypsum is almost universally associated with these deposits.

The presence of thucholite in some pegmatites is noted.

16 Faul, Henry, Gott, G. B., Manger, G. E., Mytton, J. W., and Sakakura, 

A. Y., 1954, Radon and helium in natural gas: Internat. Geol. Cong., 

19th, Algiers 1952, Comptes rendus, sec. 9, v. 9, p. 339-348.

Radon has been discovered in some of the helium-bearing natural gas in 

the United States. So far, the radon content of about 500 producing gas 

wells has been explored. Concentrations up to 500X10~12 curies per liter 

(STP) were observed. The more highly radioactive wells are clustered in 

several groups. Measurements of radon content under conditions of transient 

gas flow and theoretical analysis of steady-state conditions indicate that the 

radon originates in the immediate vicinity of the bore in most wells. This 

result is tentatively confirmed by gamma-iay logs in two wells, but so far it 

has not been possible to obtain adequate samples of the gas-producing beds. 

A few grains of uraniferous solid asphalt and radioactive petroleum residues 

have been found disseminated in several drill samples of dolomite from 

above the gas-producing zones. At the present time, it is not clear whether 

the radioactive concentration is sufficient to explain the high helium content 

of the gas. The research continues, and comprehensive studies of subsurface geology and reservoir characteristics of the gas field are in progress. 

Authors' abstract

17 Finch, W. I., 1953, Geologic aspects of the resource appraisal of uranium 

deposits in pre-Morrison formations of the Colorado Plateau, an interim 

report: U. S. Geol. Survey TEI-328-A, 35 p., issued by U. S. Atomic 

Energy Comm. Tech. Inf. Service Extension, Oak Ridge, Tenn.

A preliminary resource appraisal was made of uranium deposits in preMorrison formations, particularly the Shinarump conglomerate, on the 

Colorado Plateau and the adjoining regions. The uranium deposits were 

divided on the basis of their major metal content into vanadium-uranium, 

copper-uranium, and uranium types. The types of deposits and overall 

geology of the region are described in detail.

The most important guides for ore locating were (a) thickening of sandstone and conglomerate beds, (b) mudstone alteration, (c) carbonaceous 

material, (d) iron staining, (e) clay and mudstone, and (f) sulfides. No one 

guide was sufficient to find ore deposits.

Three belts of ground favorable for containing higher grade and largerthan-average deposits were roughly outlined in the region studied. One 

belt includes the Temple Mountain-San Rafael district, which contains 

significant deposits of uraniferous "asphalt."

Carbonaceous material is associated with all sandstone-type uranium 

deposits, but no obvious relationship seems to exist between the amount of
carbonaceous material and uranium-bearing material, nor is all the carbonaceous material within or near a uranium deposit radioactive. One 

type of carbonaceous substance, an asphaltlike material, is an important 

guide for locating ore in the San Rafael Swell area, but asphaltlike material 

occurs outside favorable areas and ore deposits, and therefore it must be 

used with other guides.

18 Gott, G. B., and Erickson, R. L., 1952, Reconnaissance of uranium and 

copper deposits in parts of New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, and 

Wyoming: U. S. Geol. Suivey Circ. 219, 16 p.

Because of the common association of uranium and copper in several of 

the commercial uranium deposits in the Colorado Plateau province, a reconnaissance study was made of several known deposits of copper disseminated 

through sandstone to determine whether they might be a source or uranium. 

In order to obtain additional information regarding the relationship between 

copper, uranium, and carbonaceous materials, some of the uraniferous asphaltite deposits in the Shinarump conglomerate along the west flank of the 

San Rafael Swell were also investigated briefly.

During this reconnaissance 18 deposits were examined in New Mexico, 8 

in Utah, 2 in Idaho, and 1 each in Wyoming and Colorado.

Commercial-grade uranium is not associated with the copper deposits that 

were examined. The uraniferous asphaltites in the Shinarump conglomerate 

of Triassic age on the west flank of the San Rafael Swell, however, are 

promising sources of commercial uranium.

Spectrographic analyses of crude oil, asphalt, and bituminous shales show a 

rather consistent suite of trace metals including vanadium, uranium, nickel, 

copper, cobalt, chromium, lead, zinc, and molybdenum. The similarity of 

the metal assemblage in the San Rafael Swell asphaltites to the metal assemblage in crude oil and other bituminous materials suggests that these 

metals were concentrated in the asphr Itites from petroleum. However, it 

is possible that uranium minerals were already present before the hydrocarbons were introduced and that some kind of replacement of uranium 

minerals by carbon compounds was effected after the petroleum migrated 

into the uranium deposit.

The widespread association of uranium with asphaltic material suggests 

that it also may have been concentrated by some agency connected with the 

formation of petroleum. The problem of the association of uranium and 

other trace metals with hydrocarbons should be further studied both in the 

field and in the laboratory. Authors' abstract

19 Gott, G. B., and Hill, J. W., 1953, Radioactivity in some oil fields of southeastern Kansas: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 988-E, p. 69-122.

Radium-bearing precipitates derived from oil-well fluids have been found 

in more than 60 oil and gas fields in Cowley, Butler, Marion, Sedgwick, and 

Greenwood Counties of southeastern Kansas. The abnormal radioactivity 

of these precipitates has been studied by means of gamma-ray and sample 

logs; by radiometric, chemical, petrographic, and spectrographic analyses of 

the precipitates and drill samples; and by chemical analyses of brines collected from oil wells in the areas of high radioactivity. The most radioactive precipitates were collected from a narrow belt, roughly marginal to the 

Nemaha anticline, that extends from the southern part of Marion County 

southward to near the Kansas-Oklahoma boundary.
188 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHIES OF URANIUM GEOLOGY

Most of the formations in this area have no higher concentration of radioactive constituents than is normally found in rocks of similar lithology elsewhere, but in a few wells the drill samples from beds just below the eroded 

top of the Arbuckle group and from some limestones in the Kansas City 

group have an abnormally high radium content. The highest radioactivity 

caused by radium in any of the rocks from this area that have been radiometrically analyzed is equivalent to that of 0.26 percent uranium oxide. 

This analysis indicates as much radium as would be found in equilibrium 

with about 0.5 percent uranium.

The radioactivity of the precipitates ranges from 0.000 to 10.85 percent 

equivalent uranium oxide, and the uranium oxide content ranges from 0.000 

to 0.006 percent. Radium determinations have shown that radium is the 

element that causes most of the radioactivity. Brines, collected from oil 

wells where radium-bearing precipitates have formed, contain as much as 0.2 

ppm of uranium.

Radium-bearing samples have been found in many of the fields that originally produced commercial quantities of helium. Radium-bearing precipitates also have been found in the surface pipes of wells that have penetrated 

rocks containing contact-metamorphic or hydrothermal-type minerals.

The conclusion that significant quantities of uranium may be present in 

the subsurface rocks is based largely on the following evidence:

1. Vuggy limestones and dolomites that contain as much radium as would 

be present with 0.5 percent uranium strongly suggest that uranium has 

only recently been leached, perhaps by the drilling fluids at the time the 

well was drilled. The radium now present in the precipitates was probably 

derived from these rocks.

2. Contact-metamorphic or hydrothermal-type minerals in altered limestones 

indicate that hydrothermal solutions have penetrated the limestones and 

suggest that uranium may have been deposited from those solutions.

3. The large amount of radium in some of the precipitates suggests that it 

was derived from rocks that contain an abnormal concentration of uranium.

4. The association of helium with other uranium-decay products suggests 

that the helium is radiogenic. So much radiogenic helium would require 

a large body either of uranium or thorium, and the presence of radium 

indicates that uranium rather than thorium is present. Authors' abstract

20 Gott, G. B., Wyant, D. G., and Beroni, E. P., 1952, Uranium in black shales, 

lignites, and limestones in the United States: U. S. Geol. Survey Circ. 

220, p. 31-35.

Uranium is present in small amounts in black marine shales, principally of 

Paleozoic age, and in lignite beds of Tertiary age in certain Western States. 

Uranium deposits are rare in limestones but minable deposits are known in 

Jurassic limestone in the Grants area, New Mexico.

"The association of uranium with bituminous shales, asphaltic sandstones, 

and petroliferous limestones suggests that some crude oils may also serve as 

distributing agents during the process of dissemination and concentration of 

uranium.

"The presence of relatively large quantities of radium and radon in some oil 

and gas fields indicates a possible genetic relationship between the products of 

uranium and hydrocarbons.

"Some of the many problems that are deserving of further investigations, 

therefore, are (1) the possible migration of uranium in hydrocarbon solutions
URANIFEROUS, RADIOACTIVE NATIVE BITUMINOUS SUBSTANCES 189

derived from carbonaceous shales; (2) the possibility of precipitation of uranium compounds from oil solutions; and (3) the effect of polymerization of the 

hydrocarbons by alpha radiation."

21 Gruner, J. W., 1956, A comparison of black uranium ores in Utah, New 

Mexico, and Wyoming: Internat. Conf. on Peaceful Uses of Atomic 

Energy, Geneva 1955, Proc., v. 6, p. 530-532; U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. 

Paper 300, p. 203-205.

Important geologic features of uranium deposits at Lisbon anticline 

(Utah), Temple Mountain (Utah), Poison Canyon mine (New Mexico), and 

Gas Hills (Wyoming) are compared, and it is suggested that the deposits are 

similar in origin.

It is noted that petroleum residues, asphaltite, and associated pyrite are 

present in the uranium ores at both Temple Mountain and Poison Canyon.

22 1955, Concentration of uranium by carbon compounds: Econ. 

Geology, v. 50, p. 542-543.

On the Colorado Plateau the widespread association of uranium with 

carbonaceous compounds derived from plants and the lack of association of 

uranium with oil indicate that the uraniferous asphaltites of the San Rafael 

Swell were derived from carbon compounds of plant origin.

23 Gruner, J. W., Gardiner, Lynn, and Smith, D. K,, Jr., 1953, Uraniumbearing carbonaceous and asphaltic materials of the Colorado Plateau, 

Part 2, in Annual report for July 1, 1952 to March 31, 1953: U. S. 

Atomic Energy Comm. RME-3044, p. 14-19, issued by U. S. Atomic 

Energy Comm. Tech. Inf. Service Extension, Oak Ridge, Tenn.

In the San Rafael Swell, Utah, uranium is associated with the following 

types of organic materials:

1. Carbonaceous lignitic plant material.

2. Asphaltite, or as it also has been called, thucholite.

3. Gilsonite and similar hydrocarbons.

4. Liquid hydrocarbons.

The liquid hydrocarbons stain and penetrate many sandstones along 

pervious bedding planes. They are not appreciably uraniferous.

The gilsonite and similar hardened hydrocarbons fill joints and fissures and, 

like the liquid hydrocarbons from which they are derived, contain no appreciable uranium.

The asphaltite occurs as pure globules or balls ranging in size from pinheads to marbles and as filling between sand grains. It contains vanadium 

oxide in an unknown form, as much as 7 percent UsOs, and does not contain 

thorium; therefore it is not properly a true thucholite, for, by definition, 

thucholite contains thorium. The asphaltite replaces the grains of sand 

leaving highly corroded remnants of quartz. Uranium occurs in asphaltite 

as uraninite and probably as an urano-organic complex. Not all of the 

asphaltite is uranium bearing.

Carbonized plant material contains uranium at some places, and at others it 

is nonuraniferous. Where asphaltite also is present, the carbonized plant 

material invariably is nonuraniferous; but there are many places where 

carbonized plant material is nonuraniferous and asphaltite is absent.
190 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHIES OF URANIUM GEOLOGY

24 Hail, W. J., Jr., Myers, A. T., and Horr, C. A., 1956, Uranium in asphaltbearing rocks: Internat. Conf. on Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy, 

Geneva 1955, Proc., v. 6, p. 489-493; Uranium in asphalt-bearing rocks 

of the western United States: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 300, p. 

521-526.

Asphalt-bearing rocks in 45 areas in California, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, 

New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri were examined as potential 

sources of uranium. A total of 202 samples from these areas was analyzed 

for uranium. The oldest rocks sampled were Ordovician in age, and the 

youngest were Recent. Host rocks containing the asphalt include sandstone, 

arkose, conglomerate, limestone, diatomite, and alluvium. The asphalt was 

extracted from the host rock, reduced to dry ash, analyzed chemically for 

uranium, and analyzed spectrographically for other elements by semiquantitative methods.

Significant amounts of uranium in the ash of the extracted oil, whose 

average uranium contents range from 0.028 to 0.376 percent, were found in 

samples from 7 of the 45 areas examined. All except 1 area contain large 

estimated reserves of asphalt-bearing rock, ranging from 15 million to almost 

2 billion (109) tons. The average uranium content of samples from 13 additional areas ranges from 0.02 to 0.068 percent uranium in the ash of the 

extracted oil. Many of these areas contain very large reserves of asphaltbearing rock.

It is believed that most of the uranium was present either as an original 

constituent of the oil or was introduced during the migration of the oil. 

Chemical analyses of the extracted asphalt and of the rock residue show that 

the uranium is concentrated as an organo-uranium complex in the asphalt 

and not in the host rock. Preliminary evaluation of the field data indicates 

that the amount of uranium in the asphalts may be closely related to the 

mineralogical composition of the sediments in which the oil originated, or 

the rocks through which the oil migrated. Authors' abstract

25 Hess, F. L., 1933, Uranium, vanadium, radium, gold, silver, and molybdenum 

sedimentary deposits, in Ore deposits of the Western States (Lindgren 

volume): New York, Am. Inst. Mining Metall. Engineers p. 450-481. 

See p. 456-462.

Uranium occurs in asphaltic material in the Shinarump conglomerate in 

the San Rafael Swell area of Utah and in the La Plata sandstone [now called 

the Entrada sanstone] and Dolores formation near Placerville, Colo.

In the Shinarump conglomerate the distribution of uranium in asphaltite 

is apparently as erratic as the deposition of the sandstone in the conglomerate, 

and the ore lies in shoots as distinct as those in ordinary metalliferous veins. 

Some shoots have formed through the weathering of the asphaltite and the 

concentration of uranium and vanadium minerals in the soft sand left after 

the removal of a part of the asphaltite. The quantity of asphaltite is large in 

places and has prevented other cementation.

The origin of uranium and vanadium in the Shinarump conglomerate is 

puzzling. Possibly the asphalt may have absorbed uranium and other 

metals from extremely dilute solutions in a shallow sea.

Near Placerville, Colo., two types of asphalt-bearing veins occur: one 

containing chalcocite, azurite, and malachite in a gangue of barite and 

calcite with pellets of asphaltite; another containing alternating layers of a 

shiny black asphaltic material and calcite with barite on the hanging wall,
tfRANIFEROUS, RADIOACTIVE NATIVE BITUMINOUS SUBSTANCES 191

and here and there on the footwall irregular lenses of asphaltic material. 

One specimen of asphaltite contained uranium and vanadium; another contained only uranium. Hess suggests that the metals in the La Plata beds 

[now called the Entrada sandstone] were carried upward by vein-forming 

solutions. The gold and silver deposits in the limestone near Saw Pit, Colo., 

contained neither uranium nor vanadium.

26 Hess, F. L., 1922, Uranium-bearing asphaltite sediments of Utah: Eng. 

Mining Jour., v. 114, no. 7, p. 272-276.

Deposits of uraniferous asphaltite occur in the Shinarump conglomerate at 

Temple Mountain and adjacent localities on the eastern flank of the San 

Rafael Swell, Emery County, Utah.

The distribution of uranium and vanadium in the asphaltite and of the 

asphaltite in sandstone is apparently erratic. The ore lies in ellipsoidal shoots 

as distinct as those in ordinary veins. The ellipsoidal shapes appear to be 

caused by weathering, which proceeded from the outside toward the centers 

leaving rounded cores of comparatively unchanged material. The primary 

asphaltic ore bodies apparently were laid down with the beds. The asphaltite 

seems to have been deposited in a soft condition with coarse sands. Some 

secondary ore shoots have been formed through weathering of the asphaltite 

and concentration of uranium in nearby sand.

In the "Flopover," a large collapsed mass of sandstone lying against the 

southwest side of the mountain, the asphaltite and its accompanying metals 

of the Shinarump conglomerate were leached by hot sulfur-bearing waters 

and partly redeposited in the porous overlying beds of Jurassic sandstone. 

The leaching apparently occurred before the collapse and was caused by hotspring activity. Outcrops of the leached rock are white and can be traced 

directly into unaltered red sandstones.

The origin of the ores is puzzling. The asphaltites that contain volatile 

hydrocarbons do not contain uranium. Perhaps only asphalt that absorbed 

the metals became hard quickly and only part of the asphalt was exposed to 

the metals. The hot springs that invaded these rocks may have brought in 

uranium, vanadium, and other metals, and the asphalt may have absorbed 

the metals from them. However, none of the present-day hot springs in 

the area contains any unusual metals. It seems more probable that the 

metals and the asphaltites were laid down at the same time and that an 

evanescent sheet of water kept the metals in solution until the asphalt extracted them. The location of the veins that fed the metals to the water 

is not known.

27 Hill, J. W., 1954, Uraniferous asphaltic materials of southwestern Oklahoma 

tabs.]: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 65, p. 1377.

Asphaltic deposits of southwestern Oklahoma were studied as part of the 

U. S. Geological Survey's reconnaissance for radioactive materials. The 

most uraniferous materials were small, black, asphaltic pellets, which occur 

in bentonitic and arkosic red shale and sandstone of early Permian age. The 

relatively flat-lying Permian sedimentary rocks overlie steeply dipping petroliferous Ordovician limestone and dolomite and rounded ridges of Precambrian 

rhyolite porphyry on the north flank of the Wichita Mountains.

The asphaltic pellets are insoluble in organic reagents, are botryoidal in 

shape, and range in diameter from 1 mm or less to 5 cm. Many of these 

pellets contain smaltite and uraninite and an unidentified uranium mineral.
192 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHIES OF URANIUM GEOLOGY

The uranium and total radioactivity are evenly distributed within a pellet. 

The asphaltie pellets are largest and most numerous in permeable zones 

and along fracture openings and are associated with ground-water deposits. 

They are surrounded by leached haloes in the enclosing rock and appear to 

be epigenetie. The internal structure of some pellets is similar to that of 

marcasite concretions. Their proximity to asphalt seeps suggest that the 

pellets may have been derived from that source. The presence of uraninite 

in the pellets, concentrations of rare earths in nearby asphalt, and similar 

concentrations in nearby hydrothermally altered granite suggest that some 

of the trace metals were derived indirectly from igneous sources. Author's 

abstract

28 Hill, J. W. 1953, regional reconnaissance for uraniumand thorium in the United 

States, south-central district, in Search for and geology of radioactive deposits, Semiannual progress report, December 31. 1952 to May 31, 1953: 

U. S. Geol. Survey TEI-330, p. 200-204, issued by U. S. Atomic Energy 

Comm. Tech. Inf. Service Extension, Oak Ridge, Tenn.

The quantity of uraniferous asphaltites in the Fredericktown lead-mining 

region of Madison County, Mo., proved to be below commercial amounts 

and apparently not related to fresher more viscous oil that occurs in small 

quantities as cavity fillings in the overlying Bonneterre dolomite of Cambrian age.

In the Picher field of Ottawa County, Okla., tar containing 0.04 percent 

uranium in the 0.073 percent ash, seeps into zinc mines from the overlying 

Cherokee formation of Pennsylvanian age. The quantity of tar is too small 

to be of commercial significance.

In the Wichita Mountains of southwestern Oklahoma asphaltio pellets, 

which contain as much as 9.38 percent uranium in the 9.20 percent ash, are 

found in the Permian red beds of the Hennessey, Garber, and Wellington 

formations or their equivalents along the Wichita-Amarillo uplift for a distance of more than 300 miles. The oil residue in the Permian formations 

probably was deposited after the deposition of the formations and probably 

was derived from Paleozoic rocks. The source of the uranium may be related 

to nearby igneous rocks. The quantity of asphaltie pellets is too small 

to be economically recoverable at present.

29 Hyden, H. J., 1956, Uranium and other trace metals in crude oils of the 

western United States: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 300, p. 511-519.

A total of 107 samples of crude oil and 16 samples of refinery residues was 

collected in the western United States and analyzed for uranium and other 

trace metals. The uranium content of the crude oil samples commonly was 

less than one part per billion, but some samples were found to contain a few 

parts per billion or even a few tens of parts per billion of uranium. The 

uranium content of refinery residues ranges from 0.33 to 1070.0 parts per 

billion. The ash of crude oils contained from 0.0001 to 0.045 percent uranium 

and of the refinery residues from 0.0001 to 0.024 percent uranium. Uranium 

is, therefore, not present in sufficient quantity in crude oils to be of commercial interest. The presence of an anomalous amount of uranium in 

crude oils might serve as a guide for uranium prospecting.

Uranium is not preferentially distributed with respect to age, lithologic 

character, or geographic location of the reservoir rocks, nor does it show any 

preferential distribution with respect to oil types.
URANIFEROUS, RADIOACTIVE NATIVE BITUMINOUS SUBSTANCES 193

A comparison of vanadium-nitrogen, nickel-nitrogen, and uranium, nitrogen 

ratios indicates that most of the uranium probably is not present as a porphyrin complex in crude oils.

SOa Isachsen, Y. W,, 1956, Geology of uranium deposits of the Shinarump and 

Chinle formations on the Colorado Plateau: Internat. Conf. on Peaceful 

Uses of Atomic Energy, Geneva 1955, Proc., v. 6, p. 350-357.

30b Isachsen, Y. W., and Evansen, C. G., 1956, Geology of uranium deposits of 

the Shinarump and Chinle formations on the Colorado Plateau: U. S. 

Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 300, p. 263-280.

The geology of uranium deposits in the Shinarump and Chinle formations 

is illustrated by detailed descriptions of deposits at Holiday Mesa district, 

Happy Jack mine, Calyx mines, Big Indian Wash-Lisbon Valley district, 

Delta mine, and Cameron mining district. Of these, only the Calyx mines 

at Temple Mountain, Utah, contain asphaltite.

Asphaltite is the dominant cement of the ore-bearing sandstone at the 

Calyx mines. Three types of hydrocarbons occur with the ore: (a) liquid 

hydrocarbon which is nonuraniferous, combustible, and has a viscosity of 

heavy oil, (b) dull resinous asphalitite which melts and burns when ignited, 

and is nonuraniferous and plastic, and (c) uraniferous asphaltite, a brittle 

solid which does not sustain a flame. Liquid hydrocarbon is rarely within 

the ore and most commonly is in the rocks overlying the ore. The dull 

resinous asphaltite is principally in barren zones within ore bodies. Brittle 

asphaltite is only in uranium ore and invariably is uraniferous.

"The distribution of the three classes of hydrocarbons shows that their 

volatile content decreases in direct proportion to proximity to uranium." 

The authors postulate that fluid hydrocarbons were introduced into a preexisting uranium deposit and subsequently polymerized to varying degrees 

by radiations from uranium. During polymerization asphaltite replaced 

some of the uraninite present, thus forming the present uraniferous asphaltite. 

This mechanism also explains the apparent replacement of quartz by asphaltite; this anomalous situation is therefore explained as the result of quartz 

having been replaced by uraninite which later is replaced by asphaltite.

31 Kerr, P. F., and Kelley, D. R., 1956, Urano-organic ores of the San Rafael 

Swell area, Utah: Econ. Geology, v. 51, p. 386-391.

Two types of uraniferous organic material occur in the ore-bearing rocks 

of the San Rafael Swell, fossil plant debris and petroliferous substances.

Replacement of plant debris by uraninite is common in the swell, but not 

all plant debris, even in mineralized districts, contains uranium. The lack 

of uranium in the plant debris may be due to (a) absence of uranium mineralization, (b) previous mineralization or coalification may have rendered the 

debris unreceptive to the uranium-bearing solutions, and (c) nearby petroleum-impregnated strata may have selectively absorbed uranium from the 

ore-bearing solutions.

The uraniferous petroliferous substances are hard, brittle substances, containing as much as 8 percent uranium, which in places has replaced the quartz 

grains of the host sandstone; this substance seems to belong to the general 

group of materials to which the name thucholite has been applied. The 

authors postulate that the uranium-bearing hydrocarbons of the swell have
194 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHIES OF URANIUM GEOLOGY

become "indurated by polymerization and oxidation of oil by mineralizing 

solutions accompanied by more than normal heat."

32 Kerr, P. F., Rasor, C. A., and Hamilton, P. K., 1951, Uranium in Black 

King prospect, Placerville, Colorado, in Annual report for July 1, 1950 

to June 30, 1951: U. S. Atomic Energy Comm. RMO-797, p. 24-43, 

issued by U. S. Atomic Energy Comm. Tech. Inf. Service Extension, 

Oak Ridge, Tenn.

The Black King prospect consists of copper, zinc, and uranium minerals 

along a fault zone in the Dolores formation. A uranium-bearing hydrocarbon 

resembling thucholite occurs both in the fault and in the adjacent sediments. 

Minute specks of uraninite can be observed in the hydrocarbon with the 

microscope.

Three types of radioactive hydrocarbon can be observed with the microscope: a lustrous material which is cracked and invaded by the other two 

types of hydrocarbon, a sooty material of finer grain than the lustrous material, and a light-gray banded material that veins the other two types and 

is much less radioactive than they are.

Analyses of 4 specimens of the hydrocarbon show a range of from 44.8 to 

69.2 percent carbon and from 2.20 to 3.08 percent hydrogen.

On the basis of the mineralogy of the deposit, the authors conclude that the 

metallization of the deposit is due to hydrothermal activity. They do not 

speculate on the origin of the hydrocarbon.

33a Keys, W. S., 1956, Deep drilling in the Temple Mountain collapse, San 

Rafael Swell, Utah: Internat. Conf. on Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy, 

Geneva 1955, Proc., v. 6, p. 371-378.

33b Keys, W. S., and White, R. L., 1956, Investigation of the Temple Mountain 

collapse and associated features, San Rafael Swell, Emery County, 

Utah: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 300, p. 285-298.

Thirteen holes were drilled in the Temple Mountain collapse to investigate 

the genesis of its structure, its relationship to the uranium ores, and to test 

for more ore at deeper horizons. Uraniferous asphaltite [asphaltite is "any 

solid hydrocarbon of apparent petroliferous derivation," p. 292] was found 

in the drill cores.

Hard, brittle asphaltite, as pellets, veinlets, or sheets of hydrocarbon 

ranging from a fraction of an inch to more than 5 feet long, carries the uranium 

in the Temple Mountain collapse. Most of the mineralized asphaltite discovered by the drilling is distributed along fractures and bedding planes in 

the conglomerate zone of the Kaibab limestone, some along the bedding and 

fractures in the Moenkopi formation, and a minor amount is disseminated 

in the top of the Coconino sandstone.

The uranium ore was deposited either after the collapse was complete or 

during late stages of subsidence when the accompanying brecciation and 

fracturing provided channels for the mineralizing solutions. It could not be 

determined whether the asphaltic ores in the collapse resulted from redistribution of minerals from the Moss Back member of the Chinle formation, or 

whether mineralizing solutions ascended the channelways.

In the Temple Mountain mineral belt adjacent to the collapse, uranium 

also occurs in hard asphaltite. Fault control does not appear to be important
URANIFEROUS, RADIOACTIVE NATIVE BITUMINOUS SUBSTANCES 195

in this belt. The ore bodies are in the Moss Back member. There may be a 

significant genetic relationship between the collapse and the mineral belt.

34 McKelvey, V. E., 1955, Search for uranium in the United States: U. S. Geol. 

Survey Bull. 1030-A, p. 1-64. See p. 12-13 and 33-36.

Asphaltites, hard lustrous hydrocarbons called thucholite, and similarappearing substances referred to as "asphaltite" may carry uranium in the 

form of free, evenly disseminated grains of uraninite. These substances 

occur in some veins and pegmatites, many sandstone deposits, and certain 

reservoir rocks in oil fields. It is believed by some geologists that the thucholite in many pegmatites, veins, and in the Witwatersrand, South Africa, 

originated from the polymerization of migrant natural gases by radiation 

from uranium-bearing minerals already in these deposits. Some occurrences 

of uraniferous asphaltite in the United States are thought to be a residual 

petroleum, not a polymerized natural gas. If this is true, then the petroleum 

fluids could have transported the uranium to places favorable to deposition, 

particularly in sandstone-type deposits. The uranium content of crude oil, 

thought to be mostly in asphaltenes, ranges from a fraction of a part per 

billion to a few thousand parts per billion.

An accompanying map of the United States shows the distribution of 

asphaltites and related substances that have been tested for uranium. Except for some deposits in the San Rafael Swell area, Utah, none of the deposits 

is of commercial importance.

35a McKelvey, V. E., Everhart, D. L., and Garrels, R. M., 1955, Origin of 

uranium deposits, in Bateman, A. M., ed., Econ. Geology, 50th anniversary volume, 1905-1955, pt. 1, p. 464-533.

35b McKelvey, V. E., Everhart, D. L., and Garrels, R. M., 1956, Summary of 

hypotheses of genesis of uranium deposits: Internat. Conf. on Peaceful 

Uses of Atomic Energy, Geneva, 1955, Proc. v. 6, p. 551-561; U. S. 

Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 300, p. 41-53.

The occurrence of asphaltite in many uranium deposits of the Colorado 

Plateau has suggested to many geologists that the asphaltite is residual petroleum and that petroleum fluids may have been transporting media for the 

uranium in ore deposits in sandstone. Because crude oils characteristically 

contain only a few parts of uranium per billion, except where they have 

penetrated uraniferous rocks, it seems unlikely that migrating petroleum is 

the source of much, if any, of the uranium on the Colorado Plateau.

36 Moore, F. W., and Stephens, J. G., 1954, Reconnaissance for uranium-bearing 

carbonaceous rocks in California and adjacent parts of Oregon and 

Nevada: U. S. Geol. Survey Circ. 313, 8 p. See p. 7.

Samples of oil-saturated sandstones from a quarry 1 mile south of Edna, 

San Luis Obispo County, from Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County, and from 

McKittrick, Kern County, Calif., were tested for uranium. The sandstone 

samples from Edna contained 0.002 percent uranium and 10 percent oil. If 

all the oil could be leached from this sandstone, it would contain 0.02 percent 

uranium providing the oil contains all the uranium present. Sandstone 

samples from the other two localities contained 0.001 percent or less, equivalent uranium.
196 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHIES OF URANIUM GEOLOGY

A sample of asphaltite from See Canyon, San Luis Obispo County, Calif., 

contained 0.001 percent uranium in the ash and 18.9 percent ash.

37 Morehouse, G. E., 1951, Investigation of thucholite deposits near Placerville, 

Colorado: U. S. Atomic Energy Comm. RMO-910, 13 p., issued by 

U. S. Atomic Energy Comm., Tech. Inf. Service Extension, Oak Ridge, 

Tenn.

Thucholite, a mixture of uraninite and hydrocarbons, occurs on two 

properties, the Black King No. 5 and the White Spar prospects, near Placerville, San Miguel County, Colo. Thucholite is found along a fault zone, 

which cuts the Dolores formation, associated with primary sulfides of copper, 

zinc, molybdenum, and antimony. The wall rock at the Black King is 

highly altered; the wall rock at the White Spar, 1^ miles southeast, is less 

altered. A radiometric traverse along the fault zone did not reveal any additional uranium-bearing material. Material of commercial-grade uranium 

exists on both properties.

Thirteen channel samples and one 100-pound metallurgical sample were 

taken. Information on the locations of the samples and a list of analyses 

are given in the report. Samples range from 0.04 to 0.88 percent UsOs.

38 Nininger, R. D., 1956, Minerals for atomic energy: New York, D. Van 

Nostrand Co., Inc., 2d ed., 399 p. See p. 69-70.

Most asphalt deposits do not contain commercial amounts of uranium. 

However, some uranium deposits in the asphaltic sandstone beds in the San 

Rafael Swell area of east-central Utah are an exception. This area also has 

typical carnotite-type deposits and copper-uranium deposits.

At Temple Mountain on the east side of the swell the uranium has been 

deposited in faults and fissures which control its position, and on the west 

side the larger ore bodies lie within a few thousand feet of major faults. Most 

of the uranium forms a part of the pure asphalt, and only a few. secondary 

uranium minerals are found in these deposits.

The asphaltic ores form deposits of no more than a few hundred feet in 

length and width and not more than 3 feet in thickness. The distribution of 

these deposits is erratic, and they are very similar structurally to the carnotitetype and copper-uranium deposits. The deposits are confined largely to 

porous medium- to coarse-grained sandstone lenses or conglomerates. As a 

rule, the uranium concentrations coincide with the highly asphaltic beds and 

most of the uranium is closely associated with seams or other accumulations 

of asphaltic material. Several secondary uranium minerals, including carnotite, have been recognized; but much of the uranium, together with vanadium, 

occurs as an integral part of the black asphalt.

39 Nordenskiold, A. E., 1893, R6marques sur le fer natif d'Ovifak et sur le 

bitume des roches cristallines de Suede: Extrait d'une Lettre de M. 

Nordenskiold a M. Daubree, in Acad. sci. [Paris] Comptes rendus, v. 

116, p. 677-678.

Analyses of the ash of several bitumens, including a sample of grahamite 

from sediments in [Pennsylvania] North America, show several parts per 

hundred of the oxides of nickel, uranium, and rare earths. It appears that 

uranium is more widespread in occurrence than previously supposed.
TJRANIFEROUS, RADIOACTIVE NATIVE BITUMINOUS SUBSTANCES 197

40 O'Brien, T. D., 1953, Uranium occurrence in asphaltites. Technical Report 

June 1, 1952 to March 31, 1953: U. S. Atomic Energy Comm. RME3040, 6 p., issued by U. S. Atomic Energy Comm. Tech. Inf. Service 

Extension, Oak Ridge, Tenn.

Samples of asphaltite from uranium ores at Temple Mountain, San Rafael 

Swell, Utah, were treated with a variety of chemical and physical tests in 

order to determine the form in which uranium occurs in the asphaltite.

Extractions with organic solvents yielded negligible amounts of uranium. 

Basic solutions were most effective. A 10 percent sodium carbonate solution 

at reflux temperatures for 3 days extracted over 20 percent of the contained 

uranium. Evidently this uranium is present as an organo-uranium compound 

because, upon acidification, a yellow solid, containing carbon, hydrogen, 

nitrogen, oxygen, and uranium, is obtained.

Heating of the ore in an inert atmosphere yields a yellow sublimate at 

250-300°C. This sublimate seems to be the same organo-uranium compound as obtained in the sodium carbonate extraction. Author's abstract, 

in part

41 1953, Uranium occurrence in asphaltites. Technical Report March 

31, 1953 to October 1, 1953: U. S. Atomic Energy Comm. RME-3062, 

9 p. (Available in U. S. Atomic Energy Comm. depository libraries.)

The object of this work was to try to establish the form in which uranium 

occurs in the Colorado Plateau asphaltites. A radioactive yellow sublimate 

obtained by heating an asphaltic type ore from Calf Mesa in Emery County, 

Utah, was shown to be arsenic sulfide. Chemical properties of the radioactive 

substance indicated polonium, but the decay curve indicates a half life of 

53 days, while the reported half life of polonium is 140 days. Rather complete differential analysis shows that there is practically no hydrocarbon 

material in this asphaltite, and that practically all of the carbon is in the 

uncombined form. Solvent extraction also indicates the absence of organicmaterial, because in no case was more than a few drops of organic material 

obtained from 25-g samples. Author's abstract

42 1954, Uranium occurrence in asphaltites. Technical Report 

October 1, 1953 to March 31, 1954: U. S. Atomic Energy Comm. RME3090, 9 p. (Available in U. S. Atomic Energy Comm. depository 

libraries.)

Treatment of the asphaltite [from Temple Mountain, San Rafael Swell, 

Utah] with acid, basic, or neutral solutions extracts about the same amount 

of iron, copper, calcium, uranium, and sulfate. Under similar conditions 

small volumes of solvent extract the same amount as large volumes. This 

indicates that the uranium is present in a soluble form, and that the amount 

extracted is a function of the physical state of the ore and not the solubility 

of the uranium compound. Author's abstract

43 Pierce, A. P., Mytton, J. W., and Gott, G. B., 1956, Radioactive elements 

and their daughter products in the Texas Panhandle and other oil and 

gas fields in the United States: Internat. Conf. on Peaceful Uses of 

Atomic Energy, Geneva 1955, Proc., v. 6, p. 494-498; U. S. Geol. 

Survey Prof. Paper 300, p. 527-532.

Abnormal concentrations of radioelements and their daughter products, 

including radon, helium, argon, radium, uranium, and thorium, are present
198 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHIES OF URANIUM GEOLOGY

in some oil and gas fields of the United States. Different natural hydrocarbon gases contain as much as 104 micromierocuries of radon per liter (at 

reservoir pressure), several percent of helium, and several tenths of 1 percent 

of argon. Oil-field brines have fairly high concentrations of radium, some 

containing as much as 10~9 grams of radium per liter. Precipitates from 

these waters on pipes in oil wells contain as much as 10~8 grams of radium per 

gram. The uranium content of oil-field brines that have been analyzed is as 

much as 0.2 parts per million uranium.

Analyses of uranium and trace metals have been made of a number of 

crude oils, oil seeps, and petroliferous rocks throughout the central and western 

United States. The results indicate that uranium is generally enriched in 

oil-seep soil and in the heavy surface-active fractions of petroleum which 

adhere to the rocks, as compared with the crude-oil fraction of petroleum that 

is produced at the wellhead. Epigenetic concentrations of uranium in the 

form of metalliferous asphaltite, a carbonaceous mineraloid similar to 

thucholite, carburan, and huminite, have been found in oil and gas reservoirs 

and associated rocks in the Wichita-Amarillo uplift of Oklahoma and Texas 

and in other areas. Abnormal concentrations of radon and helium in the 

natural gases of the Panhandle oil field of Texas are associated with uraniferous asphaltite nodules and impregnations in and adjacent to the reservoir 

rocks. The minerals uraninite, coffinite, and thorite have been found in 

some nodules, but in many the uranium-bearing compound, which may be an 

organometallic complex, has not been identified. The trace-metal suite of 

the asphaltite is similar to that found in the ash of associated crude oils and 

in crude oil in general.

More information about the geochemistry of uranium in petroleum and 

petroleum waters is necessary to a complete understanding of the genesis of 

the helium and the associated uraniferous asphaltites. The evidence now 

available on the origin of the asphaltite indicates that the process responsible 

for its localization must have operated in the presence of petroleum or in a 

combination of petroleum and water within the rock pores, must have been 

capable of concentrating uranium and the other metals in the form of disseminated small segregations, must have operated independently of the type 

of rock in which concentration took place, and must have been effective over 

broad structural provinces. Authors1 abstract

44 Prigmore, G. T., 1955, Prospects and possibilities for Texas uranium: Mining 

World, v. 17, no. 9, p. 60-62.

In Burnet County, Tex., a concentration of uranium has been reported in 

an asphaltic coquina in the Glen Rose limestone of Early Cretaceous age.

45 Reyner, M. L., 1950, Preliminary report on some uranium deposits along the 

west side of the San Rafael Swell, Emery County, Utah: U. S. Atomic 

Energy Comm. RMO-673, 31 p., issued by U. S. Atomic Energy Comm. 

Tech. Inf. Service Extension, Oak Ridge, Tenn.

Twelve uranium-bearing asphaltite-type deposits distributed along 30 

miles of the western border of the San Rafael Swell, Emery County, Utah, 

were examined. This area extends from T. 20 S. to T. 24 S., and R. 8 E. to 

R. 11 E. These 12 deposits are described in detail. All the deposits are 

near the base of the Shinarump conglomerate. Most of the uranium is in 

intimate association with asphalt and very little carnotite was noted. The
URANIFEROUS, RADIOACTIVE NATIVE BITUMINOUS SUBSTANCES 199

best deposits examined are in areas that lie within a few thousand feet of 

faults.

The uranium appears to have been introduced laterally along bedding 

planes and other permeable zones. The mode of origin of the deposits is not 

definitely known.

The vanadium content of the deposits increases from almost nil in the 

northern part of the area to a ratio of about 1:1 with uranium in the southern 

part. Within individual deposits the vanadium distribution may be very 

erratic.

46 Rosenzweig, Abraham, Gruner, J. W., and Gardiner, Lynn, 1954, Widespread 

occurrence and character of uranium in the Triassic and Jurassic sediments of the Colorado Plateau: Econ. Geology, v. 49, p. 351-361.

Uranium deposits on the Colorado Plateau may be grouped into three 

types: copper-uranium deposits, vanadium-uranium deposits, and asphaltite 

deposits. The typical minerals of asphaltite deposits are uraninite, "asphaltite," and pyrite. Vanadium is abundant in asphaltite deposits but 

copper is rare. The origin of the asphaltite is not known. It appears to 

be later than the primary uranium minerals, for it replaces them as well as 

quartz grains of the sandstone host rock.

47 Wilmarth, V. R., and Vickers, R. C., 1953, The Robinson and Weatherly 

uraniferous pyrobitumen deposits near Placerville, San Miguel County, 

Colorado: U. S. Geol. Survey TEI-176, 43 p. (open-file report).

The Weatherly and Robinson properties near Placerville, San Miguel 

County, Colo., contain uraniferous pyrobitumen of possible hydrothermal 

origin.

Uraniferous pyrobitumen is the only uranium-bearing material found on 

the Robinson property which is one-half mile east of Placerville and consists 

of the White Spar, New Discovery Lode, and Barbara Jo claims. The 

pyrobitumen occurs in the gouge and brecciated zone of a normal fault that 

cuts the Cutler formation of Permian age and the Dolores formation of 

Triassic age. The pyrobitumen, associated with base-metal sulfides, is localized in a gouge zone as much as 40 feet long and 6 feet wide. The average 

uranium content of 11 samples ranged from 0.001 to 0.045 percent and 

averaged 0.02 percent. Most of the uranium is concentrated within 3 feet 

of the fault plane, and this zone is richest in pyrobitumen.

The Weatherly property is about a mile northwest of Placerville and consists of the Black King claims 1, 4, and 5. Uranium-bearing pyrobitumen 

is the most abundant uraniferous material. Uranophane and autunite have 

been identified in dump material, and uranophane has been found sparingly 

coating fracture surfaces. Pyrobitumen occurs in lenses along the gouge 

zone of a northwest-trending steeply dipping, normal fault and in replacement lenses and nodules in the sedimentary rocks on the hanging wall of 

the fault. Channel samples taken across the fault zone contained from 0.001 

to 0.014 percent uranium. The lens-shaped deposits in the fault zone are 

as much as 6 feet long and 2 feet wide and contain as much as 9 percent 

uranium in selected samples of pyrobitumen. The replacements lenses of 

uranium-bearing pyrobitumens are as much as 8 inches wide and 6 feet long; 

the nodules are as much as 6 inches in diameter and as much as 100 feet from 

the fault. Samples taken from the replacement bodies in the hanging wall 

contained from 0.007 to 1.4 percent uranium.
200 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHIES OF URANIUM GEOLOGY

48 Wilmarth, V. R., 1953, District studies, Placerville hydrocarbons, Colorado, 

in Search for and geology of radioactive deposits, Semiannual progress 

report, December 1, 1952 to May 31, 1953: U. S. Geol. Survey TEI330, p. 107-108, issued by U. S. Atomic Energy Comm. Tech. Inf. 

Service Extension, Oak Ridge, Tenn.

In the hydrocarbon-bearing veins of the Placerville area, San Miguel 

County, Colo., the first minerals deposited were calcite, barite, and pyrite, 

followed by the hydrocarbons, and then base-metal sulfide minerals. The 

hydrocarbons occur as both nonradioactive and radioactive deposits in fault 

zones, fracture fillings, and disseminations in the Cutler and Dolores formations.

The hydrocarbons occurring as fracture fillings contain a maximum of 

0.078 percent equivalent uranium, and hydrocarbons from the fault zones 

and disseminations contain a maximum of 9.0 percent uranium. In general, 

hydrocarbon ash that is rich in uranium also contains relatively more copper, 

lead, molybdenum, and yttrium. The trace-metal constituents are believed 

to occur in the hydrocarbon as grains of coffinite and as metallo-organie 

compounds.

49 Wyant, D. G., Beroni, E. P., and Granger, H. C., 1952, Some uranium 

deposits in sandstones: U. S. Geol. Survey Circ. 220, p. 26-30. See 

p. 29.

In the Temple Mountain district, San Rafael Swell area, Utah, uraniferous 

asphaltite occurs as void fillings, rounded pellets, veinlike fillings, and as 

detrital grains in friable sandstone lenses of the Shinarump conglomerate. 

The asphaltite ore bodies are localized in ancient stream channels. The 

asphalt may be the mineral thucholite.

Highly radioactive asphalt pellets have also been found in the Oyler mine, 

the Oak Creek prospect, and at the Four Aces mine in White Canyon area, 

Utah.
INDEXES

AUTHORS

Reference 

No.

Abraham, Herbert- _______________ 1 

Bain, G. W-___._.___.._____._ 2 

Bell, K. G . 3,4

Beroni, E. P....______..._._.... 5,6,20,49

Bowie, S. H. U .. - _ 13

Breger, I. A.___________________ 8,9 

Branson, O. O_________________ 7 

Burton, E. F.__._____.._._._._ 10 

Burwell, A. L__________________ 7 

Chase, G. C 7

Chase, G. W................................. 11

Davidson, C. F..._______......_____ 12,13

Deul, Maurice.________________ 9 

Erickson, R. L._.._____.___._.__ 14,18 

Evensen, C. G__________________ 30b 

Everhart, D. L............................... 15,35

Faul, Henry. .._-__._.____.___ 16 

Finch, W. I....._.____.__._._._ 17

Gardiner, Lynn.. ______...______ 23,46 

Garrels, R. M._..___......______ 35

Goodman, Clark.._____________ 4 

Gott, G. B._ --.__..___. .__.._____ 16,18-20,43

Granger, H. O.........__................... 49

Gruner, J. W. ____.._.__._.._ 21-23,46 

Hamilton, P. K....._._...___._._ 32

Hail, W. J., Jr......... .................... 24

Hess, F. L.........___.._.__.._.__ 25,26

Hill, J. W.____......_...--__..._. 19,27,28

Horr, O. A................................... 14,24

Reference 

No.

Hyden, H. J ___ 29

Isachsen, Y. W.-_._._.._________ 30 

Kelley, D. R.__.......................... 31

Kerr, P. F................... .. .... 31,32

Keyes, W. S.................................. 33

McKelvey, V. E.............. __ ..... 34,35

Manger, G. E.__________________ 16 

Mathez, Muriel.. . 15 

Moore, F. W................................. 36

Morehouse, G. E_________..-__ 37 

Myers, A. T______-__-_-_______-_ 14,24

Mytton, J. W 16,43

Nininger, R. D......___.___._____ 38

Nordenskiold, A. E_........... ... 39

O'Brien, T. D................... .. .. 40-42

Pierce, A. P...................... ...... . 43

Prigmore, G. T_________________ 44 

Rasor, C. A ___._._._......._ 32

Reyner, M. L_..-.- _. . . 45 

Rosenzweig, Abraham_______.__ 46 

Sakakura, A. Y________________ 16 

Smith, D. K., Jr_........ .. .... _ 23

Stephens, J. G .________.____ . 36 

Viekers R. O................................. 47

White, R. L.................................. 33b

Whitehead, W. L_......................_ 4

Wilmarth, V. R.............................. 47,48

Wyant, D. G.................._.____... 20,49

GEOGRAPHIC AREAS

Reference 

No.

Arizona, Cameron district__________ 30 

Arkansas:

Madison County, Huntsville area..____ 5 

Ozark dome area. ____________ 5 

Australia._____________________ 13 

California:

General..__________________ 14,24

Kern County, McKittrick area.______ 36

San Luis Obispo County:

Edna area__________________ 36

See Canyon area___ __. ________ 36

Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz area___ 36

Canada: 

General-._.......

Province of Ontario:

Parry Sound......

Petrolia area......

Reference 

No.

Colorado:

General...___________________ 14,18 

San Miguel County:

Placerville area._____________ 25,47,48 

Robinson property (White Spar, New 

Discovery Lode, and Barbara Jo 

claims)-. . - 37,47

Weatherly property (Black King claims

1,4, and 5). . 32,37,47

Saw Pit area.._______________ 25

Colorado Plateau, general-. 8,12,14,17,18,22,35,46

Great Britain.....---_......_..._____ 13

Isle of Man-.._________-_.____ 13

IdahoJapan.

18

13

201
202 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHIES OF URANIUM GEOLOGY

Reference

Kansas: No. 

General..._________________ 14 

Butler County............._______... 19

Cowley County_______________ 19 

Greenwood County....__________ 19

Marion County.._______________ 19 

Sedgwick County______________ 19

Missouri:

General.....________________ 

Madison County, Fredericktown area......

Montana. 24

New Mexico: 

General._.___ ____. _______18, 24

Eddy County, Carlsbad area.. ______ 3 

McKinley County, Poison Canyon____ 21

Oklahoma:

General_._.______.___... 7,11,24,27 

Caddo County.______________ 6 

Cotton County_______________ 7,11 

Jefferson County______________ 7,11 

Kiowa County._______________ 6 

Ottawa County:

Picher field_________________ 28 

Pontotoc County, Fitts Pool. ________ 4 

Wichita-Amarillouplift... ............ 6,28,43

Wichita Mountains area________ 7,28

PennsylvaniaRussia .....

Reference

South Africa: No. 

General..--__. . -. .. ., 1* 

Wltwatersrand.____ __...__ 13,34

Sweden. 1*

Texas:

General..____.___.___.___ 14,2* 

Burnet County_______________ 44 

Navarro County, Navarro Crossing..___ * 

Starr County, Sun field............ .. 4

Panhandle area: 

Wichita-Amarillo uplift........ ._ 43

Panhandle gas field____________ 3;

United States: 

General.....-. .. . 16,20,34

Central....___.......___._._.. 4*

Western. ._ 29,4*

Utah:

General.....___ _. . 14,18,24- 

Emery County, San Eafael Swell area. 1,2,15,17,. 

18,21-23,25,26,30,31,33,34,38,40-42,45,49* 

San Juan County:

Holiday Mesa district . 30 

Lisbon Valley-. . 21,30- 

White Canyon area__..___ 49>

Wyoming:

General...._._ _ . . 18,2* 

Fremont County, Gas Hills area... 21

STBATIGBAPHIC UNITS

Reference 

No.

Arbuckle group________________ 19 

Bartlesville formation..___________ 4 

Bloyd shale...-____.__________ 5 

Bonneterre dolomite_____________ 28 

Chalk Bluff formation ...______._._ 3 

Cherokee formation------___________ 28

Chinle formation________________ 30,33 

Coconino sandstone.._____________ 33 

Corniferous limestone... ____________ 10 

Cromwell formation__ ____________ 4 

Cutler formation.._______________ 47,48 

Dolores formation. _________.. 25,32,37,47,48 

Entrada sandstone...______.____. 25 

Frio formation--________________ 4

Reference 

No.

Garber formation._____.___ _.. 7,11,28

Glen Rose limestone . 44

Hale formation.._ 5

Hennessey formation 28

Kaibab limestone.. . . 33

Kansas City group. _ 19

La Plata sandstone____ .. 25

Moenkopi formation. _ 33

Moss Back member.. 33

Seven Rivers member..__ . 3 

Shinarump conglomerate._ 2,17,18,25,26,30,45,49

Viola-Stmpson formation.... 4

Wellington formation. _ 28

Woodbine formation 4
URANIFEROUS, RADIOACTIVE NATIVE BITUMINOUS SUBSTANCES 203

SUBJECTS

Reference 

No.

Asphalts and related bitumens and pyrobitumens: 

General.........___....._..... 1,8,9,34,38

Chemistry and mineralogy.._______ 1,

13,14,18,25-27,32,33,40-43,45,47,48

Metals in............. 6,18,24-27,39,42,43,46-48

Origin of uranium in..._________ 2,

12-14,18,20,22,24-28,30-35,43

Uranium in.......___________ 2,3,5-9,

11-15,17,18,20-28,30-34,36,37,39-49

Reference

Crude oils: NoMetalsin. -.-. .. ...._ 14,18,29,4$

Radium in...-------_........__ 4,19,20,43

Radon in ________________ 4,10,20,43 

Uranium in....... 9,14,18,19,23,29,30,34-36,43

Natural gas:

Helium in.. 16,19,43

Radium in......__._...__.__._ 10,19

Radon in ........... 10,16,43

Oil-well brines:

Radium in--.-...__ . _.____ 19,43 

Uranium in..._____________ 7,43

Thucholite.......... 8,9,13,15,23,31,32,34,37,43,48

U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1959