Metalliferous mineralisation near Lutton, Ivybridge, Devon

Abstract

To the north-west of Slade Hall localised uranium and base metal mineralisation has been traced by radiometric and geochemical soil surveys. It is confmed to two narrow structures in a fault zone trending NW-SE and at surface it has a strike length of no more than 200 m. Percussive drilling down to the shallow water table indicated persistence of the secondary metalliferous minerals but narrow diameter cored drilling failed to intersect any recognisable well-mineralised structure at a depth of only 50 m. It remains uncertain whether a small ore shoot exists below the surface anomalies; if so, it must be presumed to pitch south-eastwards. Only oxidised, and possibly enriched, mineralisation has been sampled; this yielded a little cassiterite, sphalerite, pyrite, pyrrhotite and covellite, abundant hydrated iron and manganese oxides with adsorbed uranium, lead, bismuth, zinc, copper and arsenic, and flakes of secondary uranium and silver minerals. Radiometry confirmed gross uranium disequilibrium