ABSTRACT

Net sand is and sand/shale ratio maps indicate that the Oakville Formation and the lower 500 feet of the Goliad Formation of the South Texas Coastal Plain consist of extensive fluvial sandstones. In large areas, fluvial sandstones are multistoried features that form very thick sandstone sequences oriented perpendicular to the coastline. Sand trends oriented parallel to depositional strike indicate strand plain-barrier bar deposits near the present-day coastline.

Both the Oakville and Goliad Formations are known to have commercial uranium deposits. Areas of uranium favorability are delineated in these formations on the basis of: (1) proximity to major fluvial or strand plain-barrier bar systems, (2) sand/shale ratios of 1:1 to 4:1, (3) significant numbers of sands between 20 and 50 feet thick, and (4) faulting near or within the area. Eleven areas in the Oakville Formation are considered favorable for uranium mineralization, and 13 such areas are found in the Goliad Formation.