A place where minerals are mined. Natural stone: types, mining technology, deposits

Natural gas rises through the well at the expense of natural energy. It is mined in America, Europe, Africa and other regions. One seventh of all world production falls on the share of Gazprom.

Mining "blindly"

Natural gas is trapped in the smallest pores that some rocks have. The depth at which natural gas is located ranges from 1000 meters to several kilometers. After geological exploration, when it is established exactly where the deposits are located, the process of gas production begins, that is, it is extracted from the bowels, collected and prepared for transportation.

The main feature of gas production in comparison with the extraction of solid minerals is that the gas remains hidden in sealed structures at all stages - from the moment it is extracted from the reservoir to the moment it reaches the consumer.

Drilling of the wells

Gas is extracted from the subsoil with the help of specially drilled wells, which are called production or production wells. In general, there are many varieties of wells - they are used not only for production, but also for studying the geological structure of the subsoil, searching for new deposits, auxiliary work, and so on.

Why drill with a "ladder"

Pipes for strengthening the walls of wells can be nested one inside the other - according to the principle of a telescope. So they take up much less space and store them more conveniently.

The pressure must be evenly distributed.

The depth of the well can reach 12 km. This depth can be used to study the lithosphere.

The wellbore is strengthened with special casing pipes and cemented.

After the well

Natural gas rises to the surface due to natural energy - tending to the area with the lowest pressure. Since the gas obtained from the well contains many impurities, it is first sent for processing. Complex gas treatment plants are being built near some fields, in some cases gas from wells immediately enters the gas processing plant.

Production volumes

Today, Gazprom accounts for 74% of Russian and 14% of global gas production.

The table below compares gas production worldwide, in Russia as a whole, and Gazprom's production:

Data on world gas production is taken from the BP report.

Natural gas is a mineral formed as a result of the anaerobic decomposition of organic matter under the influence of high temperature and pressure.

The dead organisms sank to the seabed, forming silty sediments, which, due to geological displacements, penetrated to great depths.

It was there that for millions of years a process took place in which the carbon that is part of the sedimentary rocks became part of the compounds called hydrocarbons. This .

Characteristics

Natural gas in the conditions of occurrence in the bowels of the Earth (reservoir conditions) is an autonomous accumulation or deposit. it is formed in the form of a cap - this is the so-called free gas.

It can also exist in crystalline or dissolved form.

Natural gas is not a homogeneous substance.

Its main part is methane (CH4) - the simplest hydrocarbon (98%). It also contains methane homologues:

• butane (C4H10);
• propane (C3H8);
• ethane (C2H6).

and some impurities of the non-hydrocarbon category:

• helium (He);
• nitrogen (N2);
• hydrogen sulfide (H2S);
• hydrogen (H2);
• carbon dioxide (CO2).

Natural gas in its pure form is odorless and colorless. In order to detect a leak, a small proportion of odorants is added to it. Most often, ethyl mercaptan (a sulfur-containing substance) is used for this purpose, which is characterized by a sharp unpleasant odor.

Deposits and reserves

In the post-Soviet territory, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan (Karachaganak field) and Turkmenistan have the largest deposits of natural gas.

Russia's share in the world production market is more than 20%.

The main deposits are concentrated in the Volga-Ural, Timan-Pechora and West Siberian gas-bearing provinces, as well as in the Far East and the North Caucasus.

• Urengoy The field ranks second in the world in terms of in-situ natural gas reserves. It is located in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District of the Tyumen Region. Gas production began here in 1978.
• Nakhodka The field is located in the Bolshekhetskaya depression of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. According to experts, gas reserves in this place exceed 275 billion cubic meters. Its development started in 2004.
• Angaro-Lenskoe The deposit was discovered at the beginning of the 21st century. It is located in the Irkutsk region, near the Angara and Lena rivers, in accordance with which the name was given to it. Natural gas reserves are approximately 1.4 trillion cubic meters.
• Kovykta The field is located 450 km northeast of the city of Irkutsk, on a high mountain plateau covered with dark coniferous taiga. The climatic conditions in this area are very severe. Part of the territory is dominated by permafrost. In addition, a large number of canyons complicate the relief of this area. The amount of natural gas reserves reaches two trillion cubic meters and 120 million tons of liquid gas condensate.
• Shtokman gas condensate field is one of the largest in the world. Its discovery took place in 1988. Location - the central part of the shelf of the Barents Sea, approximately 600 km northeast of the city of Murmansk. The volume of gas reserves is 3.8 trillion cubic meters. Due to the great depth of gas occurrence, as well as difficult development conditions, production is not yet carried out here. The implementation of a project to extract minerals requires high-tech equipment and significant costs.

It should also be noted large deposits of natural gas in Russia and the CIS countries.

• Igrimskoye and Pokhromskoye (Berezovskaya gas-bearing region).
• Pelagiadinskoe and Severo-Stavropolskoe (Stavropol Territory).
• Dagestan Lights (Dagestan).
• Bairam-Ali, Shatlyk, Kyzylkum (Central Asia).
• Ust-Silginskoye and Myldzhinskoye (Vasyugan gas-bearing region).

Other countries

In addition to Russia, Iran (fields on the shelf of the Persian Gulf), Saudi Arabia (Gavar field), Qatar (Rnoe field) are among the countries with the most gas reserves.

Gas production in Europe has declined in recent years by almost one third, with a significant increase in prices. Developments are being carried out in Great Britain, Germany, France, Poland, Ukraine, Austria, Romania. In these European countries, there is mainly shale gas, but its production is expensive and environmentally unsafe.

The US is ahead of Russia in gas production, but the process of reducing volumes is already noticeable. America is finding new markets, it is preparing to export shale gas to Europe.

Mining methods

The extraction of natural gas is carried out through wells, by extracting it from the depths. During this process, the formation pressure in the reservoir falls rhythmically, due to the fact that the wells are distributed evenly throughout the field. Natural gas fills microscopic voids in the earth's interior.

under natural pressure

They are interconnected by means of cracks-channels, through which gaseous substances move from pores with low pressure to pores with higher pressure until they are in the well and begin to rise up.

Such natural gas contains various impurities that are removed at gas processing plants or at special stations for subsequent transportation.

From the coal mines

There are several other mining methods.

Extraction of methane gas from coal mines in order to prevent an explosion. This fishery is actively practiced in the USA. Gas formation occurs exclusively in the gap between anthracite and brown coal.

hydraulic fracturing

Most Ra A popular hydraulic fracturing technique, the principle of which is to inject water or air flow through the well.

As a result of this technique, the partitions are destroyed and minerals rise outward.

In some countries, this method is prohibited, as it can lead to an earthquake.

Under the water

As you know, most large gas fields are under water. For production, inclined wells are built near the coastline, directed towards the water. High piles are installed at a shallow depth.

Floating platforms are used to work in fields in depth zones from 100 to 300 meters, at the corners of which there are stabilizing elements like columns.

A drilling rig is installed in the center.

In the area where the drilling process will take place, the supports go down to the bottom, followed by deepening into the ground.

At particularly great depths (up to 3000 meters), semi-submersible platforms are used. They are placed on pontoons and held by 15-ton anchors. Gravity-type platforms are considered the most stable. The support columns are made of concrete.

They are equipped not only with drilling rigs, but also with tanks with pipelines in which raw materials are stored.

Technological process

The main equipment for natural gas production is a drilling rig.

It is a four-legged metal tower, the height of which is from 20 to 30 meters. A thick steel pipe with a drill at the lower end is suspended from it. Its rotation occurs under the action of the rotor. The pipe is lengthened as the depth of the well increases, where a special liquid mass is injected so that the destroyed rocks do not clog it. This is done with a pump through a pipe.

The solution cleans the space between the pipe and the walls of the well, removing limestone and sandstone. The liquid washing out the destroyed rocks simultaneously contributes to the rotation of the drill. Until the bottom of the well is reached, the mud is responsible for turning a turbine attached to the drilling rig. Such a device is called a turbodrill.

The improved mechanism involves the operation of several turbines at once, mounted on a common shaft. Since the produced gas in the subsoil is under high pressure, a series of steel bolts are installed to lift it through the pipes, which control the release and prevent accidents associated with its high release rate.

Storage and transportation

The extracted natural gas is stored in special hermetic, gas-tight tanks.

For liquefied raw materials, special steel containers are designed, which have double walls. They can also be made from durable aluminum alloys. As a rule, a non-thermal-conducting material is laid between the walls, which prevents the heating of the gas.

The largest gas storage facilities are built underground. Dense mountain layers act as walls. In order for the rocks not to be destroyed, they are concreted. Storage for liquefied gases can be in the form of a deep mine working. It is a pit or pit, which is hermetically sealed with a metal hatch.

The main method of gas transportation is pipeline. The movement is carried out through pipes with a large diameter.

The pressure is 75 atmospheres. It is stably maintained at a certain level due to the presence of compressor stations located at a fixed distance from each other.

Gas transportation is also carried out using tankers (gas carriers).

They transport liquefied gas under thermobaric conditions. This method involves a number of preparatory processes for the use of tankers.

It is required to stretch a gas pipeline to the seashore, equip a liquefaction plant and build a port.

This method of transportation is economically justified, especially if the consumer is located at a distance of more than 3000 km from the point of production.

Impact of gas production systems on the environment

35% of the total atmospheric emissions are waste from stationary sources related to the gas production system. Of these, only 20% are captured and neutralized. This is a fairly low figure among all industries. The gas transportation system has a significant technogenic impact on the environment. Approximately 70% of all emissions enter the atmosphere. At gas compressor stations, the following operations are carried out, which are accompanied by emissions of harmful substances:

• purging the gas pipeline (volley ejection);
• degassing tank lubrication;
• actuation of pneumatic valves.

In the presence of odorization stations, a certain proportion of the odorant may be released during the transfer of odorizing substances from the storage tank to the working tank.

Good afternoon my reader. Today I will tell you about the largest mineral deposits in the world and separately in our country. And to begin with, I will remind you what minerals are.

Minerals throughout the world are considered to be organic and mineral formations located in the earth's crust, the composition and properties of which can be effectively used by the national economy.

One of the varieties of natural resources are mineral resources - rocks and minerals used in the mineral resource base of the world economy.

Today the world economy uses over 200 types of ore, fuel and energy and mineral resources.

In the distant past, our Earth has experienced numerous natural disasters, one of which was volcanic eruptions. Hot magma from the vent of the volcano spilled over the surface of our planet and then cooled, flowing into deep crevices, where it crystallized over time.

Magmatic activity was most pronounced in areas of seismically active zones, where useful resources were formed over a long time of the development of the earth's crust, which are distributed relatively evenly throughout the planet. The main continents of distribution of raw materials are South and North America, Eurasia and Africa, Asia and Australia.

As you know, different metals have different melting points, and the composition and location of accumulations of ore minerals depend on temperature.

The placement of these deposits had its own specific patterns, depending on the geological features and weather factors:

1. the time of the appearance of the earth,
2. structure of the earth's crust
3. type and terrain,
4. shape, size and geological structure of the territory,
5. climatic conditions,
6. weather phenomena,
7. water balance.

Areas where minerals are located are characterized by a closed area where local mineral deposits are concentrated and are called basins. They are characterized by the commonality of rock formations, a single process of accumulation of sediments in the tectonic structure.

Large accumulations of minerals that are of industrial importance are called deposits, and their closely spaced, closed groups are called basins.

Types of resources of our planet

The main resources on our planet are found on all continents - South and North America, Africa and Eurasia, Australia and Asia, they are not distributed evenly and therefore their set is different in different territories.

The world industry requires more and more raw materials and energy every year, so geologists do not stop their search for new deposits for a minute, and scientists and industry experts develop modern technologies for the extraction and processing of extracted raw materials.

This raw material is already mined not only, but also at the bottom of the seas and coastal areas of the oceans, in hard-to-reach areas of the earth, and even in permafrost conditions.

The presence of explored reserves over time required specialists in this industry to account for and classify them, so all minerals were divided according to their physical properties into: solid, liquid and gaseous.

Examples of solid minerals are marble and granite, coal and peat, as well as ores of various metals. Accordingly, liquid - mineral water and oil. As well as gaseous - methane and helium, as well as various gases.

According to their origin, all fossils were divided into sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic.

Igneous fossils are attributed to places of surface or close occurrence from the surface of the outcrop of the crystalline basement of the platforms, during the period of activity of tectonic processes.

Sedimentary fossils have been formed over many centuries and millennia from the remains of ancient plants and animals, and are used mainly as fuel.

Fuel mineral resources form the largest oil and gas and coal basins. Metamorphic fossils were formed as a result of the change in sedimentary and igneous rocks due to changes in physico-chemical conditions.
According to the scope of use for combustible, ore and non-metallic, where precious and ornamental stones were designated as a separate group.

Fossil fuels are natural gas and oil, coal and peat. Ore minerals are mountain ore rocks, which contain metal components. Non-metallic minerals are rocks of substances that do not contain metals - limestone and clay, sulfur and sand, various salts and apatites.

Availability of general mineral resources

For industrial development, not all explored mineral deposits, due to their unfavorable and inaccessible conditions, mankind could extract, therefore, in the world ranking for the extraction of reserves of natural raw materials, each country fills up its own specific place.

Every year, mining engineers and geologists continue to discover new reserves of underground resources, which is why the leading positions of individual states change from year to year.

So it is believed that Russia is the richest country in the world in terms of production of natural resources, namely, 1/3 of the world's natural gas reserves are located here.

The largest gas field in Russia is Urengoyskoye and Yamburgskoye, which is why our country ranks first in the world ranking for this raw material. In terms of reserves and production of tungsten, Russia is in second place.

Our largest pools of coal are located not only in the Urals, but also in Eastern Siberia, the Far East and Central Russia, therefore, in terms of coal, Russia is in third place in the world ranking. In fourth place - in gold, in seventh - in oil.

The main gas and oil fields on the continents are located in piedmont troughs and depressions, but the world's largest deposits of this raw material are located on the seabed of the continental shelf. So in Africa and Australia, large reserves of oil and gas were found in the shelf zone of the mainland coast.

Latin America has huge reserves of non-ferrous and rare metals, so this country ranks first in the world in terms of this natural raw material. The largest coal basins are located in North America, therefore, these natural resources have brought this country to the first place in the world in terms of its reserves.
The Chinese platform can be considered very promising in terms of oil reserves, where such fossil fuels as oil and gas have been used to light and heat human dwellings since the 4th century BC.

In foreign Asia, the richest in variety of minerals are concentrated, which was influenced by volcanic and seismic landforms, as well as the activity of permafrost, glaciers, wind and flowing waters.

Asia is famous throughout the world for its reserves of precious and semi-precious stones, so this continent is very rich in a variety of minerals.

The tectonic structure in the history of the geological development of such a continent as Eurasia determined the diversity of the terrain, which is why there are the richest world oil reserves in comparison with other countries.

Large reserves of ore minerals in Eurasia are associated with the basement of Mesozoic folding platforms.

In search of fuel and other raw materials, humanity is moving more and more confidently to where black gold and natural gas are mined at continental depths of over 3000 meters, because the bottom of this region of our planet has been little studied and definitely contains innumerable reserves of precious natural raw materials.

And that's all for today. I hope you liked my article about the largest mineral deposits in Russia and in the world, and you learned a lot of useful things from it. Maybe you also had to engage in amateur mining of some of them, write about it in your comments, it will be interesting for me to read about it. Allow me to say goodbye and see you again.

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This article is about the mineral resources of the Earth. In particular, we will talk about the main types of minerals that are distinguished by geological science....

By Masterweb

Even in the early stages of its development, a reasonable person actively used the resources that nature provided him. At first, it was what was in plain sight - water, wood, stones. In the future, people began to increasingly ask themselves the question: what can be useful hidden underground? And the bowels of our planet presented him with many pleasant surprises.

This article is about the mineral resources of the Earth. In particular, we will talk about the main types of minerals that are distinguished by modern geological science. Where are they mined, and in what sectors of the economy are they used? And what types of minerals are considered the most valuable and in demand today?

Mineral wealth of the Earth

In the depths of our planet lie hundreds, if not thousands of different types of minerals. Some of them are harder than steel (like, for example, diamonds), while others crumble and crumble from the lightest blow (a vivid example is kaolin). Certain types of extracted minerals are in a liquid (oil) or gaseous (natural gas) state of aggregation. Their development is carried out using a system of special wells.

Minerals in the earth's crust can be in the form of placers, nests, layers, lenses or veins. Accumulations of several deposits often form entire basins, provinces, and ore fields. The development and extraction of mineral resources is carried out by a separate branch of science and technology, called mining.

What types of minerals are isolated by scientists today? We will talk about this in more detail in the next section of our article.

Types of minerals

The genesis of certain mineral substances and compounds can be completely different. For example, the origin of many ores is associated with magmatic processes occurring in the depths of the earth's crust. But oil was formed from the remains of plants and animals that died millions of years ago. Therefore, it is quite logical to distinguish two types of minerals:

• Organic.
• Inorganic.

There are also a number of other classifications. So, according to the state of aggregation, solid, liquid and gaseous minerals are distinguished, according to the conditions of occurrence in the earth's crust - reservoir, vein, etc. The following types of minerals are also distinguished by origin and conditions of formation:

• Endogenous (formed at great depths in the thickness of the earth's crust).
• Exogenous (formed on the surface of the lithosphere - at the bottom of lakes, swamps, seas or oceans).
• Metamorphic (substances formed under the influence of ultra-high temperatures and pressure).

There is another, generalized classification. So, according to it, the most important types of minerals are fuel (or combustible), ore (metal) and non-metallic. Sometimes raw materials for the construction industry are distinguished as a separate subclass. We will dwell on these 3 types of minerals in more detail.

fossil fuels

Combustible (or fuel) minerals are a type of mineral resources characterized by such a property as combustion. And they are used mainly as a source of thermal energy. The main types of fuel minerals include oil, natural gas, hard and brown coal, peat, anthracite and oil shale.

The combustion of all of the above fuels releases a large amount of energy. This is facilitated by carbons, which are contained in all, without exception, combustible minerals. It is impossible to imagine the life of a modern city without oil, from which gasoline is obtained, or without gas, which is spent on heating many residential buildings. Coal is widely used in heavy industry, in particular, in thermal power engineering and ferrous metallurgy.

metal ores

Metals are present in many things we use every day: cars, laptops, mobile phones, household appliances, and even the most common light bulbs. Moreover, most often these are not pure metals, but alloys created by man artificially. So, widely used steel is an alloy of iron with carbon and some other elements (for example, manganese). But the very first stage in the process of production of any metal or alloy is the extraction of the necessary ore raw materials.

There are five main types of ore minerals. This:

• Ferrous metals (iron, chromium, manganese).
• Non-ferrous metals (copper, aluminum, nickel).
• Rare metals (tungsten, molybdenum, tin).
• Radioactive compounds (radium, uranium).
• Noble metals (gold, silver, platinum).

Iron ores (as the basis for the production of various alloys), as well as aluminum and copper-nickel ores, are of the greatest importance for mankind at the present stage of its development. In particular, the presence in the bowels of the country of large deposits of non-ferrous metals largely contributes to its technical progress. After all, they are widely used in electrical engineering, aircraft engineering, astronautics and the production of high-precision instruments.

non-metallic minerals

Non-metallic mineral raw materials are a type of minerals that do not contain metals in their composition and are used mainly in the construction industry. In total, this group includes about 100 names of rocks and minerals. And modern volumes of extraction of mineral resources of non-metallic type are quite large.

There is no unified and generally accepted classification of non-metallic minerals. Here it is customary to highlight:

• Mining raw materials (asbestos, graphite, talc).
• Chemical raw materials (potassium salt, native sulfur, phosphorites).
• Building materials (limestone, sand, marble, granite, sandstone, tuff, clay and others).
• Piezo-optical raw materials (Icelandic spar, quartz, optical fluorite).
• Precious and semi-precious stones (labradorite, sapphire, ruby, amethyst, opal and others).

Geography of the mineral resources of the planet

The distribution of certain minerals on the surface of our planet is connected, first of all, with the geological structure of the territory. So, on the shields of ancient platforms there are numerous deposits of ferrous and non-ferrous metals. But significant deposits of oil, gas, coal, and salt are confined to the zones of marginal and foothill troughs. Minerals of non-metallic type are dispersed everywhere: both within folded (mountainous) areas and within platform areas.

On geographical maps, deposits of mineral resources are indicated by special graphic symbols and signs. Moreover, each mineral has its own designation (see photo below). So, for example, coal is indicated by a filled square, salt by an empty square, iron ore by a black equilateral triangle, and so on.

Oil and gas

If you list the types of minerals that are used by man today, then the bill will go to hundreds, or even thousands. The mineral and resource potential of the earth's interior is simply amazing! But few will argue with the fact that the most important types of minerals, as of the first quarter of the 21st century, are oil and natural gas.

Oil is often called black gold, thereby emphasizing the importance and value of this resource. This fuel is in demand all over the world, and some countries replenish their budgets quite well from its sale. Oil is the most important mineral resource for North Africa and Southwest Asia. Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Iran, Iraq and Canada are the leaders in the world in terms of total reserves of this mineral.

Oil production brings huge profits to countries. Oil is extracted from the bowels of the Earth in three main ways:

• Mechanical.
• Fountain.
• Slantsev.

The most common is the mechanical (or pumping) method of extraction. To do this, wells are drilled, after which the oil is pumped out using powerful compressor equipment. It should be noted that black gold is mined not only on land, but also at sea. For this, special floating platforms are installed on the water.

Gas deposits are often found near oil deposits. Together they often form entire oil and gas regions and provinces, occupying significant areas. Natural gas is a mixture of several gases at once (methane, propane, butane and some others), which is formed in the thickness of the earth's crust as a result of anaerobic decomposition of organic substances. From the bowels of the planet, it is mined using wells, the depth of which can reach several kilometers.

Coal

Fossil coal is one of the most abundant mineral resources in the world. Its deposits are found on all continents of the Earth. But the following countries have the largest deposits of coal: the USA, China, Russia, India and Australia.

Depending on the carbon content, there are three main types of this mineral:

• Brown coal (up to 65-70% carbon).
• Hard coal (75-95%).
• Anthracite (over 95%).

The color of coal varies from brown to dark gray and black.

From the bowels of the planet, coal is mined in two main ways:

1. closed.
2. open.

The closed (or mine) method of extraction is used at significant depths of coal seams (over 100 meters). For this, mines or adits are built. The main advantage of this mining method is environmental friendliness. Coal mines cause much less harm to the environment than quarries or cuts. At the same time, mining is extremely dangerous for the health and life of workers.

An open (or quarry) mining method is used in cases where coal seams are located as close to the surface of the earth as possible. In this case, the upper layer of the earth's crust (including soil) is opened and the direct development of the deposit begins. The rock is crushed using special machines (draglines and crushers) and transported to the surface. Among the advantages of open-pit coal mining are efficiency and relative safety. However, quarries “eat up” huge land areas and cause enormous harm to the environment. Plus, coal extracted in this way usually contains a large amount of various impurities.

Iron ore

Iron ores are natural mineral formations with an iron (Fe) content of 10% to 75%. In general, it is known about two hundred minerals, which contain iron. But the most important of them are magnetites and hematites. Ores with an iron content of up to 45% are considered poor and require additional enrichment.

Iron ore is the main raw material for ferrous metallurgy. Most of it goes to the production of iron and rolled steel. The largest suppliers of iron ore to the world market are India, China, Ukraine, Russia, Brazil, Kazakhstan and Australia. These countries account for over 80% of global production.

The extraction of this mineral is carried out in mines and quarries (less often in mines). Rich ores are immediately sent to open-hearth and converter shops for steel smelting. Poor ores with a low iron content need to be enriched. This process is carried out at special mining and processing plants (GOKah). First, the ore extracted from the bowels of the earth is crushed, and then the resulting mass is sent to a magnetic separator, which “pulls” iron particles out of it. After that, the enriched ore is sintered into small pellets (8-15 mm in diameter) and sent to metallurgical plants.

The volume of world iron ore production is growing rapidly. If in 2001 about 1 billion tons of this raw material was extracted, then in 2010 this figure already amounted to 2.4 billion tons. True, some highly developed countries are gradually reducing the consumption of iron ore and are switching to the recycling of scrap metal they already have.

Gold

Perhaps there is no person on Earth who would not hear the word "Klondike". The name of this region in Alaska has become a household name as a designation of a place full of precious treasures. At the end of the 19th century, colossal deposits of gold were discovered here. And thousands of adventurers went to a wild and distant land in search of him. A lucky few managed to get there and find a priceless yellow treasure.

Gold is still the most valuable metal on Earth today. Most often it is used in the jewelry industry and as an investment object. Gold bars are considered the most reliable way to keep your savings. In addition, the noble metal is also used in microelectronics, dentistry and the food industry.

Throughout history, mankind has extracted about 160 thousand tons of gold from the earth. In monetary terms, this is an amount that is approximately 8 trillion US dollars. The leaders in gold mining in the world are the following countries: China, Russia, Australia, USA, South Africa, Peru, Canada. There are 37 gold mining companies operating on the territory of the Russian Federation today. They are located in Buryatia, the Amur and Irkutsk regions, Transbaikalia, the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the Republic of Tyva and some other regions of the country.

Diamonds

Diamond is a natural mineral, a form of carbon. It is characterized by extremely high hardness and thermal conductivity. A cut diamond is called a diamond. For quite a long time, it has been the most expensive and valuable decoration. True, the price of diamonds is largely due to the extremely high degree of monopolization of this market in the global economy.

In addition to jewelry, diamonds have found their application in electronics, aerospace and nuclear industries. Due to the exceptional hardness of the mineral, it is used in the production of heavy-duty drills and cutters.

Diamonds are the most important type of minerals in Africa. At least some of its countries. Thus, every second diamond in the world is mined in four states of the "black continent". These are Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and Tanzania. Other major importers of the most durable mineral are India, Russia, Angola, Canada.

On the territory of Russia, the first diamond was found by serf Pavel Popov in the Perm province. For such a valuable find, he was granted freedom. Subsequently, large kimberlite pipes were discovered in Yakutia, as well as significant deposits in the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Arkhangelsk Region.

Rock salt

Talking about the most sought-after minerals, one cannot fail to mention salt. The value of this mineral and food product is unusually high. In ancient times, salt often performed the function of settlement money. It is vital for any human body. Salt deficiency is accompanied by weakness, headaches and nausea.

The chemical formula of this mineral is NaCl (sodium chloride). In nature, it occurs as colorless transparent crystals. Kitchen salt is obtained in several ways. Actually, rock salt is mined by the mine method. The mineral is also obtained by digestion of liquid salt solutions.

In total, about 200 million tons of salt are mined in the world per year. The largest producers of this product are such countries as the USA, China, India, Canada, France, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Chile. The oldest salt pans were discovered by archaeologists on the Black Sea coast (modern Bulgaria). Scientists have found that salt began to be mined here as early as the sixth millennium BC.

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The largest country in the world occupies one of the leading places in terms of mineral reserves.

This can be most clearly represented in numbers. More than 200,000 deposits have now been discovered on the territory of Russia, and the total value of all minerals is about 30 trillion rubles. dollars.

Here is the share of Russia in the world reserves of certain types of minerals:

• Oil— 12%
• Natural gas — 32%
• Coal— 30 %
• Potassium salts — 31%
• Cobalt— 21%
• Iron— 25%
• Nickel— 15%.

Features of the relief of Russia

Russia occupies the largest territory in the world, and therefore has a diverse and complex relief. Among the features of the relief are:

1. The predominance of plains in the European part of the country and the central regions.

2. The mountains are located mainly in the south, east and northeast (not counting the Ural Range, which crosses Russia from north to south).

3. The relief has a general slope to the north, so most of the rivers flow into the waters of the seas of the Arctic.

These characteristic features of the relief affect the distribution of mineral deposits. Rocks are mined in the Caucasus and Eastern Siberia, peat - in forests, bauxite and iron ore - on the plains.

Types of minerals

Minerals are minerals and rocks that are used by man. There are several classifications of minerals, but most often they are divided by type of use.

combustible

• Coal- sedimentary rock, occurs in layers. The most important type of fuel used in metallurgy. The most important reserves of Russia are the Kuzbass, Pechora, and Tunguska deposits.
• Peat formed in swamps from decaying plant residues. Contains up to 60% carbon. It is used as a cheap fuel, for fertilizers and for the extraction of acetic acid.
• Oil— oily liquid of black color, perfectly burns. Occurs between sedimentary rocks at different depths. It is the most important fossil fuel. In the Russian Federation, the largest deposits are the West Siberian basin, the basins of the North Caucasus and the Volga region.
• Natural gas- formed in the voids of rocks. Sometimes its accumulations can be millions of cubic meters. This is the cheapest and most convenient fuel.
• oil shale- sedimentary rocks, which are a mixture of siliceous clay and organic residues. During the distillation of shale, a resin is obtained that is similar in composition and properties to oil.

Ore

• Rocks(marble, mica, asphalt, tuff, potash salt, phosphorites). They have a different origin and are used in almost all industries.

Thus, tuffs and marble are used in construction, mica - in the electrical and radio industry, asbestos - for thermal insulation and fire insulation, asphalt - for road pavement.

• metal ores(iron, copper, nickel, non-ferrous metals) - these are mountain clusters containing metals. For example, aluminum is mined from bauxites, nephelines and alunites, iron from iron ores, brown, red and magnetic iron ore.
• Non-metallic ores(sand, asbestos).

Nonmetallic

• Gems- natural stones of organic or mineral origin. Used in jewelry, medicine, chemical industry.
• Sand, gravel, clay, chalk, salt- hard rocks used in almost all areas of industry.

Resources and deposits

About 30 types of fossils are represented on the territory of Russia. Here is a description of the main deposits and reserves of just some of them.

Oil and gas

Oil is produced mainly in the eastern and northern parts of the country, as well as on the shelves of the seas of the Arctic and the Far East. Currently, 2,152 oil fields are being actively developed. Up to 600 million tons are mined annually, and the predicted reserves are estimated at 50 billion tons.

In terms of natural gas reserves, Russia ranks first in the world. About 650 billion cubic meters of gas are produced annually. More than 10 deposits have been explored, which are called unique, as the predicted reserves in them exceed 1 trillion. cubic meters.

Coal

In terms of coal production, Russia ranks third in the world. Only explored reserves will be enough for the country for 400 years. Coal basins are concentrated mainly in the east of the country - beyond the Ural Mountains. The largest deposits are the Tunguska (more than 2200 billion tons) and Lena basins (1647 billion tons).

oil shale

The main deposits are concentrated in the European part of the country. The largest is the Baltic shale basin.

Peat

The main peat reserves are located in the Asian part of Russia. In total, more than 46 thousand deposits have been explored. The largest is Vasyuganskoye, where 15% of peat reserves in the Russian Federation are mined.

Iron ores

In terms of iron ore deposits, Russia ranks first in the world. The largest deposits are concentrated in the European part (the Kursk magnetic anomaly, the Baltic Shield on the Kola Peninsula, the KMA basin).

Manganese

In the Russian Federation, manganese is mined mainly of the carbonate type. To date, 14 deposits have been explored in the Urals, Siberia and the Far East. The total amount of reserves is about 150 million tons. The largest deposits are Yurkinskoye, Berezovskoye, Polunochnoye.

Aluminum

Russia has a sufficient amount of bauxite and nepheline reserves in the Urals and Western Siberia. But the problem is that the ores are of low quality, and the extraction of aluminum seems to be costly. The most promising in this regard are the bauxite reserves of the North Ural region.

Non-ferrous metals

In terms of reserves of non-ferrous metal ores, Russia ranks first in the world, and the total value of explored reserves is more than 1.8 trillion. dollars. The richest deposits of ores are found in Eastern Siberia and Taimyr. For example, Russia's share in the world's diamond production is 25%. More is mined only in South Africa.

Nonmetallic building materials

Experts note the main problems that prevent Russia from fully exploiting its potential in the field of mineral reserves are insufficient funding for geological surveys, problems with taxation, a lack of manufacturing enterprises and the inability to provide a sufficient sales market.