Sedimentary minerals most typical for platforms, since the platform cover is located there. These are mainly non-metallic minerals and fuels, the leading role among which is played by coal and oil shale. They were formed from the remains of plants and animals accumulated in the coastal parts of shallow seas and in lake-marsh land conditions. These abundant organic residues could only accumulate in sufficiently moist and warm conditions, favorable for lush development. In hot, dry conditions, in shallow seas and coastal lagoons, salts accumulated, which are used as raw materials in.

Mining

There are several ways mining. Firstly, this is an open method in which rocks are mined in quarries. It is more economically beneficial, as it helps to obtain a cheaper product. However, an abandoned quarry can cause a wide net to form. The mine method of coal mining requires large expenditures and is therefore more expensive. The cheapest method of oil production is flowing, when oil rises through a well under oil gases. The pumping method of extraction is also common. There are also special methods of mining. They are called geotechnological. With their help, ore is mined from the depths of the Earth. This is done by pumping hot water and solutions into the layers containing the necessary minerals. Other wells pump out the resulting solution and separate the valuable component.

The need for minerals is constantly growing, production is increasing, but minerals are exhaustible natural resources, so it is necessary to use them more economically and fully.

There are several ways to do this:

• reducing losses of minerals during their extraction;
• more complete extraction of all useful components from the rock;
• integrated use of mineral resources;
• search for new, more promising deposits.

Thus, the main direction in the use of minerals in the coming years should not be an increase in the volume of their production, but a more rational use.

In modern searches for mineral resources, it is necessary to use not only the latest technology and sensitive instruments, but also a scientific forecast for the search for deposits, which helps to conduct targeted exploration of subsoil on a scientific basis. It was thanks to such methods that diamond deposits in Yakutia were first scientifically predicted and then discovered. A scientific forecast is based on knowledge of the connections and conditions for the formation of minerals.

Brief description of the main minerals

The hardest of all minerals. Its composition is pure carbon. It is found in placers and as inclusions in rocks. Diamonds are colorless, but they are also found in various colors. A cut diamond is called a diamond. Its weight is usually measured in carats (1 carat = 0.2 g). The largest diamond was found in Yuzhnaya: it weighed more than 3,000 carats. Most diamonds are mined in Africa (98% of production in the capitalist world). In Russia, large diamond deposits are located in Yakutia. Clear crystals are used to make gemstones. Before 1430, diamonds were considered common gemstones. The trendsetter for them was the Frenchwoman Agnes Sorel. Due to their hardness, opaque diamonds are used industrially for cutting and engraving, as well as for polishing glass and stone.

Soft malleable metal yellow color, heavy, does not oxidize in air. In nature it is found mainly in its pure form (nuggets). The largest nugget, weighing 69.7 kg, was found in Australia.

Gold is also found in the form of placers - this is the result of erosion of the deposit, when grains of gold are released and carried away, forming placers. Gold is used in the production of precision instruments and various jewelry. In Russia, gold lies on and in. Abroad - in Canada, . Since gold occurs in nature in small quantities and its extraction is associated with high costs, it is considered a precious metal.

Platinum(from Spanish plata - silver) - a precious metal from white to steel-gray color. It is characterized by refractoriness, resistance to chemical influences and electrical conductivity. It is mined mainly in placers. It is used for the manufacture of chemical glassware, in electrical engineering, jewelry and dentistry. In Russia, platinum is mined in the Urals and in Eastern Siberia. Abroad - in South Africa.

Gems(gems) - mineral bodies with beautiful color, brilliance, hardness, and transparency. They are divided into two groups: stones used for cutting and semi-precious stones. The first group includes diamond, ruby, sapphire, emerald, amethyst, and aquamarine. The second group includes malachite, jasper, and rock crystal. All precious stones, as a rule, are of igneous origin. However, pearls, amber, and coral are minerals of organic origin. Precious stones are used in jewelry and for technical purposes.

Tuffs- rocks of various origins. Calcareous tuff is a porous rock formed by the precipitation of calcium carbonate from sources. This tuff is used to produce cement and lime. Volcanic tuff - cemented. Tuffs are used as construction material. Has different colors.

Mica- rocks that have the ability to split into thin layers with a smooth surface; found as impurities in sedimentary rocks. Various micas are used as a good electrical insulator, for the manufacture of windows in metallurgical furnaces, and in the electrical and radio industries. In Russia, mica is mined in Eastern Siberia, in. Industrial development of mica deposits is carried out in Ukraine, the USA, .

Marble- crystalline rock formed as a result of limestone metamorphism. It comes in different colors. Marble is used as a building material for wall cladding, architecture and sculpture. In Russia there are many of its deposits in the Urals and the Caucasus. Abroad, the most famous marble is mined in.

Asbestos(Greek inextinguishable) - a group of fibrous fireproof rocks, splitting into soft greenish-yellow or almost white. It occurs in the form of veins (a vein is a mineral body that fills a crack, usually has a plate-like shape, going vertically to great depths. The length of the veins reaches two or more kilometers), among igneous and sedimentary rocks. It is used for the manufacture of special fabrics (fire insulation), tarpaulins, fire-resistant roofing materials, as well as thermal insulation materials. In Russia, asbestos mining is carried out in the Urals, in, and abroad - in and other countries.

Asphalt(resin) - a brittle, resinous rock of brown or black color, which is a mixture of hydrocarbons. Asphalt melts easily, burns with a smoky flame, and is a product of changes in certain types of oil, from which some of the substances have evaporated. Asphalt often penetrates sandstones, limestones, and marl. It is used as a building material for road surfaces, in electrical engineering and the rubber industry, for the preparation of varnishes and mixtures for waterproofing. The main asphalt deposits in Russia are the Ukhta region, abroad - in, in France,.

Apatity- minerals rich in phosphorus salts, green, gray and other colors; found among various igneous rocks, in some places forming large accumulations. Apatites are mainly used for the production of phosphate fertilizers, they are also used in the ceramics industry. In Russia, the largest deposits of apatite are located in, on. Abroad, they are mined in the Republic of South Africa.

Phosphorites- Sedimentary rocks rich in phosphorus compounds that form grains in the rock or bind various minerals together into a dense rock. The color of phosphorites is dark gray. They, like apatites, are used to produce phosphate fertilizers. In Russia, phosphorite deposits are common in the Moscow and Kirov regions. Abroad, they are mined in the USA (Florida Peninsula) and.

Aluminum ores- minerals and rocks used to produce aluminum. Main aluminum ores- these are bauxites, nephelines and alunites.

Bauxite(the name comes from the area of ​​Beau in the south of France) - sedimentary rocks of red or brown color. 1/3 of the world's reserves lie in the north, and the country is one of the leading countries in their production. In Russia, bauxite is mined in. The main component of bauxite is aluminum oxide.

Alunites(the name comes from the word alun - alum (French) - minerals that contain aluminum, potassium and other inclusions. Alunite ore can be a raw material for the production of not only aluminum, but also potash fertilizers and sulfuric acid. Alunite deposits are in the USA , China, Ukraine, and other countries.

Nephelines(the name comes from the Greek “nephele”, which means cloud) - minerals of complex composition, gray or green in color, containing a significant amount of aluminum. They are part of igneous rocks. In Russia, nephelines are mined in and in Eastern Siberia. Aluminum obtained from these ores is a soft metal, produces strong alloys, and is widely used in the production of household goods.

Iron ores- natural mineral accumulations containing iron. They are varied in mineralogical composition, the amount of iron in them and various impurities. Impurities can be valuable (manganese chromium, cobalt, nickel) and harmful (sulfur, phosphorus, arsenic). The main ones are brown iron ore, red iron ore, and magnetic iron ore.

Brown iron ore, or limonite, is a mixture of several minerals containing iron with an admixture of clay substances. It has a brown, yellow-brown or black color. It is most often found in sedimentary rocks. If the ores of brown iron ore - one of the most common iron ores - have an iron content of at least 30%, then they are considered industrial. The main deposits are in Russia (Ural, Lipetsk), Ukraine (), France (Lorraine), on.

Hematite, or hematite, is a red-brown to black mineral containing up to 65% iron.

It is found in various rocks in the form of crystals and thin plates. Sometimes it forms clusters in the form of hard or earthy masses of a bright red color. The main deposits of red iron ore are in Russia (KMA), Ukraine (Krivoy Rog), USA, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Canada, Sweden.

Magnetic iron ore, or magnetite, is a black mineral containing 50-60% iron. This is high quality iron ore. Composed of iron and oxygen, highly magnetic. It occurs in the form of crystals, inclusions and solid masses. The main deposits are in Russia (Ural, KMA, Siberia), Ukraine (Krivoy Rog), Sweden and the USA.

Manganese ores- mineral compounds containing manganese, the main property of which is to give steel and cast iron malleability and hardness. Modern metallurgy is unthinkable without manganese: a special alloy is smelted - ferromanganese, containing up to 80% manganese, which is used to smelt high-quality steel. In addition, manganese is necessary for the growth and development of animals and is a microfertilizer. The main ore deposits are located in Ukraine (Nikolskoye), India, Brazil and the Republic of South Africa.

Tin ores- numerous minerals containing tin. Tin ores with a tin content of 1-2% or more are being developed. These ores require beneficiation - increasing the valuable component and separating waste rock, so ores are used for smelting, the tin content of which has been increased to 55%. Tin does not oxidize, which is why it is widely used in the canning industry. In Russia, tin ores are found in Eastern Siberia and on, and abroad they are mined in Indonesia, on the peninsula.

Nickel ores- mineral compounds containing nickel. It does not oxidize in air. The addition of nickel to steels greatly increases their elasticity. Pure nickel is used in mechanical engineering. In Russia it is mined on the Kola Peninsula, the Urals, and Eastern Siberia; abroad - in Canada, in Brazil.

Uranium-radium ores- mineral accumulations containing uranium. Radium is a product of the radioactive decay of uranium. The radium content in uranium ores is negligible - up to 300 mg per 1 ton of ore. have great importance, since the nuclear fission of each gram of uranium can produce 2 million times more energy than burning 1 gram of fuel, so they are used as fuel in nuclear power plants to generate cheap electricity. Uranium-radium ores are mined in Russia, the USA, China, Canada, Congo, and other countries of the world.

To get metal, you need ore. It is not surprising that one of the most ancient human activities is mining, i.e. prospecting, exploration, mining and processing of ores.

Ferrous metals include iron, manganese, chromium, titanium, and vanadium. It is not enough to extract ore; you still need to extract a useful component from it in order to smelt the metal. As a result, environmental pollution inevitably occurs. If in the Middle Ages the extraction of ferrous metals was the key to economic prosperity for many countries, today, in order to protect and protect nature, many countries are already abandoning open-pit ore mining, as at the Kursk magnetic anomaly, preferring the closed mine mining method. After all, almost a billion tons of ore are extracted from the ground every year. Waste rock extracted from the depths during ore mining is a large ecological problem for areas where active mining is taking place. Metallurgical plants spend huge amounts of money on installing cleaning filters that prevent all harmful production waste from entering the environment. However, without the extraction of ferrous metal ores there would be no progress in the development of civilization.

Noble metals - gold, silver, platinum have always been valued due to their exquisite appearance, softness and unique properties(gold, for example, is very resistant; silver has disinfectant properties).

"Golden fever"

As soon as they heard about the finds of gold, thousands of people lost their peace, fell ill with “gold fever” and rushed to the remote and wild lands in hopes of getting rich. One of the most famous “fever” is associated with the development of gold placer deposits in Alaska. Gold in nature can be found in primary deposits (veins) or in the form of placers, when the precious metal, together with river sand from a destroyed vein, is transported by water and stored along the banks of rivers and streams. Rivers can subsequently change their course, move away from their previous place, but the placer remains.

Among the golden sand, you may also find nuggets - fairly large pieces of metal. In 1896, news spread across America about the richest placer deposits found by prospectors in the Klondike Creek valley. Numerous gold miners rushed in search of gold, many of whom were completely unprepared for the hardships of a miner's life. Jack London colorfully spoke about the epic of mining the Klondike placers. But alluvial deposits are quickly depleted. The richest placers were mined over several decades.

The largest gold deposit is located in South Africa in the Witwatersrand province. From here they get up to 50% of the total production of this metal in the world.

Non-ferrous ores

Non-ferrous metal ores include copper, tin, lead, mercury, and zinc, known since ancient times. They have been in demand throughout human history. But in recent decades, when the structure of the economy has become more progressive, it is simply impossible to do without them. Non-ferrous metals are used in the electrical, aviation, space industries, production of semiconductors, catalysts, automobile filters, etc.

Radioactivity is a property of metals that became known only in the 20th century. It is associated with the ability of certain elements - uranium, thorium, radium, zirconium - to emit a special type of energy. This property is used in nuclear energy. However, it also turned out that the waste from such production has lethal properties. So far the problem nuclear waste remains unresolved.

Iron ore is the main raw material for the global metallurgical industry. The economy largely depends on the market for this mineral. different countries, therefore, mine development is receiving increased attention throughout the world.

Ore: definition and features

Ores are rocks that are used for processing and extracting the metals they contain. The types of these minerals differ in origin, chemical content, concentration of metals and impurities. IN chemical composition The ore contains various iron oxides, hydroxides and carbon dioxide salts.

Interesting! Ore has been in demand on the farm since ancient times. Archaeologists were able to find out that the manufacture of the first iron objects dates back to the 2nd century. BC. This material was first used by the inhabitants of Mesopotamia.

Iron- a common chemical element in nature. Its content in the earth's crust is about 4.2%. But in its pure form it is almost never found, most often in the form of compounds - in oxides, iron carbonates, salts, etc. Iron ore is a combination of minerals with a significant amount of iron. IN national economy The use of ores containing more than 55% of this element is considered economically justified.

What is made from ore

Iron ore industry is a metallurgical industry that specializes in the extraction and processing of iron ore. The main purpose of this material today is the production of cast iron and steel.

All products made from iron can be divided into groups:

• Pig iron with high carbon concentration (above 2%).
• Cast iron.
• Steel ingots for the production of rolled products, reinforced concrete and steel pipes.
• Ferroalloys for steel smelting.

What is ore needed for?

The material is used for smelting iron and steel. Today there is practically no industrial sector that can do without these materials.

Cast iron is an alloy of carbon and iron with manganese, sulfur, silicon and phosphorus. Cast iron is produced in blast furnaces, where high temperatures ore is isolated from iron oxides. Almost 90% of the resulting cast iron is marginal and is used in steel smelting.

Various technologies are used:

• electron beam melting to obtain pure high-quality material;
• vacuum processing;
• electro-slag remelting;
• steel refining (removal of harmful impurities).

The difference between steel and cast iron is the minimum concentration of impurities. Oxidative smelting in open-hearth furnaces is used for purification.

The highest quality steel is smelted in electric induction furnaces at extremely high temperatures.

Ore differs in the concentration of the element it contains. It can be enriched (with a concentration of 55%) and poor (from 26%). It is advisable to use low-grade ores in production only after enrichment.

Based on their origin, the following types of ores are distinguished:

• Magmatogenous (endogenous) - formed under the influence of high temperature;
• Surface - settled remains of the element on the bottom of sea basins;
• Metamorphogenic - obtained under the influence of extremely high pressure.

Main mineral compounds containing iron:

• Hematite (red iron ore). The most valuable source of iron with an element content of 70% and a minimum concentration of harmful impurities.
• Magnetite. A chemical element with a metal content of 72% is distinguished by high magnetic properties and is mined from magnetic iron ores.
• Siderite (iron carbonate). There is a high content of waste rock, the iron itself is about 45-48%.
• Brown iron ores. A group of aqueous oxides with a low percentage of iron, with admixtures of manganese and phosphorus. An element with such properties is characterized by good recoverability and porous structure.

The type of material depends on its composition and the content of additional impurities. The most common red iron ore with a high percentage of iron can be found in different states - from very dense to dusty.

Brown iron ores have a loose, slightly porous structure of brown or yellowish color. Such an element often requires enrichment, but is easily processed into ore (high-quality cast iron is obtained from it).

Magnetic iron ores are dense and granular in structure, looking like crystals embedded in the rock. The color of the ore is characteristic black-blue.

How ore is mined

Iron ore mining is a complex technical process that involves diving into the depths of the earth to search for minerals. Today, there are two methods of ore mining: open and closed.

Open (quarry method) is a common and safest option compared to closed technology. The method is relevant for those cases when there are no hard rocks in the working area, and there are no nearby settlements or engineering systems.

First, a quarry up to 350 meters deep is dug, after which iron is collected and removed from the bottom by large machines. After extraction, the material is sent on diesel locomotives to steel and iron factories.

Quarries are dug using excavators, but this process takes a lot of time. As soon as the machine reaches the first layer of the mine, the material is submitted for examination to determine the percentage of iron content and the feasibility of further work (if the percentage is above 55%, work in this area continues).

Interesting! Compared to the closed method, mining in quarries costs half as much. This technology does not require the construction of mines or the creation of tunnels. At the same time, the efficiency of work in open pits is several times higher, and the loss of material is five times less.

Closed mining method

Mine (closed) ore mining is used only if it is planned to maintain the integrity of the landscape in the area where ore deposits are being mined. This method is also relevant for work in mountainous areas. In this case, a network of tunnels is created underground, which leads to additional costs - the construction of the mine itself and the complex transportation of metal to the surface. The main drawback is the high risk to the lives of workers; the mine can collapse and block access to the surface.

Where is ore mined?

Iron ore mining is one of the leading areas of the economic complex of the Russian Federation. But despite this, Russia's share in world ore production is only 5.6%. World reserves amount to about 160 billion tons. The volume of pure iron reaches 80 billion tons.

Countries rich in ores

The distribution of minerals by country is as follows:

• Russia - 18%;
• Brazil - 18%;
• Australia - 13%;
• Ukraine - 11%;
• China - 9%;
• Canada - 8%;
• USA - 7%;
• other countries - 15%.

Significant deposits of iron ore have been noted in Sweden (the cities of Falun and Gellivar). In America, a large amount of ore was discovered in the state of Pennsylvania. In Norway, the metal is mined in Persberg and Arendali.

Ores of Russia

The Kursk magnetic anomaly is a large deposit of iron ore in the Russian Federation and in the world, in which the volume of unrefined metal reaches 30,000 million tons.

Interesting! Analysts note that the scale of mineral extraction at the KMA mines will continue until 2020, and there will be a decline in the future.

The area of ​​the Kola Peninsula mines is 115,000 sq. km. Iron, nickel, copper ore, cobalt and apatites.

The Ural mountains are also among the most large deposits ores in the Russian Federation. The main development area is Kachkanar. The volume of ore minerals is 7000 million tons.

The metal is mined in smaller quantities in the West Siberian basin, Khakassia, the Kerch basin, Zabaikalsk and the Irkutsk region.

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

From Masterweb

10.04.2018 12:00

More on early stages During his development, Homo sapiens actively used the resources that nature provided him. At first it was what was in sight - water, wood, stones. Later, people began to increasingly ask themselves the question: what useful things could be hidden underground? And the depths of our planet presented him with many pleasant surprises.

This article is dedicated to 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 (such as diamonds), while others crumble and crumble from the slightest blow (a striking example is kaolin). Selected species 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. Clusters 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 do scientists identify today? We will talk about this in more detail in the next section of our article.

Types of minerals

The genesis of certain minerals and connections can be completely different. For example, the origin of many ores is associated with magmatic processes occurring in the depths 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 a number of other classifications. Thus, according to their state of aggregation, solid, liquid and gaseous minerals are distinguished, according to the conditions of occurrence in the earth’s crust - sheet, vein, etc. The following types of minerals are also distinguished according to their origin and conditions of formation:

• Endogenous (formed at great depths in 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. Thus, 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 classified 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 resource characterized by the property of 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 types of fuel releases large amounts of energy. This is facilitated by carbon, which is contained in all, without exception, combustible minerals. It's impossible to imagine life modern city without oil, from which gasoline is obtained, or without gas, which is used to heat 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 in the most ordinary light bulbs. Moreover, most often these are not pure metals, but alloys created artificially by man. Thus, widely used steel is an alloy of iron with carbon and some other elements (for example, manganese). But the very first stage in the production process 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).

The greatest significance for humanity is modern stage Its development is represented by iron ores (as the basis for the production of various alloys), as well as aluminum and copper-nickel ores. In particular, the presence in the depths 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 manufacturing, astronautics and the production of high-precision instruments.

Non-metallic minerals

Nonmetallic mineral raw materials are a type of minerals that do not contain metals and are used primarily in the construction industry. In total, this group contains about 100 names of rocks and minerals. And the current volumes of extraction of non-metallic mineral resources are quite large.

There is no single 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 (Iceland spar, quartz, optical fluorite).
• Precious and semi-precious stones (labradorite, sapphire, ruby, amethyst, opal and others).

Geography of the planet's mineral resources

The distribution of certain minerals over the surface of our planet is associated, first of all, with geological structure territories. Thus, 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. Non-metallic minerals are dispersed everywhere: both within folded (mountain) 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 denoted 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 humans today, the number will go into hundreds, or even thousands. The mineral resource potential of the earth's interior is simply amazing! But few would 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 its significance and value. of this resource. This fuel is in demand all over the world, and some countries replenish their budgets well from its sales. Oil is the most important mineral resource for North Africa and South-West Asia. Leading the world in total reserves of this mineral Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Iran, Iraq and Canada.

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

• Mechanical.
• Fountain.
• Slantsev.

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

Gas deposits are often discovered near oil deposits. Together they often form entire oil and gas bearing areas and provinces, occupying significant areas. Natural gas means a mixture of several gases (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. It is extracted from the bowels of the planet 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 have been found on all continents of the Earth. But the following countries have the largest coal deposits: 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 (more than 95%).

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

Coal is extracted from the bowels of the planet in two main ways:

1. Closed.
2. Open.

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

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

Iron ore

Iron ores are natural mineral formations with an iron (Fe) content of 10% to 75%. In total, two hundred minerals are known to 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 serves as the main raw material for ferrous metallurgy. The main part of it goes to the production of cast 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). High-grade ores are immediately sent to open-hearth and converter shops for steel smelting. Poor ores with low iron content need beneficiation. This process is carried out at special mining and processing plants (GOKs). 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 this, the enriched ore is sintered into small pellets (8-15 mm in diameter) and sent to metallurgical plants.

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

Gold

There is probably no person on Earth who has not heard the word “Klondike”. This region of Alaska has become a household name for 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 save your savings. In addition, the noble metal is also used in microelectronics, dentistry and the food industry.

Throughout history, humanity has extracted about 160 thousand tons of gold from the earth. In monetary terms, this is an amount equal to 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. In the territory Russian Federation Today there are 37 gold mining companies operating. They are located in Buryatia, Amur and Irkutsk regions, Transbaikalia, Krasnoyarsk Territory, the Republic of Tyva and some other regions of the country.

Diamonds

Diamond is natural mineral, one of the forms of carbon. It is characterized by extremely high hardness and thermal conductivity. A cut diamond is commonly 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 use 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 Africa's most important mineral resource. At least some of its countries. Thus, every second diamond in the world is mined in four countries of the “dark continent”. These are Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and Tanzania. Other large importers of the most durable mineral are India, Russia, Angola, and Canada.

On the territory of Russia, the first diamond was found by the 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

When talking about the most popular minerals, one cannot fail to mention salt. The value of this mineral and food product unusually large. In ancient times, salt often served as money of account. 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 in the form of colorless transparent crystals. Kitchen salt is obtained in several ways. Actually, rock salt is mined using the mine method. The mineral is also obtained by boiling liquid brine solutions.

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

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The vast territory of our country is rich in valuable resources, including coal, oil, natural gas, precious stones, and minerals. What mineral resources are the central part and other regions where they are located? richest deposits of these riches, what their reserves are and what is Russia’s share in the world. Let's answer these questions.

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Types of fossils

Minerals are minerals, rocks and combustible raw materials embedded in the depths of the earth's crust and are valuable to humans. The wealth of these resources, among other indicators, determines the situation of the country on the world market. It is customary to distinguish types of fossils depending on the purpose of their use. The list of minerals is quite impressive.

Flammable

In most cases they are used as fuel. These include:

Oil is an oily liquid, which is an excellent fuel and raw material for many substances. Oil in Russia is called black gold.

It is used in almost all industries and brings enormous profits. In terms of its reserves, Russia is in 7th place among all countries, but it has been established that oil production capabilities are only half realized.

An important characteristic of oil is its density: the smaller it is, the more valuable the product is.

Gas– the most convenient and environmentally friendly fuel, which is extracted from the voids of rocks. Natural gas is formed due to the breakdown of organic compounds in the depths. Russia ranks first in the world in terms of deposits of this substance.

Coal– is the result of the decomposition of a huge number of plant organisms. It lies in layers, the formation of which takes thousands of years. This is the most popular combustible material and is actively used in metallurgy and industry. Only the United States and China are ahead of Russia in terms of coal reserves.

Peat– a flammable substance (contains up to 50% carbohydrate), which is the result of rotting plants, mainly mosses. Places of peat deposits are swamps. The thickness of the peat layer is at least 30 cm. The demand for it is enormous, as it burns well and is used to fertilize the soil. There are more than 40 thousand peat deposits, most of them are located in the Asian part of the country.

Oil shale, on the contrary, are mined in the west. This is a combination of organic matter and siliceous clay, solid formations of a gray or brown hue. Oil shale deposits are located at the bottom of reservoirs. When processing this material, a resin is extracted, its properties similar to oil. Shales are an additional source of heat, but since their reserves exceed the amount of all fossil fuels in the world, it is possible that in the foreseeable future shale will become the main raw material for fuel.

Ore

Ore is not one specific type of raw material, but a combination of several components containing the main substance in such quantities that the extraction and processing of ore is profitable and justified from an economic point of view.

Fossils mined in this way are called ore. Central Russia is rich in these reserves.

Metal ores- these Russian minerals are so named because they contain various metals. These are deposits of iron, copper, nickel, cobalt, tin, tungsten, and aluminum.

On the territory of our country, gold is mined (our country is in 4th place together with Canada), silver (first place in terms of reserves on the planet), and polymetals.

Iron ore is a mineral formation containing a large amount of iron. This mineral is the main raw material for the production of cast iron.

Gold– fusible, soft, very dense, but ductile in its properties precious metal. Jewelers distinguish yellow, white, and red gold (the color depends on the metals added; additives give gold products greater strength). Gold is also used in manufacturing, medicine, and cosmetology.

Silver– white metal, soft, ductile, conducts electricity well. Silver is used to make jewelry, dishes, cutlery, and electrical equipment.

Non-metallic ores (as the name implies, do not contain metals): titanium, uranium, manganese, mercury and others.

Uranium ore– a mineral with a high concentration of uranium. It is a radioactive element used in nuclear fuel, geology, mechanical engineering and aircraft construction. In addition, this substance generates heat many times more powerful than oil or gas. Uranium is a very common element in nature.

Manganese ore, the main component of which is manganese, is used very widely in metallurgy, ceramics, and medicine.

Nonmetallic

Precious and semi-precious stones are rocks of organic and inorganic origin, used in jewelry, industry, and often in medicine. The main wealth consists of diamonds, the first of which was found at the end of the 19th century. Also mined:

• topaz,
• emeralds,
• sapphires,
• rubies,
• rhinestone,
• cornelian,
• amethysts,
• malachite,
• amber.

Diamond- This is the hardest mineral in the world, but at the same time very fragile. Diamonds are widely used in jewelry, and due to their strength, also in the nuclear industry, optics, microelectronics, and for the manufacture of sharp cutting and sharpening objects.

Rhinestone– a transparent mineral used in the manufacture of jewelry and some interior parts, as well as in radio engineering.

Other minerals include amber, topaz, malachite, ruby ​​and so on.

Note! What mineral is called a fertility stone. These are minerals from which mineral fertilizers are produced: phosphorite, potassium salts, apatite

Building rocks: various types of sand, gravel, granite, basalt, volcanic tuffs. The bowels of the earth also contain graphite, asbestos, and mica. different types, graphite, talc, kaolin. Widely used in construction.

Place of Birth

Mineral deposits in our country are distributed throughout the territory. are located in the southern, eastern and northeastern parts, as well as on. Valuable breeds are mined in these areas. In the central and European parts of Russia, which are more flat, rich ore deposits have been discovered.

Detailed mineral map in Russia it looks like this:

1. Combustible minerals are concentrated in the northwestern part of Siberia and the Volga delta, that is, in the European part of Russia, and the largest deposits are Sakhalin and the Yamalo-Nenets District.
2. Gold is mined in five large deposits, 200 primary and 114 complex. The richest regions in gold are Magadan, Yakutia, and Sakha.
3. Silver is mined in the Urals and Eastern Siberia. Almost 98% of deposits are located in the region of the Okhotsk-Chukotka and East Alin volcanic belt.
4. Most of the numerous sources of peat are located in the Urals and Siberia, in swampy areas. The Vasyugan deposit, which is located in Western Siberia, is considered the largest.
5. Coal is mined almost throughout the country, but the main wealth is concentrated in the east (more than 60% of the total amount).
6. Deposits of gypsum, sand, and limestone rocks are located in the area. Potassium salts are mined in Perm region, rock salt - in Eastern and Western Siberia.
7. The location of construction raw materials has been recorded in the Urals, Sayan Mountains, Transbaikalia, Irkutsk Region, Krasnoyarsk Territory, and Siberia.
8. Aluminum ores in large quantities can be found in the northern Urals and the Komi Republic.

Expert forecast

Information on the share of mineral resources in Russia among world reserves varies somewhat, but on average it is very significant indicators. Thus, Russia contains about 12% of the total oil reserves, 32% - natural gas, 30% - coal, 25% - iron.

Note! The problem is that, according to experts, the bulk of Russian deposits are not of high quality in comparison with the world (in terms of the ratio of useful components, they are less valuable than samples from other countries of the world, but their extraction is much more difficult due to natural and geographical conditions) .

To improve the situation, a strategy has been developed until 2020, the result of which should be a more rational and expedient use of raw materials.

The situation is aggravated by the reduction in renewable mineral reserves in Russia. In this regard, many oil companies are losing profitability.

Coal production is carried out at a low rate and does not provide industrial sectors with a sufficient amount of raw materials. Many iron ore mining enterprises are provided with reserves for no more than 2 decades. Working with other metal ores is also very difficult and continues to get worse.

Main types of minerals in Russia

Minerals of Russia - ores, diamonds, oil

Conclusion

Now, despite the colossal reserves of minerals throughout the vast territory, our country lags significantly behind most countries in the world in terms of the degree of their development and use. The improvement of the country's economy and development prospects largely depend on the solution to this problem.