Minerals of the Urals. Nature

Yu.V.Volkov, I.V.Sokolov, A.A.Smirnov, Institute of Mining Engineering, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Despite the 300-year history of mineral extraction, the Urals remains the richest region, the value of proven reserves per unit area is an order of magnitude higher than the Russian average. However, with the disruption of traditional economic ties after the collapse of the USSR, negative economic and social trends are clearly manifested in the mining and metallurgical complexes of the Urals, requiring a change in the strategy of geological exploration, mining and processing of mineral raw materials in order to ensure the mineral resource security of the region.

The mining and metallurgical industries are one of the most important sectors of the economy of the Ural region. The mining and metallurgical complex of the Urals produces 40% of Russian cast iron and extracts up to 20% of iron ores. The main volume of ferrous metallurgy products (up to 85%) comes from enterprises in the Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk regions - these are Nizh-ne-Tagil (NTMK), Magnitogorsk (MMK), Chelyabinsk (Mechel) metallurgical plants.

The balance reserves of 75 iron ore deposits in the Urals amount to 14.8 billion tons, incl. 9.3 billion tons of industrial categories A+B+C. The total supply of explored reserves at the achieved level of production, for example, in the Sverdlovsk region is about 150 years. The Ural region is the second most endowed region in the country with iron ore reserves after the Central region and contains 15% of Russia's balance iron ore reserves. The region's iron ore reserves are represented mainly by titanium-magnetite ores of the Kachkanar type. The largest deposit of this type is Gusevogorskoye, whose ores have an average iron content of 16.5%, vanium - 0.15%, titanium - 1.25%. The development of this deposit is carried out by OJSC Kachkanarsky GOK "Vanadium", the provision of balance reserves of which is very high.

The Suroyamskoye deposit (Chelyabinsk region) with reserves of 6 billion tons also belongs to this type. The iron content in the original ore is 14.5%. The ores of this deposit are easy to process and fusible. Considering that the deposit is located shallow from the surface (sediment size is on average 8 m), the cost of opening it will be small. A preliminary technical and economic assessment of the development of the Suroyamskoye deposit showed the possibility of its profitable development with a production capacity of the enterprise of 30-40 million tons. The annual net profit could amount to 60 million US dollars. The payback period for capital costs is 5-7 years.

However, the metallurgical complex of the Urals is experiencing an acute shortage of skarn (contact-metasomatic) magnetite and titanium-magnetite ores. To cover this deficit, the metallurgical plants of the Urals are currently focusing on the use of iron ore raw materials from mining enterprises in the Center of Russia (KMA) and Kazakhstan. Thus, currently up to 30% of raw materials for NTMK are supplied from Mikhailovsky GOK. MMK covers 90% of its raw material needs with supplies from the Sokolovsko-Sarbaisky GOK. Mechel OJSC and Nosta OJSC (Orenburg region) are in the same situation. Already in 2004, 24.8 million tons of iron ore were imported to the Urals from other regions (about 60% of the demand).

In addition, the ferrous metallurgy of the Urals is experiencing an acute shortage of manganese and chromite ores. Manganese ores were not developed in the Urals in the post-war years, although their reserves in six deposits of the Severopeschansky manganese basin in categories A+B1+C2 amount to about 40 million tons. The Urals need for manganese ore is 500-600 thousand tons per year.

The only chromite mining enterprise in the Urals is OJSC Saranovskaya Mine Rudnaya with a design capacity of 240 thousand tons per year. Due to its low chromium content and relatively high iron and silicon content, the ore is used to produce refractories. The Urals need for chromites for metallurgical production is 1 million tons and for refractories up to 500 thousand tons per year. There are currently no industrial reserves of chromite ores suitable for metallurgical production in the Urals. However, the predicted chromite resources are estimated at 170 million tons.

Thus, the shortage of iron ore raw materials in the Ural region and the relatively high cost of imported raw materials predetermine the need to develop the local raw material base. Only its development based on appropriate investments in geological exploration, involvement in the exploitation of already explored deposits, and the construction of new mining enterprises will make it possible to abandon imported raw materials (the cost of transportation of which sometimes exceeds the cost of extracting 1 ton of marketable ore), and increase the sustainability of mining and metallurgical enterprises of the Urals and, therefore, ensure the mineral and raw material security of the region. At the same time, it is necessary to realize that the solution to this problem goes beyond the boundaries of an individual mining or metallurgical enterprise, and the results can only affect the development of the mining and metallurgical complex of the Urals in 20-25 years.

Considering the high level of provision of the Ural region with titanomagnetite ores, the main attention should be paid to the prospects for the development of the iron ore base of skarn-magnetite ores and siderites, manganese ores and chromites.

Numerous deposits of skarn-magnetite ores are located in the Ivdel-Serovsky, Tagil-Kushvinsky, Magnitogorsk, Chelyabinsk and other regions with balance reserves of 1.4 billion tons and forecast - 1.6 billion tons. The reserves of the Urals are significant (over 1 billion tons). brown iron ores and siderites from the Bakal and other deposits of the Southern and Middle Urals.

Thus, the regions of the Middle and Northern Urals have great prospects for increasing iron ore production. The supply of reserves at the current production level exceeds 100 years. The situation is worse in the Southern Urals, but even there there are large predicted reserves of skarn-magnetite ores - these are the Kruglogorskoye and Glubochenskoye deposits with reserves of 600 and 270 million tons, respectively.

The explored reserves of manganese and chromite ores in the Urals are small, but there are promising areas for their location. In the Sverdlovsk region this is the Alapaevsky district, the predicted resources of which are estimated at 170 million tons of chromites. In addition to the Sverdlovsk region, the raw material base of chromite ores is the Rai-Iz deposits in the Subpolar Urals.

Another significant reserve for reserve growth is the involvement in the development of deep-lying areas of exploited fields. In this regard, a characteristic feature of most mining enterprises in the Urals is the need to switch from open-pit mining to underground mining.

Thus, the prospect for the development of the raw material base of the Vysokogorsk Combine (VGOK) is associated with the construction of new iron ore mines. According to the development strategy of VGOK, already in 2006, the volume of underground mining will account for up to 90% of the total for the plant. The prospects for the development of the raw material base of the Magnezit plant are also associated with the transition to underground mining of the Satkinskoye magnesite deposit. Mining of Bakal siderites is carried out by the Sideritovaya mine, where the increase in production volumes is associated with the mine reaching its design capacity.

In this regard, the importance of underground geotechnology in the development of the local raw material base is growing significantly.

Currently, there are 8 mines operating in the Urals for the development of deposits of ferrous metal ores using the underground method (Table 1).

The main share in the underground development of iron ore deposits belongs to VGOK, where the following deposits are mined:

Lebyazhinskoye - Operational mine (completion of work by 2013);

Vysokogorskoe - Magnetitovaya mine (completion of work by 2016);

Estyuninskoye and Novo-Estyuninskoye - Estyuninskaya mine (new construction with an output of 4.0 million tons / year, completion beyond 2025);

Goroblagodatskoe - Yuzhnaya mine (reduction of production capacity by 2025).

To maintain the production capacity of VGOK, it is important to increase the production capacity of the Estyuninskaya mine, since the Magnetitovaya and Operational mines are being finalized.

To date, the reserves of the upper part of the Estyuninskoye deposit up to a horizon of + 130 m have been worked out by the quarry. With the commissioning of the Estyuninskaya mine, further development of the deposit is carried out using the underground method. The production capacity until 2015 for the extraction of raw ore is 1,200 thousand tons. The deposit's reserves reach the mountains. -240 m were penetrated by three vertical shafts. A floor-chamber development system with flexible pillars is used. Currently, the first stage reserves are being finalized; the opening of the second stage reserves is delayed due to insufficient funding.

In the Bogoslovsky RU, the main object of underground development is the Peschanskoye deposit of magnetite iron ores, mined by the Severopeschanskaya mine. The Severopeschanskaya mine field was opened by six

vertical shafts located in the lying side of the field. The central group of shafts has been drilled to horizons of -400 m and -480 m. The height of the floor is 80 m. The main production horizon is the horizon. -320 m. Cleaning work in the Severopeschansky area is almost completed and is being developed on the Upper deposits of the Yuzhnopeschansky area. The mine uses two mining systems: level forced caving with breaking into a compressed medium with deep wells and vibratory release of ore (about 80% of the ore mass is mined using this system) and sublevel caving with end release of ore and delivery by self-propelled LHDs.

Mining of the Satkinskoye magnesite deposit (Magnezitovaya mine) is envisaged using a development system with backfilling of mined-out space. The Institute of Mining of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences examined and calculated various options for development systems corresponding to the mining-geological and mining-technical conditions of the deposit. As a result, it was found that two options provide the greatest efficiency: a sublevel-chamber mining system with hardening backfill and a room-and-pillar system with dry backfilling of the goaf. The Magnezitovaya mine is expected to reach its design capacity by 2015 (2.4 million tons per year) and completely replenish the depleted capacity of the quarries.

The Sideritovaya mine mines the deep parts of the Novo-Bakalskaya and North-Shikhanskaya deposits. The deposit was penetrated by vertical shafts - two auxiliary and two ventilation shafts, and one inclined shaft, driven at an angle of 3°. The development system is subfloor caving with end release. Ore delivery by self-propelled vehicles and electric locomotives. Output to the surface by an inclined conveyor 1000 m long. Since 1979, a chamber development system with portable equipment has also been used. The height of the chambers is 20-30 m. With the design productivity of the Sideritovaya mine being 2.5 million tons/year, in 2004 180 thousand tons were mined due to lack of demand.

The Urals have significant resources of copper ore, accounting for 40% of the reserves of the Russian Federation. Within the Ural economic region, there are 45 copper ore deposits on the balance sheet. The total explored reserves of copper pyrite ores in the Urals are about 1.3 billion tons. The Republic of Bashkortostan contains 31.1% of copper reserves, the Orenburg region - 37.8%, the Sverdlovsk region - 21.1%, and the Chelyabinsk region - 10.0%. The Ural copper-zinc industry produces about 10 million tons of copper and zinc ores per year.

According to the stage of development, three groups of copper pyrite deposits can be distinguished (Table 2):

Mined underground or open pit,

which account for 45% of copper reserves;

Prepared for mastery - 15%;

Deposits on the balance sheet of the State Reserves Committee of the Russian Federation - 40%.

Based on the volume of reserves, copper pyrite deposits can be divided into three types:

Small - reserves up to 50 million tons of ore;

Medium - reserves from 50 to 100 million tons of ore;

Large - reserves of over 100 million tons of ore.

Currently, the volume of ore mining by underground method is 77%. Three large deposits are being developed using underground geotechnology: Gaiskoye, Uchalinskoye and Uzelginskoye, where chamber development systems with hardening backfill are used and self-propelled equipment is used. The Oktyabrskoye and Vadimo-Aleksandrovskoye deposits are developed using chamber development systems with an open treatment space.

A number of new copper pyrite deposits have been explored in the Ural region: Novo-Uchalinskoye, Komsomolskoye, Podolskoye, Severo-Sibayskoye, Ozernoye, etc. Some of them are being planned for development.

The copper smelters of the Urals (SUMZ, Kirovgrad and Karabash MPK, Svyatogor, Mednogorsk MSK) are only 40% supplied with their own raw materials; they mainly process imported copper concentrates and copper scrap. The Turinsky processing plant is loaded with local ores at 60% of capacity, Krasnouralsk - at 10%, Sred-Neuralsk works entirely on imported raw materials. The development of the copper ore base is associated, first of all, with the expansion of production at Gaisky (lower horizons of the underground mine, involvement in open-pit mining of the Letnee and Osennye deposits) and Uchalinsky (underground mines Molodezhny, Yubileiny, Sibaysky) GOK.

The Urals are the main raw material base for the Russian aluminum industry. Aluminum smelters in the Urals are supplied mainly with high-quality ores from the North Ural bauxite mines. Five fields have been identified in the North Ural basin: Krasnaya Shapochka, Kalinskoye, Novo-Kalinskoye, Cheremukhovskoye and Sosvinskoye. All SUBR mines are characterized by high water content. More than 80% of the deposit areas are mined in severe blast-prone conditions. The depth of mining reached 1000-1200 m. The geomechanical conditions at the deposits are very complex. Explored reserves of bauxite to a depth of 2000 m amount to 460 million tons.

The most promising raw material base for alumina production is the Komi Republic. It is based on the Vo-rykvinsky group of Srednetimansky bauxite deposits with reserves of 265 million tons. The productivity of the Srednetimansky open pit mine is determined at 6.3 million tons, including the first stage - 3 million tons (put into operation in 2003). ). The main consumers are identified as: Ural (1,600 thousand tons), Bogoslovsky (620 thousand tons) aluminum smelters and Boksitogorsk alumina plant (400 thousand tons).

The Ural region has significant natural potential for the development of precious metals mining. The predicted reserves of ore gold only in the Northern and Middle Urals (within the Sverdlovsk region) exceed the explored reserves by more than 5 times. It should be noted that the mined, explored and confirmed reserves of gold in gold-bearing sulfide deposits alone amount to at least 1000 tons. In the structure of the mineral resource base of precious metals in the Ural region, gold ore deposits themselves dominate in terms of reserves, and alluvial gold deposits dominate in terms of production. Thus, the needs of gold mining enterprises in the Urals are currently met mainly through the development of placer deposits.

The mineral resource base of the gold mining industry in the Urals, despite its more than 250-year history, is far from exhausted. The basis of the explored reserves of primary gold deposits are new deposits: Vorontsovskoye, Svetlinskoye, Gagarskoye, Maminskoye. At the exploited deposits Berezovsky, Kachkarsky, Chesnokovsky, industrial mineralization can be traced to depths of 1.0-1.2 km. Small vein-type deposits are developed in the upper part mainly by artisanal mining.

In the future, the mineral resource base of the gold mining industry of the Urals will be replenished by gold reserves of new promising types of mineralized zones, weathering, gold-argilisite and gold-jasperoid formations (as an example, the Svetlinskoye and Vorontsovskoye deposits).

Currently, the Vorontsovsky GOK has been built on the basis of open-pit mining of the deposit. Reaching the design capacity of 5 tons makes it possible to increase annual gold production in the Sverdlovsk region by more than 2 times. At the same time, the activities of old mining enterprises developing primary gold deposits using the underground method (Berezovsky, Kachkarsky mines) are characterized by low technical and economic indicators. The task is to increase the efficiency of their development. Thus, metallurgical plants of both ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy in the Urals experience an acute shortage of raw materials, which predetermines the need to develop the local raw material base. This will ensure the sustainable development of both the mining and metallurgical enterprises themselves and the mineral and raw material security of the region as a whole. While in non-ferrous metallurgy old mining plants are being reconstructed and new ones are being built, in ferrous metallurgy not a single enterprise has been put into operation over the past 25 years (with the exception of the Magnezitovaya mine). Ferrous metallurgy reserves that replenish the expiring reserves of skarn-magnetite ores, first of all, should be considered the balance reserves of the deep horizons of the Estyuninskoye and Novo-Estyuninskoye deposits, as well as the involvement in the underground development of the North Goroblagodatskoye, Kruglogorskoye and Glubochenskoye deposits.

LITERATURE:

1. Geological survey and development of the mineral resource base / Ed. A.N. Krivtsova, N.D. Migacheva, G.V. Puchkin. - M. - 1993. - 618 p.

2. Sukhoruchenkov A.I. Iron ore base of ferrous metallurgy in Russia // Mining Journal, 2003. - No. 1(0.

3. Fadeichev A.D. Iron ore base of the Urals, state and development prospects // Izv. universities Mining magazine. - 1993. - No. 6.

4. Rapoport M.S. State and prospects for the development of the mineral resource base of the Urals // Izv. universities Mining magazine. Ural Mining Review. - 2000. - No. 3.

One of the most valuable minerals for industry is iron ore. Deposits of this mineral are found in abundance in Russia. It is not for nothing that our country is one of the top five in terms of production of this raw material. Let's find out where the richest iron ore deposits in Russia are located.

The role of iron ore in industry

First, let's find out what role it plays in Russia, more precisely, in its industrial production, what qualities it has.

Iron ore is a natural mineral that contains iron in such quantities that its extraction from the ore is cost-effective and feasible.

This mineral is the main raw material for the metallurgical industry. The main end product is cast iron and steel. The commodity form of the latter is called rental. Mechanical engineering, automobile manufacturing, shipbuilding and other areas of the national economy depend indirectly through this industry on the supply of iron ore.

That is why every existing iron ore deposit in Russia is so important for the development of the country. The economic regions of the country, especially the East Siberian, Central Black Earth, Ural, Northern and West Siberian regions, are largely dependent on the processing of ore raw materials.

The main properties of iron, which is why it is so widely used in industry, are strength and heat resistance. Equally important is that, unlike most other metals, the mining and extraction of iron from ore is possible in large volumes and at relatively low cost.

Classification of iron ores

Iron ores have their own classification system.

Depending on the chemical composition, ores are divided into the following types: oxides, hydroxides and carbon dioxide salts.

The main types of iron ore minerals are: magnetite, limonite, goethite, siderite.

Iron ore deposits in Russia also have their own classification. Depending on the method of occurrence of the ore and its composition, they are divided into several groups. The following are of primary importance: sedimentary deposits, skarn, complex, quartzite.

Volumes of reserves and production

Now let’s find out what volumes of iron ore are mined in Russia.

In terms of the volume of explored iron ore deposits in terms of iron, the Russian Federation shares first place with Brazil, having 18% of the total world reserves. This is explained by the fact that we have the largest deposits of iron ore - in Russia.

If we take into account not pure iron, but all ore with impurities, then in terms of reserves the Russian Federation ranks second on the globe - with 16% of world reserves, second only to Ukraine in terms of this indicator.

In terms of production volumes of this valuable mineral, Russia has long been among the top five countries. Thus, in 2014, 105 million tons of iron ore were mined, which is 1,395 million tons less than the leader of this list, China, or 45 million tons less than India, fourth on the list, produces. At the same time, Russia is 23 million tons ahead of the next-ranking Ukraine in terms of production.

For many years, Russia has been among the top ten countries in iron ore exports. In 2009, the country ranked sixth with an export volume of 21.7 million tons, in 2013 it dropped to ninth place, and in 2015 it rose to fifth. According to this indicator, the constant world leader is Australia.

In addition, it should be said that two Russian metallurgical plants are among the top ten world giants in the production of iron ore products. These are Evrazholding (production volume - 56,900 thousand tons/year) and Metalloinvest (44,700 thousand tons/year).

Main deposits

Now let's determine where the main iron ore deposits in Russia are located.

The largest iron ore basin in the country is KMA. The Kola ore region and deposits of Karelia have large reserves of ore. The Urals are also rich in iron ore. One of the largest in Russia is the West Siberian basin. Large iron ore deposits in Russia are located in Khakassia and the Altai Territory.

With the annexation of Crimea to Russia in 2014, another large iron ore basin appeared in the Russian Federation - the Kerch basin.

Deposits of the Kursk magnetic anomaly

The Kursk anomaly is not only the largest iron ore deposit in Russia, but also the undisputed world leader in terms of iron content. In terms of the amount of unrefined ore (30,000 million tons), this area is second only to one Bolivian deposit, the reserves of which are still being clarified by specialists.

KMA is located on the territory of the Kursk, Oryol and Belgorod regions and has a total area of 120,000 square meters. km.

The basis of iron ore in this region is magnetite quartzite. It is the magnetic properties of this mineral that are responsible for the anomalous behavior of the magnetic needle in this area.

The largest deposits of the KMA are Korobkovskoye, Novoyaltinskoye, Mikhailovskoye, Pogrometskoye, Lebedinskoye, Stoilenskoye, Prioskolskoye, Yakovlevskoye, Chernyanskoye, Bolshetroitskoye.

Deposits and Karelia

Significant iron ore deposits in Russia are located in the Murmansk region and the Republic of Karelia.

The total area of the Kola ore district, located within the Murmansk region, is 114,900 square meters. km. It should be noted that not only iron ore is mined here, but also many other ore minerals - nickel, copper, cobalt ores and apatites. Among the deposits in the region, Kovdorskoye and Olenogorskoye should be highlighted. The main mineral is ferruginous quartzite.

The largest deposits in Karelia are Aganozerskoye, Kostomuksha, Pudozhgorskoye. True, the first of them specializes more in mining

Deposits of the Urals

The Ural Mountains are also rich in iron ore. The main production area is the Kachkanar group of fields. Ore from this region has a relatively high titanium content. Mining is done by open-pit mining. The total explored volumes of iron ore are approximately 7000 million tons.

In addition, it should be said that the largest metallurgical plants in Russia are located in the Urals, in particular Magnitogorsk and NTMK. But at the same time, it should be noted that a significant part of the former reserves of iron ore has been exhausted, so they have to be imported to these enterprises from other regions of the country.

West Siberian Basin

One of the largest iron ore regions in Russia is the West Siberian basin. It could be the largest deposit in the world (up to 393,000 million tons), but, according to exploration data, it is still inferior to the KMA and the El Mutun deposit in Bolivia.

The pool is located primarily in the Tomsk region and occupies an area of 260,000 square meters. km. It should be noted that despite the huge volumes of ore reserves, exploration of its deposits and production are associated with a number of difficulties.

The largest deposits in the basin are Bachkarskoye, Chuzikskoye, Kolpashevskoye, Parbigskoye and Parabelskoye. The most significant and explored of them is the first on the list. It has an area of 1200 sq. km.

Deposits in Khakassia

The deposits in the Altai Territory and Khakassia are quite significant. But if the development of the first of them is carried out rather poorly, then the Khakassian ore reserves are actively mined. Of the specific deposits, Abagazskoye (volume more than 73,000 thousand tons) and Abakanskoye (118,400 thousand tons) should be highlighted.

These deposits are of strategic importance for the development of the region.

Kerch basin

More recently, in connection with the annexation of Crimea, Russia’s wealth was replenished with the Kerch Basin, rich in iron ore. It is located entirely on the territory of the Republic of Crimea, and has an area of more than 250 square meters. km. Total ore reserves are estimated at 1800 million tons. A peculiarity of ore deposits in this region is that they are located mainly in rock troughs.

Among the main deposits are Kyz-Aulskoye, Ocheret-Burunskoye, Katerlezskoye, Akmanayskoye, Eltigen-Ortelskoye, Novoselovskoye, Baksinskoye, Severnoye. Conventionally, all these deposits are united into the northern and southern groups.

Other iron ore regions

In addition, there are a significant number of other iron ore deposits located in Russia, which are of smaller importance and volume than those listed above.

A large iron ore deposit is located in the Kemerovo region. Its resources are used to provide raw materials to the West Siberian and Kuznetsk metallurgical plants.

In Eastern Siberia, in addition to Khakassia, iron ore deposits are found in Transbaikalia, the Irkutsk region and the Krasnoyarsk Territory. In the Far East - in the future - large developments may begin in Yakutia, Khabarovsk and Primorsky Territories, and the Amur Region. Yakutia is especially rich in iron.

However, this is not a complete list of iron ore deposits that are available in the region. In addition, we must not forget that some deposits may be poorly explored, underestimated in volume, or not discovered at all at the moment.

Importance of the iron ore industry

Of course, the extraction of iron ore and its subsequent processing and export are of quite high importance for the economy of the entire country. Russia has the largest iron ore reserves in the world and is one of the leaders in their extraction and export.

We stopped at the most important iron ore deposits in Russia, but this is not a complete list. This mineral can be found in almost every economic region of the country. Select (by the way, not all iron ore deposits in Russia have been fully explored) any of them on the economic map - and you will definitely come across such a site.

Today this industry is of great interest as a promising direction.

The USSR ranks first in the world in iron ore reserves. The Soviet Union contains about 54% of the world's proven iron ore reserves. The main deposits in the USSR are the following.

South and Center of the USSR

The ores of the Krivoy Rog deposit are distinguished by a high iron content and a small amount of harmful impurities: 0.04 - 0.08% S and 0.03 - 0.06% R. The Krivoy Rog basin has very large deposits of so-called quartzites, which contain about 35% iron and approximately the same amount of gangue in the form of silica (SiO 2).

The Kerch deposit is represented mainly by brown iron ores, which contain up to 4.6% manganese, up to 1% phosphorus (sometimes higher) and relatively little iron - up to 39%.

The Tula and Lipetsk deposits are represented by brown iron ores. In the ore of the Tula deposit, the iron content reaches 45%, and in the Lipetsk ore - up to 47%. Tula ore contains more phosphorus (about 0.44%).

The Belgorod iron ore district includes five deposits. Some deposits in this area are rich in magnetite quartzites. There are also rich ores here, in which the iron content reaches 61%.

Kursk Magnetic Anomaly (KMA) is a deposit containing rich hematites (containing 54.8 - 61.4% iron) and poor quartzites. The deposit is very large and promising.

North-West deposits

There are seven iron ore deposits in this area. The largest are Olenegorskoye and Eno-Kovdorskoye, the ores of which serve as the iron ore base of the Cherepovets Metallurgical Plant. The ores of the Olenegorsk deposit are mainly represented by magnetites and hematites. The average iron content in these ores is about 31%. The waste rock of this deposit is the same as in the Krivoy Rog deposit. Features of the chemical composition of the iron ores of the Eno-Kovdor deposit are their high phosphorus content and the increased basicity of the waste rock. The average iron content for this deposit is 30%.

Iron ore deposit of the Caucasus and Transcaucasia

The iron ore base of the Transcaucasian Metallurgical Plant is the Dashkesan deposit. The ores of this deposit contain up to 14% lime (CaO) and up to 1.2% magnesia (MgO). In terms of iron content, they are classified as poor, since its content does not exceed 39%.

Iron ore deposits of the Urals

The largest deposits in this area include Magnitogorskoye (the ore is used by the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works), Tagil-Kushvinskoye (Kushvinsky and Novo-Tagilsky Metallurgical Plants) and Bakalskoye (Chelyabinsk Metallurgical Plant).

The bulk of the magnetic iron ore of the Magnitogorsk deposit consists of two types of ores: magnetite and martite. The magnetites of this deposit are sulfurous. The sulfur content in individual nests reaches 4%, and iron 59%. Martites contain significantly less sulfur (up to 0.16%) with an average iron content of 62% (up to 65%). The gangue of these ores consists of silica, alumina, lime and magnesia. The main waste rock is alumina.

Tagil-Kushva magnetic iron ores (Mountains Blagodat, Vysokaya and Lebyazhya) contain up to 62% iron; in some places its content decreases to 30 - 32%. The gangue of these ores consists of silica and alumina. The ore is sulfurous and phosphorous; in some areas the sulfur content reaches 1.5% and phosphorus 1.2%. In some areas the ore is relatively pure in phosphorus. Goroblagodat ore contains copper. During mining, ore is divided into low-copper ore, containing up to 0.2% copper, and cuprous ore - up to 0.7%. Lumpy enriched ores are used for blast furnace smelting in their raw form, and dusty ores are used after enrichment and agglomeration.

Brown iron ores of the Bakal deposit can be considered pure in sulfur and phosphorus. The average iron content in the ores of this deposit is 48 - 50%.

Iron ores of Siberia and the Far East

The deposits in this area can be divided into several groups:

Mountainous Shoria, where the ores contain 42 - 55% iron, and Khakassia (the ores contain up to 46% iron). These deposits are the raw material base of the Kuznetsk Metallurgical Plant.

Beloretskaya, Inskaya (in Altai), Auzasskaya and Alatau-Altalytskaya groups, the ores of which will become the raw material base of the West Siberian Metallurgical Plant.

The Angaro-Pitskaya and Angaro-Ilimsk groups with the Nizhne-Angarsk, Korshunovsk, Rudnogorsk and other deposits will be the main bases of the new metallurgical plants - Krasnoyarsk and Pribaikalsk.

Garinskaya and Kimpanskaya groups (Far East), Priargunsky district of the Chita region and Aldanskaya group in the Yakut Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.

Waste rock from deposits in Siberia and the Far East is presented mainly in the form of calcium oxide (CaO), which does not cause difficulties during blast furnace smelting. Rich ores of this area contain from 50 to 55%, and poor ores 33 to 45% iron.

Deposits of the Kazakh SSR

On a territorial basis, the iron ore resources of the Kazakh SSR are divided into three regions: Central Kazakhstan, Aral and Kustanai. The latter iron ore region is also the base of the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works and the Barnaul Plant in Western Siberia. This area is represented by magnetite ores (45 - 59%) of the Sokolovskoye, Sarbaiskoye, Kacharskoye, Kurzhunkulskoye and other deposits; brown iron ores (37 - 42%) of the Ayatskoye, Lisakovskoye and Kirovskoye deposits.

According to technological types, iron ores are divided into magnetites (19.0%), hematites (1.9%), brown iron ores (77.3%), siderites (0.1%) and hematite quartzites (1.7%), from of which 4.17 million tons do not require enrichment (55.9%).

The most important indicator of the quality of iron ore is its iron content. Therefore, when metallurgically evaluating iron ores, attention is first of all paid to this indicator, as well as to the composition of the waste rock. Waste rock, for which the ratio of the sum of bases CaO + MgO to the sum of acids SiO2 + Al 2 O 3 is equal to or close to unity, is called self-melting.

The Ural region covers an area of more than 820 thousand km 2. Within its borders are Bashkortostan, the Chelyabinsk, Sverdlovsk, Orenburg and Kurgan regions, and the Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug. Yekaterinburg is considered the capital of the region.

Climate

The natural conditions of the Urals change from north to south. This is due to the significant length along the meridian (compared to the latitude). At the same time, the climatic zones of tundra and taiga, mixed forest, forest-steppe and steppe change. The Urals are divided into the Cis-Urals, Trans-Urals and the Ural Range itself. In the central part there are Northern, Southern and Middle regions. In general, the climate can be characterized as continental, however, characterized by diversity. The air temperature in winter from west to east varies from -15 to -20 degrees, and in summer - from 15 (in the north) to 22 (in the south). Autumn and spring are quite cool. Winter is long, snow remains for up to 140-250 days. The natural conditions of the territory are determined by its location relative to the plains of Eurasia, as well as the insignificant height and width of the ridges. Zonal changes are associated with a large extent from north to south. It has been established that the western slope receives 150-200 mm more precipitation than the eastern slope. The lack of moisture is acutely felt in the southern part of the region, where drought often occurs. Meanwhile, this is where the conditions for agricultural activities are most favorable. The southern part of the region is dominated by steppes and forest-steppes with a moderately warm climate. In the north, the soil cover needs high-quality reclamation work. In the Perm region there are about 800 swamps that require drainage. The main agricultural area is the river valley. Ural. In this part there are plowed black soil steppes.

Features of economic development

The Ural region is located between Siberia and Kazakhstan, on the border of the Asian and European parts of the country. This location has a very favorable effect on the economic development of the territory. The natural conditions and resources of the Urals make it possible to provide a connection between the eastern and western economic zones, which have different economic specializations. The region ranks second in Russia in terms of industrial production.

Natural resources of the Urals

The history of the Urals begins in the 18th century. At that time, the territory was not yet considered favorable. After some time, the EGP of the territory improved noticeably. This was facilitated by the development of the transport network and the construction of roads. Highways pass through the area that cross the entire territory of the country from the west to the Pacific Ocean. Fuel and raw materials are supplied to the Urals from the eastern regions. Western regions supply products from manufacturing enterprises. The natural resources of the Urals, the table of which will be given below, are very diverse. About 1000 types of mineral raw materials and about 12 thousand mineral basins have been discovered here. In the Urals, 48 of the 55 elements from the periodic table are being mined, which are of great importance for the national economic complex. On the territory of the region there are deposits of oil, sodium chloride, limestone, and gas. Brown coal and other natural resources are mined here. The Ural Mountains are rich in reserves of precious stones, colored and

fuel and energy complex

Natural fuel resources of the Ural Federal District are presented in a wide variety. Oil fields are located mainly in the Orenburg region. and Perm region, Udmurtia and Bashkortostan. Gas was discovered relatively recently in the area. The Orenburg field became the base of the gas chemical complex. It is considered the largest in the European part of the Russian Federation. In some areas, open-pit coal mining is carried out because it is close enough to the surface. It should be said that the reserves of this raw material are relatively small - about 4 billion tons. Of these, about 75% is brown coal. Natural fuel complexes and natural resources of the Urals are of energy importance. This, in particular, applies to the Kizel and Chelyabinsk deposits of hard and brown coal. Meanwhile, as experts note, many basins today are largely exhausted, and most of the raw materials come from other areas.

Iron ores

These natural resources of the Urals are represented by titanomagnetites, magnetites, siderites, etc. In total, the region contains about 15 billion tons. In terms of production volume, the territory is second only to the Central Black Earth region. However, own production satisfies only 3/5 of the territory's needs. At present, rich ores of the Magnitogorsk, Tagil-Kushvim and other basins have already been mined. Today the Bakalskaya and Kachkanarskaya groups of fields are being developed. Titanium magnetites are considered the most promising raw materials for metallurgy. They occur in the Kachkanar group of basins. Siderites are present in the Bakal deposits. Unique chromium-nickel ores were found in the Orsko-Khalilovsky group of basins.

Non-ferrous metals

These natural resources of the Urals are presented in a huge variety. In terms of the volume of their production, the region is second only to Kazakhstan. The main deposits of copper ores are located in the Gaisky, Blavinsky, Degtyarsky, Kirovgradsky and other basins. Nickel reserves are present in the Rezhsky, Buruktalsky, Orsky, and Ufaleysky basins. The natural resources of the Urals include zinc (copper-zinc) ores. The Gai deposit was discovered relatively recently. Pyrite ores with a high copper content were discovered here. They also contain sulfur (up to 50%), zinc, silver, gold, and rare metals. All ores present in the Urals are, as a rule, multicomponent. Due to this, their extraction is very profitable.

Other metals

Large reserves of bauxite are concentrated in the North Ural basin (in the Sosvinskoye, Krasnaya Shapochka, etc. deposits). However, many reserves today are already on the verge of depletion. The Ural region contains 27% of the total explored deposits of copper and bauxite ore, 12% of nickel, 58% of zinc. Reserves of emeralds, alluvial diamonds, and rare metal ores have been discovered and are being developed.

Salts

Large reserves of this raw material have been discovered in the Urals. The region is home to one of the world's largest salt-bearing basins - Verkhnekamsk. The balance reserves of the deposit are estimated at 172 billion tons. Large salt-bearing basins are Iletskoye and Solikamskoye.

Construction and other materials

The natural resources of the Urals are also represented by large reserves of quartzite, clay, quartz sand, and magnesite. Here there are deposits of asbestos, cement marls, marble, graphite, etc. Reserves of ornamental, semi-precious and precious stones are widely known. Among them are garnet, alexandrite, aquamarine, ruby, topaz, jasper, lapis lazuli, smoky crystal, malachite, emerald. The main volume of diamond reserves in the Urals is concentrated in the Perm region in the Visherskoye deposit. The region is in second place in the country in terms of production after Yakutia.

Forest

It occupies about 30 million hectares (more than 40% of the territory). The share of coniferous forest is 14 million hectares. The main massifs are located in the northern part of the Urals. In the Perm region, forest covers about 68.9% of the territory. At the same time, in the Orenburg region. about 4.4% of tree plantations are present. The western slope of the ridge is covered mainly by spruce and fir, while the eastern slope is covered by pine trees. The total timber reserve is estimated at 4.1 billion tons. Species such as larch, fir, pine and spruce are of particular value. Forestry enterprises produce about 14% of commercial raw materials, 17% of lumber and about 16% of all paper in the country. Products are manufactured primarily for domestic needs. Enterprises are located in industrial areas.

Northern Territories

Natural resources are represented by minerals and iron ores. Corundum, turquoise, ferrimolybdite, clinozoisite, rhodochrosite, etc. were discovered here. The volumes of iron ores are estimated at millions of tons. There are deposits of manganese, bentonite, copper, chromium. The development of basins in the northern part of the Urals makes it possible to fill the shortage of raw materials in the region. In 2005-2006 studies were carried out during which predictive and promising basins were identified. The production of manganese and iron was planned. The projected volume of the latter is more than 300 million tons. It is expected to increase the production of hard coal by 50% by 2020. This will help improve the energy situation in the state. In addition, in the northern territories it is planned to mine such minerals as gold, tungsten, phosphorites, lead, zinc, uranium, molybdenum, bauxite, tantalum, niobium, and platinum group metals.

Natural resources of the Urals

The table below will help you better understand what wealth this region has. It contains the main categories of reserves located in the area.

	Major centers
	Solikamskoye, Iletskoye, Verkhnekamskoye fields
	Perm region
Copper ores	Gaiskoye, Blavinskoye, Degtyarskoye, Kirovgradskoye and other fields
	Vishera Pool
	Severouralskoye field
	Rezhsky, Buruktalsky, Orsky, Ufaleysky bass.
Pyrite ores	Gayskoye field
Hard and brown coal	Kizelsky and Chelyabinsk basins.
	Perm region and Orenburg region, Udmurtia, Bashkortostan

Water reserves

The river network of the region belongs to the basins of the Caspian (Ural and Kama rivers) and Kara (Tobol river) seas. Its total length is more than 260 thousand km. About 70 thousand rivers flow through the region. In the river basin Kama included 53.4 thousand, rub. Tobol - 10.86 thousand. As for groundwater, its specific value in terms of units. area - 115 m/day/km 2, per capita - 5 m/day/person. They are concentrated mainly in the mountainous regions of the Urals. They occupy more than 30% of the entire territory and include 39.1% of the total share of groundwater. The distribution of reserves is influenced by the dependence of runoff on structural, hydrogeological, and lithological factors. The Cis-Ural region is considered to be more endowed with water resources than the Trans-Ural region. This situation is determined by climatic conditions. Mountain ranges trap masses of moist air coming from the Atlantic. Accordingly, unfavorable conditions for the formation of underground runoff are formed in these areas.

MUNICIPAL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION

"SECONDARY SCHOOL OF THE VILLAGE OF BEREZINA RECHKA

SARATOV DISTRICT OF SARATOV REGION"

Abstract on geography

"Natural Resources of the Urals"

Work completed

9th grade student

Fedotov Vladislav

Head: teacher

Geography Ponomarev

Tatyana Yuryevna.

Natural resources of the Urals

The Ural Mountains amaze with the richness of their subsoil, which has given them the reputation of being the underground storehouse of our country. About a thousand different minerals have been found here and over 10 thousand mineral deposits have been recorded. In terms of reserves of platinum, asbestos, precious stones, and potassium salts, the Urals is one of the first places in the world.

For thousands of years, the Ural Mountains have been subject to destruction under the influence of external forces - weathering, ice and river flows. As a result, the inner parts of the folds appeared near the surface, where mineral formation processes took place intensively and various ores arose. Thus, the long-term destruction of the mountains “exposed” rich mineral deposits and made them available for development.

The main wealth of the Urals is ores, and often complex ores, for example, iron ores with an admixture of titanium, nickel, chromium, copper ores with an admixture of zinc, gold, and silver. Most of the ore deposits are located on the eastern slope, where igneous rocks predominate. Large deposits of iron and accompanying ores are Magnitogorskoye, Vysokogorskoye, Kachkanarskoye, Bakalskoye, Khalilovskoye.

The Urals are also rich in deposits of non-ferrous metals. Copper ore is mined at Krasnouralskoye, Gaiskoye and other deposits. Large deposits of bauxite and manganese were found in the Northern Urals. A lot of nickel and chromium are mined in the Urals. In the mountains of the Middle and Northern Urals there is a platinum belt with primary and alluvial platinum deposits. Gold is associated with quartz veins of granites on the eastern slope. The Berezovskoye deposit near Yekaterinburg is the oldest gold mining site in Russia.

Among the non-metallic resources, it is worth noting the huge deposits of asbestos (“mountain flax”) - the most valuable fire-resistant material. The Bazhenov asbestos deposit is one of the largest in the world. The Shabrovskoe talc deposit is the largest in our country. Also on the eastern slope of the mountains there are deposits of graphite and corundum.

The Urals have long been famous for all kinds of precious and ornamental stones. Famous Ural gems include amethysts, smoky topazes, morions, green emeralds, sapphires, transparent rock crystal, alexandrites, demantoids and others. All these gems are mined mainly on the eastern slope (Murzinka mines, Ilmen Mountains). High-quality diamonds were found on the western slope in the Vishera River basin. The ornamental stones of the Urals are distinguished by their extraordinary beauty of colors: jasper, marble, variegated coils. But green patterned malachite and pink eagle are especially prized.

In the Cis-Ural region, the Permian salt-bearing strata of the marginal trough contain colossal reserves of potassium salts, rock salt, and gypsum (Verkhnekamskoye, Sol-Iletskoye, Usolskoye deposits). There are also a lot of building materials in the Urals - limestone, granite, cement raw materials.

In many areas of this mountainous country, refractory materials necessary for metallurgy are mined. Development of refractory clays, kaolin, and quartzites is underway. The Satka magnesites are especially valuable in the Southern Urals. There is also oil in the Urals (Ishimbay and others), as well as coal. In addition to mineral resources, the Urals are famous for their forest resources. There are especially many forests in the Northern Urals.

Flora and fauna

The composition of the four-legged and feathered inhabitants of the Urals is diverse, but has much in common with the flora and fauna of the neighboring plains. Mountainous terrain increases this diversity, causing the appearance of altitudinal zones in the Urals and creating differences between the western and eastern slopes

As you move south, the altitudinal zonation of the Urals becomes more complex. Gradually, the boundaries of the belts rise higher and higher along the slopes, and in their lower part, when moving to a more southern zone, a new belt appears.

Flora. To the south of the Arctic Circle, larch predominates in the forests. As it moves south, it gradually rises along the mountain slopes, forming the upper boundary of the forest belt. Larch is joined by spruce, cedar, and birch. Near Mount Narodnaya, pine and fir are found in the forests. These forests are located mainly on podzolic soils. There are a lot of blueberries in the grassy cover of forests. On the western slope of the Southern Urals, more heat-loving flora grows: oak, beech, hornbeam, hazel.

The fauna of the Ural taiga is much richer than the fauna of the tundra. Elk, wolverine, sable, squirrel, chipmunk, weasel, flying squirrel, brown bear, reindeer, ermine, and weasel live here. Otters and beavers are found along the river valleys. New valuable animals have been settled in the Urals. The sika deer has been acclimatized in the Ilmensky Reserve; muskrat, beaver, deer, muskrat, raccoon dog, American mink, and Barguzin sable have also been resettled.

In the Urals, based on differences in altitude, climatic conditions, and geological development, several parts are distinguished: Polar, Subpolar, Northern, Middle and Southern Urals.

Rivers and lakes of the mountainous country

On the Ural ridge, separating the water basins of the Volga and Ob, many large tributaries of these rivers originate: the Vishera, Chusovaya, Belaya, and Ufa flow to the west; to the east - Northern Sosva, Pelym, Tura, Iset. In the north, the Pechora begins, flowing into the Arctic Ocean, and in the south, the Ural River flows through Kazakhstan and flows into the Caspian Sea. No wonder the gray-haired Ural is called the keeper of river sources

Lakes play a significant role in the landscapes of the Urals, and for some areas, for example, the forest-steppe Trans-Urals, lake landscapes are even typical. In some places large accumulations of “blue saucers” are visible here, separated by narrow isthmuses of land. There are many lakes in the eastern foothills of the Southern and Middle Urals and among the swampy taiga of the northern Trans-Urals. In the mountainous country there are fresh, brackish, and even bitterly salty lakes. There are also karst lakes, and there are floodplain oxbow lakes and lakes of fog.

The fish in the rivers and lakes of the Urals is tasty and often valuable. Among the Ural inhabitants of reservoirs there are European grayling, whitefish, burbot, ide, brook lamprey, taimen, sculpin goby, salmon, pike, perch, roach, crucian carp, tench, carp, pike perch, and trout.

Lake Turgoyak

It is rare that on our planet there are simultaneously mountains, a lake in these mountains, and a coniferous forest all around. One of such places here in the Southern Urals is Lake Turgoyak, now a national park. In terms of cleanliness and transparency of the water, it is not inferior to Lake Baikal. The lake is included in the list of the most valuable reservoirs in the world by the International Limnological Commission. In our country it is included in the card index of remarkable landscapes. The area of the lake is 26.4 sq. km, length - 6.9 km, greatest width - 6.3 km, coastline length 27 km. Turgoyak is located in a deep intermountain basin between the Ural-Tau and Ilmensky ridges at an altitude of 320 m above sea level. This is the deepest lake in the Southern Urals: its depth reaches 34 m, the average depth is 19.2 m. There are six islands in total on the lake. Large rivers flow into the lake: Bobrovka, Kuleshovka, Lipovka and Pugachevka. Only one river flows out - Istok. Currently, due to the decrease in the water level in the lake, there is no outflow of water. It itself is very picturesque; walking trails are laid along its banks.

There are many beautiful places on the lake. The Inyshevsky Bay is especially beautiful on the northern shore, always quiet and thoughtful, even when there are waves on the lake; wide layers of sand stretch from the water in an arc, from rock to rock.

It is interesting to visit its islands. The largest of them is the island of St. Vera, where at one time there was an Old Believer monastery.

It is interesting to climb deep into the bay near the Krestovoy Peninsula and from there climb Krestovaya Mountain. Beautiful view from Krestovaya Mountain.

Another beautiful excursion is to the Ilmensky ridge. From the top there is a view to the east, to the eastern Ural region of lakes scattered everywhere among the wooded hills. Directly in front of us the winding Miassovo stretches whimsically, far to the right is the wide, patterned B. Kisegach, even further to the right you can barely see Chebarkul. Large, small, barely noticeable light depressions in the forest.

A long journey can be made to Itsil.

On the shore of Lake Turgoyak, there are dozens of sanatoriums. boarding houses and recreation centers.

The unique nature of the Urals

“A person will admire the wild virgin taiga, where there is so much life and freedom. And if fate throws this person onto lakes, winding rivers, rolling their crystalline waters along a rocky bottom, and he hears the cry of birds - geese, ducks, seagulls, - sees flocks of “red” game fluttering in all directions - he will be sorry to leave with a region where, although for a relatively short time, nature is full of enchanting charm.”

A. K. Denisov-Uralsky

Naturally, the nature of such a large mountainous country as the Urals, stretching from the Arctic Ocean to the southern steppes in the center of a huge continent, is unusually diverse. The Urals crosses several natural zones, clearly expressed on the neighboring plains - Russian and West Siberian.

Within the same zone on the plains of the Cis-Urals and Trans-Urals, natural conditions differ markedly. This is explained by the fact that the Ural Mountains not only form a barrier to the settlement of some species of plants and animals, but also serve as a real climatic barrier. To the west of them there is more precipitation, the climate is more humid and mild; to the east, that is, beyond the Urals, there is less precipitation, the climate is drier, with pronounced continental features.

The nature of the vegetation of the Cis-Urals and Trans-Urals is also different. For example, in the taiga of the Cis-Ural region there are most fir-spruce forests, and fewer pine forests. In the Trans-Ural region, on the contrary, pine forests are especially common. In the Cis-Urals, south of the taiga, there are broad-leaved forests; in the Trans-Urals there are none. In the steppes of the Cis-Ural region, in the remaining areas of meadow steppes, forbs form a colorful carpet. In the steppes of the Trans-Ural region, due to the lack of moisture and the close occurrence of salt-rich tertiary sediments, saline soils with sparse vegetation are common.

Currently, there are practically no natural landscapes left in the Urals, with the exception of forests and mountain tundras in the very north, which would not be changed by man. In the forest zone, in place of native dark coniferous and pine forests, birches and aspens grow over vast areas. The fauna of the Urals has also changed greatly: the number of ferrets, badgers, squirrels, sables, martens, and beavers has decreased. There are few fish left in the rivers.

As a result of economic activity, the nature of the Urals, especially the Middle and Southern ones, has changed greatly. The forests suffered significantly, as they were cut down when the metallurgy of the Urals developed using charcoal. The composition of the forest area has changed: more and more space is occupied by birch and birch-pine forests. Many rivers are polluted by industrial wastes, and in large cities there is a lack of clean water for the household needs of the population, so the problem of water supply is one of the most important in this region. Soil resources are rich only in the southern part of the Urals, in the zone of steppes and forest-steppes. All of the above facts allow us to conclude that the problems of rational use of the natural resources of the Urals are very acute.