INFRASTRUCTURE CORRIDORS IN RUSSIA - PROS AND CONS: A MINERAL RESOURCES APPROACH DMITRI V. RUNDQVIST, SERGEI V. CHERKASOV Vernadsky State Geological Museum, RAS (Moscow) Russian-French Metallogenic Laboratory

1.History and current situation in Russia (in terms of developing and distribution of mineral resources). 2.Re-evaluation of mineral potential. 3.From current situation to the future – challenges and solutions.

AntiquityXVIII centuryXIX centuryBy 1915by 1939by 1975 USE OF ELEMENTS BY HUMAN BEINGS

Granite open pit in Kuznechny, near St. Petersburg

Deserted open pit in Murmansk Region

Lebedinsky open pit (Kursk magnetic anomaly)

RUSSIA TODAY LAND12.5% POPULATION3% FORESTS22% FRESH WATER20% TOTAL AREA OF SHELF30% MINERAL RESOURCES16%

Geological knowledge about Russia

Map of mineral deposits

For the most important mineral resources, Russia’s share of world resources and reserves is greater than its relative share of the production and consumption of the same commodities

The only exception is the intensive production of platinum group metals and, to some extent, nickel

Norilsk on a frost day

Norilsk The same place in summer, and… …40 years ago.

Norilsk

Oil - 57,3% Gas – 32% Coal – 12% Iron ore –14,9% Copper –85% Nickel – 91% Zinc –59% Lead –9,1% Tungsten – 96% Besides the decrease in exploration during the last 10 years, we have also had shrinkage of the domestic market. The mining, oil and gas industries have became export-oriented. The share of exports in total production is shown here for As a result, per capita resource consumption, including energy resources, is now only 1/3 to 1/2 its level in developed countries. uranium - 416,6% of production (as of 1996) molybdenum – 356,2% molybdenum – 356,2% At the expense of pre-existing stockpiles, exports reached:

DISTRIBUTION OF RUSSIAN MINERAL RESOURCES BY FEDERAL DISTRICT

(BILLIONS USD) <100 DISTRIBUTION OF MINERAL RESOURCES IN BILLIONS OF USD AND NUMBER OF DAYS WITH LOW (below 0 o C) TEMPERATURE

Drilling site in Siberia during snowstorm

During the last years we have utilized 85% of oil 50% of coal 50% of iron produced throughout human history Consumption of metals increased 3- to 5-fold in that period, compared with the previous years

Russia is rich with energy resources (32% of gas; % of oil; and 12% of coal – world explored reserves); precious metals (platinum - 40%, palladium - 90%); RE and REE (niobium - about 35%, tantalum - about 80%, yttrium - 50%, lithium - 28%, beryllium - 15%, and zirconium, 12%); metals for metallurgy (Ni – 36%, Fe – 27%, Sn – 27%, Co – 20%, Zn – 16%, Pb – 12%.); agrochemical ores (potassium salts – Russia heads the list, apatite and phosphorite – Russia is second in the World). Russia has the largest diamond resources in the world and ranks third in gold.

REASONS TO RE-EVALUATE MINERAL POTENTIAL GROWING DEMAND, CHANGING THE STRUCTURE OF DEMAND; DISCOVERIES OF NEW TYPES OF MINERAL DEPOSITS; NEW TECHNOLOGIES OF EXTRACTION; DIFFERENCE IN METHODOLOGY OF EVALUATION IN SOVIET UNION, RUSSIA, AND WESTERN WORLD.

Mineral wealth of Russia. Eds.: B. Mikhailov, O. Petrov, S. Kimelman. SPb., VSEGEI, 2007, 550 p. Mineral resources of Russian Arctic. Ed. D. Dodin. SPb., NAUKA, 2007, 767 p.

Large and Superlarge Mineral Deposits. Vol. 1. D. Rundqvist, A. Tkachev, S. Cherkasov, et al. Ed. D. Rundqvist. Moscow, IGEM RAS, 2006, 390 p. D. Rundqvist, S. Cherkasov, A. Tkachev, et al. Moscow, RFML, 2006.

GENERAL RESULTS OF RAS PROGRAM ON LARGE AND SUPERLARGE MINERAL DEPOSITS Au Ag Cu Mo Au, Cu, Zn Au, Ag, Sn, U Au U Cu PGE Au, PGE, Ti, diam. diam. Au, PGE, V Au, PGE, Cu, Zn, Mo Au, Ti, Zr, Li Cu, Ni, PGE

GENERAL RESULTS OF RAS PROGRAM ON LARGE AND SUPERLARGE MINERAL DEPOSITS Au Ag Cu Mo Au, Cu, Zn Au, Ag, Sn, U Au U Cu PGE Au, PGE, Ti, diam. diam. Au, PGE, V Au, PGE, Cu, Zn, Mo Au, Ti, Zr, Li Cu, Ni, PGE

INFRASTRUCTURE CORRIDORS IN RUSSIA Trans-Siberian railway km (Moscow-Vladivostok) Railway “Industrial Urals – Polar Urals” Above 1000 km About 2,4 bln. dollars plus 3.5 bln. dollars – energy infrastructure

INFRASTRUCTURE CORRIDORS IN RUSSIA Sakha (Yakutia) Republic

Sakha (Yakutia) Republic population 0.95 mln 0.28 mln. – Yakutsk 10 towns, 55 villages Germany population 82.5 mln. France population 60 mln.

Verkhoyanye Ridge Buildings on piles Diamond mining – southern Sakha (Yakutia)

INFRASTRUCTURE CORRIDORS IN RUSSIA

YANA-KOLYMA GOLD BEARING (GREEN) AND VERKHOYANYE SILVER BEARING (RED) PROVINCES Germany

SUMMARY transportation infrastructure is the key to Russian mineral resources to develop new territories, we have to think of social and demographic problems, and to solve them using global common sense new geological prospecting, mining, and refining technologies open up new resources

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