Geology. Козлова Е.П. - 24 стр.

exceeds 27 percent, 36 percent of nickel, 11 percent of copper, 20 percent of cobalt,
12 percent of lead, 16 percent of zinc and 40 percent of metals of platinum groups.
And last but least, Russia accounts for one third of the world’s resources of gold.
       This country boasts scores of that we call super-giant deposits of ores and other
minerals of which less that one half is being actively developed now. These include
the Norilsk field (copper, nickel, platinoids), Kursk Magnetic Anomaly and
Kostomuksha deposits in Karelia (iron), Yakutia (diamonds), and the Olympiada
Gold Field in Siberia. In the present deplorable state of our affairs, there is no
development work in progress now even at such deposits of a truly unique size as the
Sukhoi Log (gold, platinum), the Udokan field (copper with associated gold and
silver) in Pribaikalye, and Tomtor in Yakutia. The total cost of the raws mined in
Russia annually in recent time is estimated at 95-105 bln dollars at the current world
prices. However one has to bear in mind that all of this potential natural wealth turns
into tangible reality only through the vast amount of work of geologists, miners,
technologists, experts in ore-dressing and metallurgists. In this, like all the other
countries , the time interval from the discovery of a deposits to the start of it’s
industrial use is 5 to 10 years in the traditional regions and 10 to 15 years in new and
undeveloped ones. Development of mineral deposits calls for considerable
investments into geological studies, prognostication, prospecting and initial
development as well as the construction of the relevant industrial facilities,
infrastructure and access roads.
       Of decisive role in translating these tasks into reality are our federal projects,
including “Global changes of Environment and Climate”, “World Ocean”,
“Resources-Saving Technologies”. Missing of this list, however, is a key program
which could be entitled “Global Regularities of Siting of Mineral Resources as the
Basis for Long – Term Prognostication of the Geoeconomic and Geopolitical
Development of Russia”. Studies within this framework will practically map out
prospect of development of various regions, the relative value of their mineral
resources with the identification of those in deficit, and also potential zone of
conflicts-clashes of interests of various countries in a perspective to 2015.

                                    Snags and Problems

       This country is facing a host of objective problems in the development of its
natural resources.
       First, there are some very adverse conditions in this country for the exploration
of mineral deposits with most of the field being located in the northern regions,
including permafrost zones where, as a rule, there are no developed infrastructures
and transport facilities which makes it necessary to rely on what we call shift
methods of work. Another snag in the economic development of our polar territories
is the fact that the Northeastern Passage practically does not function any more.
       Secondly, the economic links which functioned in the former Soviet Union
have al been practically severed and defy any practical attempts at their restoration
since the bulk of the natural resources of the CIS countries has been sold to foreign
firms.
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