And mining which. Homework assignments. Non-metallic or non-metallic types

Useful

fossils

Extraction of raw materials

Preparation and Enrichment

Product manufacturing

Rice. 1. General diagram of the production process in industry

Consequently, minerals constitute the primary, basic basis of industrial production. To obtain the final product, it is necessary to extract natural resources from the subsoil to the surface. This primary stage industrial production called prey. Mining is carried out using open and underground methods. In the first case, resources are removed from the subsurface after the rocks that cover them are removed. In this case, fossils are extracted as if from the surface of the earth. In underground mining, minerals are brought to the surface from under the overburden through special mine workings rocks Oh. The choice of extraction method depends on the type of natural resources, mining and geological conditions of their occurrence and other circumstances. The most progressive method of extraction is open-pit mining. This is due to a number of advantages compared to underground mining. In open-pit mining, the working space is not limited, as in mines. As a result, favorable conditions for the use of powerful, high-performance machines. The production process is highly mechanized and is carried out almost without handmade. As a result, labor productivity is 3-6 times higher than in mines. A high level of mechanization reduces the labor intensity of production and provides easier, safer, more hygienic working conditions for miners. Due to the wide development of the scope of work, a shorter period is required for the construction of open-pit mines, and design capacities are mastered faster. As a result, capital investments during quarry construction are 1.5-2.5 times less than during mine development.

All the above circumstances explain the high efficiency of open-pit mining. Therefore, preferential development this method mining determines progressive trends in industry. The widespread development of open-pit mining is hampered by a number of circumstances. Firstly, developments are more dependent on natural conditions (climatic, mining and geological, etc.). It is enough to note that the extraction of minerals by this method, at the current level of development of scientific and technological progress, is limited to depths of up to 500 m. Secondly, a significant impact on environment, which can be so negative that it makes the environmental factor the main one in determining the methods of extracting raw materials. However modern level the development of scientific and technological progress allows us to reduce the influence of these circumstances on the development of resources open method.

1.2. Open development natural resources

All raw materials for the production of building materials, most of the iron, chrome, copper ores, a significant proportion of manganese, shale, coal and other minerals are mined using the open-pit method.

The use of open-pit mining is economically feasible provided that the cost per unit of extracted raw materials is less than or equal to the cost of its extraction underground. Open pit mining is used when resources are located relatively shallow from the earth's surface. Thus, in Krivoy Rog (Ukraine) iron ores are mined from depths of up to 250 m. The choice of method also depends on the thickness of the layers. Thin seams are not effectively developed even if they are relatively shallow, since it is necessary to move significant volumes of waste rock per unit of raw material. Therefore, only a part of all natural resource reserves is suitable for open-pit mining.

The production process of open-pit mining is much simpler than that of underground resource development. It consists of preparatory, stripping and cleaning works Preparatory work is carried out to remove natural and artificial barriers from the mining fields that hinder production. Typically, natural barriers are forests, rivers, swamps, lakes, etc. To carry out open-pit mining, forests are cut down, swamps are drained, and special wells or mine workings are created to lower the level groundwater. In order to protect developments from precipitation, ditches are laid through which water is drained outside the development. Artificial barriers can be various buildings (roads, settlements, etc.). If necessary, they are transferred beyond the boundaries of the deposits. During the preparatory period, access roads and various utilities are laid.

Fig. 2. CAREER DIAGRAM

When the above-mentioned work is completed at the deposit, stripping begins, that is, removing the waste rock covering the ore. The result is direct access to natural resources. Rock removal is carried out layer by layer (Fig. 2). During the development process, each layer takes the form of a ledge, a step. The end part is called slaughter Mining equipment and vehicles are placed on the ledge areas, and the ledge itself is called an overburden ledge. The method for removing overburden depends on its physical properties. Loose and soft rocks are removed mechanically using excavators and bulldozers. Hard rock is initially broken up by explosion and then moved by mechanical means. The excavated rock is transported to dumps– specially designated areas that can be located both in the mined-out space (internal dumps) and outside it (external dumps). Moving waste rock to dumps is called dumping.

Cleaning operations include operations to remove minerals from the subsoil, and they got their name from the essence of the purpose. They are carried out when natural resources are exposed. Extraction is carried out in the same way as when removing overburden - layer by layer. The ledges formed are called clearing ledges.

The main mechanical means when carrying out stripping and cleaning work is an excavator - a self-propelled earth-moving machine that excavates rock and moves it in a bucket. Excavators are single-bucket and multi-bucket.* Draglines are also used - rope-bucket excavators. They differ from single-bucket excavators in that the bucket and boom are connected by a cable. Draglines can be walking or crawler-mounted. In addition to excavators, scrapers, bulldozers, drilling and blasting equipment and other machines that have auxiliary purposes are used in open-pit mining.

Enterprises that represent a set of mine workings and equipment for open-pit mining are called quarries, and in the coal industry - cuts.

To assess the efficiency of open-pit mining, the indicator is used stripping ratio, which represents the ratio of the volume of waste rock to the amount of minerals extracted. This indicator shows the amount of waste rock moved per unit of raw material mined.

* Multi-bucket excavators can be chain (buckets are located on a chain) and rotary (buckets are located on a rotating wheel - rotor).

The stripping ratio when mining non-metallic materials is about 1 m³ of waste rock per ton of raw material (1 m³ /t), coal - up to 15 m³ /t. With the development of raw material extraction, more and more deposits with worse mining and geological conditions are being developed, and this causes an increase in the stripping ratio. So, in the 60s, at coal mines in Kuzbass this figure was 4 m³/t, and in the 90s – more than 7 m³/t. This indicator dynamics is favored by the use of increasingly powerful equipment, which makes it possible to extract ore from the subsoil at lower costs.

Open-pit mining has a significant impact on the environment. Firstly, this influence is due to the withdrawal from economic activity of significant land for quarries and dumps, which in modern conditions at each enterprise occupy an area of ​​​​several square kilometers. It is enough to note that the size of one of the largest coal mines, Bogatyr (Kazakhstan), is about 10 km². In the largest mining areas, tens of thousands of hectares are occupied by quarries and dumps. It can be noted that very productive soils are allocated for them. Thus, on the Kursk magnetic anomaly, about 15 thousand hectares are allocated for iron ore mining, including 9 thousand hectares of arable land, and here the most productive soils in the world are chernozems, which further increases the negative environmental impact on the environment.

The construction of quarries hundreds of meters deep causes a decrease in groundwater levels. And this negatively affects the water supply of the farm, as well as soil productivity.

Overburden dumps have a significant impact on the environment. In addition to the withdrawal of land from economic activity, dumps pollute the air, water, and soil with elements of dump rocks. The depth of this process depends both on the scale and chemical composition dumps. Thus, salts enter the components of nature, change their chemical composition, the vegetation of the environment, and increase the incidence of the population. The negative impact can be reduced by land reclamation and the use of all types of dumps for economic purposes. From dumps it is possible to obtain various building materials, mineral fertilizers, alumina, etc. At the same time, the cost of production is significantly less than from specially extracted raw materials.

1.3. Underground mining of minerals and fuels

Natural resources are developed using underground methods, the extraction of which is impossible or economically infeasible by open-pit mining. Typically, underground methods are used to extract minerals that occur at greater depths, with lower thickness of layers and other worse mining and geological conditions, when the cost per ton is equal to or less than in open-pit mining. The main types of underground mining are mining, underground leaching, underground gasification, oil and gas extraction.

The most widely used mine subsoil development Using this method, it is possible to extract raw materials from depths of up to 2 thousand meters. A mine is a set of mine workings through which minerals are extracted from the depths to the surface. Before development, the deposit is divided into mine fields - areas that are developed by one enterprise - the mine. Mine construction begins with the sinking of vertical shafts, which open the useful layer (Fig. 3.). Each shaft has at least two shafts, which improves its ventilation. The shafts carry the lifting and lowering of minerals, auxiliary materials, equipment, people, energy supply, ventilation, etc. For these purposes, the shaft is divided into sections for lifting and lowering working loads. A special compartment contains pipes for pumping out water, air, electrical and telephone lines. There is a compartment with ladders and platforms for independent lifting of workers from the mine in the event of a lifting mechanism failure.

Mines may have vertical mining openings that serve the same purposes as the shaft, but do not have direct access to the surface. These workings are called blind shafts.

1. Mine shaft.

2. Cross-cut.

3. Bremsberg.

6. Stretch of a coal seam.

7. Falling coal seam.

Rice. 3. LOCATION OF MINING WORKS IN THE MINE

In mountainous areas, horizontal or close to this position excavations are created to uncover fossils - adits. They perform the same functions as trunks. At the bottom of the trunk is created mine yard, where ore is loaded from vehicles into a lifting mechanism. Repair shops, electrical substations, depots, garages for transport, etc. are located here.

From the bottom of the shaft, horizontal capital mine workings are laid with the same functions. They can be carried out along the strike of the fossil layer and in waste rock. In the first case, such production is called drift, and in the second - cross-cut. The last working is laid from the shaft to the useful formation and is created to open it. The crosscut from the shaft is built in cases where the fossil lies in unfavorable conditions under natural or artificial barriers and it is not economically feasible to lay the shaft directly above the deposit.

Inclined mine workings are also created in the mine. If it is passed in the plane of the formation from overlying horizons, it is called Bremsberg, and from the lower ones - slope.

All of the above-mentioned mine workings are permanent structures, created during the preparatory period and operated for the same period as the mine. Capital excavations are reinforced with reinforced concrete and cast iron tubes and various equipment is placed in them. After laying capital workings, the industrial development of the deposit begins, which is achieved by carrying out cleaning work. Their essence comes down to separating the fossil from the formation and transporting the rock to the surface. The process of separating ore from a rock layer is called breaker, and the place where it is held is face or lava. Breaking is carried out by manual, explosive and machine methods. The choice of type of blasting depends on scientific and technological progress, physical and chemical properties of minerals. Back at the beginning of the twentieth century, the main equipment of miners was a butt, a drag sled that was pulled by workers. The ore was hauled away in trolleys driven by horses. In modern mines, hard rocks are blasted, less durable rocks (salt, coal) are separated by machine. In this case, special combines are widely used, which remove rock and load it onto a vehicle. Manual breaking using pneumatic hammers is used to a limited extent due to its high labor intensity and low labor productivity. As the rock is removed, the face and equipment move along the strike of the seam. This causes the instability of the workplace, and its gradual movement complicates the automation of work.

Separating the ore from the seam requires securing the overlying rocks from collapse. To do this, wood or metal support is used in the excavations, and the work is called fastening the roof.

The simplest method of removing ore from lava is to lower it under the influence of its own weight. This method is used when the face is located above the transport mine workings. Mostly ore is removed from lava using special cars, scraper mechanisms, conveyors and other vehicles. Through haulage mine workings, ore is transported to the shafts by belt conveyors and locomotives with trolleys with a carrying capacity of up to I tons, depending on the capacity of the mine. Battery and contact electric locomotives with a track width of 600-900 mm are used as locomotives. For comparison, we note that this indicator is railway transport is 1420 mm. Modern conveyors move up to 3000 tons of rock per hour.

The ore is lifted to the surface cage And skipovym ways. In the first case, the ore is lifted along the shaft together with a trolley, and after unloading on the surface, it is again lowered into the mine. A more efficient lifting - skip - in special containers with a lifting capacity of 10-50 tons, which are located in the shaft. At the same time, at the bottom of the shaft, the rock is reloaded from a vehicle into a skip, which rises to the surface. This lift is usually equipped with two skips. When one is under unloading, the second is loaded during this period, and then vice versa.

When mining subsoil, the surface of the earth is less disturbed compared to the open pit method. However, extracting ore from under the caprock creates voids in the depths. Under the influence of the plasticity of rocks, mechanical disruption of the subsoil occurs, surface subsidence occurs, swampiness of territories increases, artificial lakes are formed, cracks on the surface of the earth, and buildings are destroyed. With the expansion of the scale of development, these environmental phenomena are increasing significantly, which requires large capital investments for fastening

roofs. Improving methods for developing natural resources and filling mined-out voids with industrial waste can reduce the negative environmental impact.

In-situ leaching used for the development of uranium ores, salts, and non-ferrous metal ores. In Belarus, the Mozyr rock salt deposit is being developed in this way. Underground leaching is based on the properties of ores to dissolve in water and acids. With this method, the deposit is opened with wells equipped with a concentric arrangement of pipes according to the pipe-in-pipe scheme (Fig. 4). Through one of the pipes, a solvent is supplied into the subsurface. It is lighter than brine and is located at the top of the leaching chamber. The solvent is gradually saturated with ore components, becomes heavier, goes down the chamber and is squeezed out through one of the pipes to the surface. To stop ore leaching, inert substances (compressed air, petroleum products, etc.) are supplied into the chamber, which protect the top of the chamber from dissolution.

RICE. 4. DIAGRAM OF A DESCRIPTIVE WELL.

Thus, the process is much simpler compared to the mine one. Extraction of raw materials comes down to supplying solvent into the subsoil and transporting brines through pipelines to processing sites. This eliminates the presence of people underground, which improves working conditions, safety and increases productivity. The time it takes to prepare a field for exploitation and capital investments for the extraction of a unit of raw material are reduced. According to experts, it is only possible to drill and equip wells for mineral extraction at the cost of sinking mine shafts. Therefore, the cheapest raw materials are obtained in this way.

Underground leaching allows for a more rational use of subsoil resources and expands the raw material base of industry. Mining ore extraction is limited by the depth and conditions of rock occurrence. The development of deep-seated strata located in difficult mining and geological conditions using the mine method is not always advisable. Due to their plasticity, salt extraction is possible to depths of up to 1000 m. Economic use ores that do not meet the standard requirements can only be processed by underground leaching. This method expands the resource base due to a more complete removal of minerals from the subsoil of already mined sections of mine fields, where resource losses can reach 3/4 of the total reserves.

In-situ leaching is a more economical and environmentally friendly process. The use of special solvents makes it possible to extract only the useful component, and leave all other substances, which can make up more than 9/10 of the rock mass, in the subsoil. As a result, less waste is generated on the surface.

The economies of many countries depend on mining. This is one of the main resources for the development of industry, construction and the economy. There are two main mining options: underground mining and open-pit mining. The choice of method depends on the depth of valuable rock deposits, terrain features and other factors.

Extraction work useful resources from the depths of the Earth have a thousand-year history. Equipment and mining methods have gone through a serious evolutionary path. Nevertheless, the basic principles have been preserved.

Quarries are being developed in almost every corner of the planet. Metals, minerals, and construction raw materials are mined. This type of mining has a negative impact on the environment and environmental situation. However there is whole line advantages that determine the popularity of the open-pit mining method:

• simplified version of preparatory and construction work;
• high degree of safety for participants in the process;
• relatively low costs for organizing and conducting development;
• comfortable conditions for workers;
• the possibility of more efficient rock extraction.

The positive aspects of quarrying are identified in relation to other mining options (underground, combined). Labor costs for open-pit mining are quite high. The economic benefit decreases with the deepening of the pit. Delivery of the breed to the collection point is constantly becoming more complicated, increasing the cost of the procedure.

Open development technology

Extraction of natural resources is a process that consists of many stages. Preparatory work begins with geological exploration. Experts search for fossil deposits and estimate the likely volumes of mined rock.

Preparatory work

After positive results geological exploration stage begins primary training. Mining enterprises carry out the following work:

• uprooting of forests;
• drainage or watering of the area;
• construction of necessary communications (sewage, communications, access roads);
• erection of administrative buildings and other premises.

The duration of the preparatory stage depends on the financial investment, the scale of the work, weather conditions, terrain features.

Minerals (coal, metal, etc.) are hidden under waste rock. This layer of soil must be removed. To achieve this, stripping operations are carried out. The top soil is removed layer by layer. There is a systematic advance towards valuable deposits. As a result, a cascade of benches is formed, and the development of the quarry approaches the direct production phase.

The following equipment is used for stripping operations:

• bulldozer;
• excavator;
• dragline (excavator with rope connection);
• drilling and blasting equipment.

The efficiency of open pit mining is determined by the ratio of the displaced waste rock to the mining result. Quantity cubic meters the removed soil is divided by the tonnage of the removed mineral.

Mining process

After stripping operations, direct extraction of the mined rock is carried out. It is removed from the subsoil and transported to warehouses or processing plants. To reduce the cost of this stage of development, they use large-tonnage equipment and try to automate some processes.

Transportation of raw materials is often entrusted to mining dump trucks of the BelAZ plant. In 2013, a model was released that is capable of transporting cargo weighing up to 450 tons. During testing, the dump truck handled a record 503.5 tons.

New technologies and equipment that are used for development and production are regularly developed valuable species. The level of security is increasing, and some processes are being fully automated. But work in quarries and mines remains difficult and dangerous. Working conditions are often extreme and require high physical and psychological stability.

Quarry structure

Open mining is suitable for many valuable rocks. There are chalk quarries, coal quarries, amber quarries, marble quarries, and copper quarries. One of the largest open-pit mining sites is located in Utah, USA. Mining of the Bingham Canyon quarry began in 1863. The depth of the pit is about 1,200 meters. Active ore mining continues in the quarry.

Features of quarry development depend on many factors. We can identify the main elements that are characteristic of all such structures:

• working and non-working board;
• lower and upper contours;
• overburden and clearing benches;
• platforms (below the slope, above the slope);
• breed collection point;
• transport communications.

The bottom of the quarry is also often called the bottom - this is the lower platform of the ledge. Its dimensions take into account the necessary conditions safety of rock removal and loading at the last level.

The influence of quarries on the environmental situation

Each quarry development is a significant blow to the environment and ecological background of the area. Already at the preparatory stage of rock extraction, actions are carried out that destroy the landscape. Enterprises cut down entire forests, drain water bodies, and carry out blasting operations.

Open pit mining has a detrimental effect on the soil. Cubic meters of soil are removed for fossil deposits. Often these are lands that could be effectively used for agricultural purposes. The development of valuable rocks entails a decrease in groundwater levels. The region's water supply and soil productivity are declining.

Overburden dumps pose a particular danger. Scale negative impact depend on the depth of the quarry and the chemical composition of the soil. Dumps pollute water, air, and soil. Various salts can leach into vegetation and lead to increased risk of certain diseases in local populations.

Mining in quarries is always accompanied by:

• wastewater pollution;
• carbon monoxide emissions;
• loud noise.

All this also negatively affects the environment.

Ecological restoration measures

The open-pit method of mining is not distinguished by its gentle approach to the developed area, but Negative consequences can be leveled out somewhat. In many countries, companies involved in quarrying are required to carry out reclamation and replant the site with vegetation after the end of mining. This allows you to start the process of regeneration of the soil and the ecological background.

Working with industrial waste can also be optimized. From the dump rocks the following is extracted:

• mineral fertilizers;
• alumina;
• Construction Materials.

This makes it possible to expand the range of economic benefits for the mining industry and reduce the negative impact of dumps on the environment.

Conclusion

Open pit mining is common throughout the world. This method allows you to remove a wide variety of rocks: chalk, coal, etc. We have to come to terms with the fact that quarrying has a negative impact on the environment.

However, conscious states are trying to control this process by setting certain requirements for mining enterprises. Mining and development of valuable rocks is a help for a stable economy. It is difficult for governing bodies to refuse the impressive financial flow that lies in the bowels of the country.

Both organic and inorganic origin, which at a given level of technological development can be used on the farm.

In our time, about $250 types of these mineral formations are known, but their involvement in economic circulation occurred throughout human civilization.

In all probability, first metal, which people began to use, was copper. Native copper, according to archaeologists, was used back in the Stone Age. This is for $12-11$ thousand years BC. e., and later the Copper Age proper begins. Copper was widely used not only for the production of tools, but also for making jewelry, utensils, and minting coins.

Copper is being replaced by bronze for about $4$ thousand years BC. e. Bronze Age suggests that people have learned to produce an alloy of copper and tin. Bronze first became known in the Middle East, and then in Europe - in southern Italy, where its production was mastered. Bronze, like copper, was widely used for the manufacture of tools, and then as a structural material. From bronze parts, for example, it was mounted statue of the Colossus of Rhodes.

Lasted approximately $3.5 thousand years iron ve to, which replaced the Bronze Age. It was iron, according to archaeologists, that played a huge role in the development of civilization. In Europe, in the south of Russia, in the Caucasus, iron ores were used for the production of labor and household tools, for the production of weapons and other products.

The interesting thing is that in ancient world The mineral resource base was the same as in the $1800 - first half of the $1900 century - copper, iron, tin, lead, gold, silver. The second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century brought about great changes affecting fuel minerals. The era of using stone began coal and oil. First oil wells appeared in the 17th century, and industrial production began in the mid-19th century. Changes also affected ore minerals - aluminum, manganese, chromium, nickel, tungsten, molybdenum, the mass production of which began much later than their discovery.

Note 1

In the middle of the 20th century, with the development of the scientific and technological revolution, a new qualitative and quantitative change began mineral resource base humanity. The metal of the $XX$ century appeared, without which development modern production it would be practically impossible - these are titanium, lithium, zirconium, germanium, tellurium, etc.

Classification of minerals

Minerals are called food for industry; without them, no industry can operate. They are very diverse, so they have specific properties.

In nature, the main accumulations of these substances are distinguished:

• Placers;
• Layers;
• Veins;
• Rods;
• Nests.

Huge accumulations of minerals are called:

• Provinces;
• Districts;
• Swimming pools;
• Place of Birth.

Classification according to the characteristics of the state of aggregation:

• Solid;
• Liquid;
• Gaseous.

Classification by application:

• Combustibles – oil, coal, gas;
• Ore – all metal-containing raw materials;
• Non-metallic – raw materials without ore content;
• Gems are precious and semi-precious stones.

Note 2

The most valuable category of minerals are coal, oil, gas, related to fuel resources and providing humanity with the main amount of energy when burned. All countries have a certain reserve of certain mineral resources, the economic level of which largely determines not only their quantitative, but also their qualitative composition.

Mining

With the development of industry, the need for minerals is growing, their production is constantly increasing and acquiring such a pace and scale that the question of alternative sources arises. Mineral resources are not limitless. Most of them are non-renewable, because restoration takes hundreds and thousands of years, and the development of deposits takes decades. This circumstance requires their careful and complete use.

The discovery and study of new deposits is very challenging task, the solution of which is based on theoretical research, usage modern technology, accurate economic calculations, scientifically based forecasts. A variety of specialists are involved in solving these issues.

Extraction of mineral resources is carried out by open and closed methods. The open method makes it possible to extract rocks in quarries and is more profitable from an economic point of view. From an environmental point of view, on the contrary, mined out and abandoned quarries cause soil erosion. Usually, open-pit mining is carried out for those minerals that are located on the surface or shallow in the subsoil. Most often, sand, chalk, limestone, iron and copper ores, and some types of coal are mined this way.

WITH great depths solid minerals are extracted using underground mines, which are considered dangerous to the lives of workers. For the extraction of liquid and gaseous minerals, boreholes and, less commonly, mines are used. The extraction method depends on the geological conditions of occurrence and economic calculations.

Nature conservation during mining

All activities related to the development of mineral resources must be carried out in accordance with compliance with measures for the protection of subsoil and the environment. As a result of mining, dumps, waste heaps, and quarries are created, and water, air, and soil are polluted. Open-pit mining negatively affects fertile lands, fields, meadows, forested areas. The legislation provides for their restoration. All mining enterprises are required to ensure that the damaged landscape can be restored before work begins. The rock that forms waste heaps can be used in the construction of roads and house foundations, and in their place parks and forest belts can be planted. The empty remaining rock is used to fill mined-out mines and adits. It's about on the complete reclamation of land after mining.

Reclamation involves the following work:

• Design, chemical research, land mapping;
• Removal, storage and transportation of fertile land;
• Surface leveling;
• Application of an enriched layer;
• Cleaning up industrial waste;
• Application of useful fertilizers;
• Sowing plants.

MINERAL MINING (a. mineral production, mineral output, mineral recovery; n. Gewinnung von nutzbaren Bodenschatzen; f. exploitation des mineraux ufiles; i. explotacion de minerales utiles) - processes of solid, liquid and gaseous products using technical means. The term "mining" is also used as economic category and is expressed in volumetric or weight units of measurement: in relation to - in m 3, - in m 3 / day (, and other components - in tons), non-metallic raw materials - in tons, - in, semi-precious stones - in kilograms, ( , etc.) - in m3, raw materials for, paint raw materials - in tons, facing decorative stone - in m2. The calculation of extracted minerals is carried out in absolute figures obtained from the mineral deposit, taking into account losses (the so-called marketable product) and in terms of the useful component (metal or). The latter makes data on the extraction of a specific mineral from different deposits comparable (that is, it takes into account the % content of the valuable component in minerals).

Mining has a history of thousands of years (see). The process of mining consists of extracting a valuable component in a relatively pure form (for example, oil, natural gas, coal, precious stones, etc.) or in a form (for example, metal ores), which is further processed.

On land, mining is carried out, and; in the sea - with drilling wells, and special autonomous ones that collect nodules from the bottom.

The overwhelming number of solid mineral deposits are developed using mines and quarries, as well as boreholes, by artificially converting a number of solid minerals into a mobile (liquid, gaseous) state (native salt, rock salt, coal, etc.). About 90% of brown and 20% of hard coals, 70% of metal ores, and 95% of non-metallic building materials are mined in quarries. Liquid and gaseous minerals (oil, brines, groundwater, natural gas) are extracted using boreholes, a number of oil fields It is developed using mines; open-pit mining is used to extract oil-saturated sands ("heavy" oils). A number of deposits use a combination of mining methods (open pit and mine, mine and borehole). The choice of mining method is determined mainly by the mining and geological conditions of the minerals and economic calculations.

The annual production of solid minerals in the world is about 20 billion tons (including non-metallic minerals - 13 billion tons), oil - about 3 billion tons, gaseous minerals - 1.5 trillion. m 3 (1980). The scale of mining is increasing with the development of industrial production, technological progress and population growth. Of the total amount of minerals extracted from the bowels of the earth in the entire history of human civilization, the predominant volume was extracted in the 20th century (1901-80), incl. oil 99.5%, coal 90%, 87%, over 80%, 70%. The growth of mineral extraction is ensured by the discovery of new deposits, the involvement of deep deposits in the exploitation, and the development of ores with low contents of useful components. An important reserve for increasing industrial consumption is the improvement of mineral processing technologies, the introduction of low-waste and waste-free technologies with the disposal of all components of the mined rock mass. The largest volumes of mineral extraction come from machine (in some cases automated) systems, the importance of the most advanced physicochemical and biological methods is increasing, allowing selective extraction of metals from deposits directly in rock masses, without significant disruption of their continuity (for example,). Mining is an energy-intensive process. The main sources of energy are electrical, liquid fuel, explosives. Energy consumption at open development minerals are 10-30 times less than with mines.

Mining is a critical area human activity, providing the postulate, development of the productive forces of society. See table.

The mining industry of Russia is the extraction of minerals

Despite the fact that the Russian Federation is very rich in mineral resources, little was known about them a hundred years ago. Active searches deposits were started in the 30s in the USSR.

The discovery of large volumes of deposits in the bowels of the earth on the territory of the Union made the country an undisputed leader. Russia inherited the bulk of the identified deposits, thanks to which it received the status of the most prosperous mineral resources countries in the world.

According to the most conservative estimates of foreign and domestic experts, the value of mineral resources is $27 trillion. With the growing pace of technical progress, technologies are improved, production volumes increase, labor intensity decreases, and profits of mining companies increase.

Despite such impressive data and development prospects, the mining industry needs significant capital investments, which, first of all, should be directed to providing infrastructure for deposits, establishing transportation, and modernizing enrichment plants. Big problems in Russia with processing raw materials industry.

This results in a paradoxical situation when huge volumes of extracted resources are exported at a low cost, but the country imports processed products at a price several times higher than the cost of raw materials. When it is much more profitable and economically advantageous to establish processing plants within the country, and provide surplus production for export.

Basic information

In Russia, mining is carried out in almost all directions; the country is largely rich:

• natural gas;
• petroleum products;
• ores of ferrous and non-ferrous metals;
• precious metal ores;
• rough diamonds;
• peat slates;
• deposits of natural salt;
• ores containing precious and semi-precious stones;
• ores containing radioactive metals;
• mineral waters.

Federal legislation, preventing the formation of mining monopolies, promotes business development by providing licenses for the extraction of mineral resources, tax breaks and deductions. The main requirements put forward to enterprises in the industry are to ensure environmental and labor safety, as well as timely replenishment of the treasury with fees and taxes.

The largest enterprises in the mining industry in Russia are the following:

• Rosneft;
• Lukoil;
• Tatneft;
• Gazprom;
• Kuzbassrazrezugol;
• Evraz;
• Atomredmetzoloto;
• Dalur;
• Alrosa;
• Severalmaz.

Obtain a license for individual fishing to an individual it is also possible, however, this process is quite difficult, private entrepreneurs get out of the situation by concluding employment contracts With large enterprises. This situation is typical for gold mining and precious stones, diamonds.

Mineral deposits in Russia

Mining production is geographically distributed throughout almost the entire territory of Russia. However, some patterns and places of greatest concentration of individual species have been identified.

The Pechera, Ural, and Bashkiria basins are rich in coal.

Ore minerals are concentrated in the Siberian platform; copper-nickel ores, platinum, and cobalt are actively mined here.

Potassium salt is concentrated on Caspian lowland, on the territory of lakes Baskunchak and Elton. The Urals region is also rich in deposits of table salt.

Construction materials such as glass sand, gypsum, sand, and limestone are mined on the territory of the East European Plain.

The Baltic shield is rich in a variety of ores of ferrous and non-ferrous metals.

Mining of minerals such as oil and gas is carried out in the lower reaches of the Volga and Ural rivers, on the territory of the northwestern Siberian plate. The most large deposit gas located in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, as well as on Sakhalin Island.

Yakutia is rich in diamond ores, gold mines and coal.

Polymetallic ores lie in the depths of the earth in the Altai Territory.

Gold, tin, and polymetallic raw materials are mined in Kolyma, in the Sikhote-Alin mountains and spurs of the Chersky Range.

The main uranium mining is concentrated in the Chita region.

Copper and nickel occur in strata located in the Urals, Kola Peninsula. These ores are also rich in associated minerals - cobalt, platinum and other non-ferrous metals. Near active fields Eastern Siberia increased The largest city– the center of the Arctic – Norilsk.

Oil shale rocks are located in the European part Russian Federation, the largest field is St. Petersburg, which is part of the Baltic shale basin.

Peat is mined in 46 thousand deposits, the bulk of which are concentrated in the Northern Urals and in Western Siberia. Total reserves are estimated at 160 billion tons. Some deposits have an area of ​​about 100 km 2.

Manganese in the Russian Federation is mined in 14 deposits, they are small in terms of deposit volumes, and the ore is of low quality, it contains a high content of carbonates, the beneficiation of such ore is difficult. The largest deposits are recorded in the Urals - Ekaterininskoye, Yurkinskoye, Berezovskoye.

Mining of minerals, such as aluminum ores - bauxite, is carried out in the Northern Urals - Tikhvinskoye and Onega deposits. In the Komi Republic, the Srednetimanskaya group of bauxite deposits has been recorded. Ore here has high quality, and the volume of confirmed reserves is estimated at 200 million tons.

Lecture “Mineral deposits”

In terms of silver reserves, the Russian Federation ranks first in the world; the main deposits are found in complex ores that contain non-ferrous metals and gold - 73%. Copper pyrite ores in the Urals contain up to 30 grams of silver per ton. Lead-zinc deposits in Eastern Siberia contain 43 grams of silver per ton. Silver ores themselves are mined in the Okhotsk-Chukotka volcanic belt.

Precious and semi-precious stones such as:

• emerald;
• beryl;
• jasper;
• nephritis;
• cornelian;
• malachite;
• rhinestone

mined in the Urals and Altai.

Lapis lazuli in Transbaikalia, carnelian and chalcedony in Buryatia and the Amur region, amethyst in the White Sea region.

Main mining methods

Depending on the type of fossil raw material, the forms in which it is contained, and the depth of its occurrence, various ways production

In Russia, two methods are mainly used - open and underground. The open pit or open pit mining method involves the development of deposits by excavation useful ore using excavators, tractors and other equipment.

Before development begins, blasting operations are carried out, the rock is crushed, and in this form it is easier to mine and transport. Open pit mining is suitable for minerals that lie shallow underground.

Quarries whose depth reaches 600 m can no longer be developed. This method produces 90% of brown coal, 20% coal, about 70% of non-ferrous and ferrous metal ores. Many building materials and peat are located on the surface of the earth; they are extracted using quarry methods with complete mechanization of production processes.

Mining minerals such as gas and oil are extracted from the depths of the earth using wells, the depth of which sometimes reaches several kilometers. Gas through the well rises to the surface under its own energy, in the depths of the earth it accumulates and is held by high pressure, and rushes to the surface, since it is several times lower there.

During the initial development of a well, oil may gush out for some time and rise to the surface in this way. When the fountain stops, further production is carried out using gas lift or mechanical methods. The gas lift method involves downloading compressed gas, thus creating conditions for lifting oil. The mechanized method is most often used; it involves the use of pumps:

• electric centrifugal;
• electric screw;
• electric diaphragm;
• hydraulic piston.

Mining by mine or underground method is used in the case of deep occurrence of useful rock. The mine is a tunnel, the depth of which sometimes reaches several kilometers. This method is labor-intensive and quite expensive.

To ensure safe working conditions, extensive infrastructure and expensive equipment are required. The operation of mines is associated with great risks; rock falls occur quite often in Russia. However, underground mining methods have a less harmful impact on the environment compared to open-pit mines.

Some minerals are extracted from groundwater and surface water, such as gold, lithium, copper. Gold-bearing sands can be found on the shores mountain rivers, swamps, lithium is found in the composition groundwater ah in the form of simple connections. Copper can also precipitate from some groundwater by dissolving sulfur-containing compounds.

Production volumes

Despite the general economic downturn in 2015, growth rates were recorded in the mining industry. The total volume of mineral production in Russia increased by 1.3% compared to 2014. This was largely influenced by the discovery and development of new fields; since 2011, more than fifty of them have been developed.

In terms of oil production, Russia ranks second in the world, second only to Saudi Arabia. About 530 million tons are produced per year. There has been a steady increase in production volumes in this industry.

New deposits increase resource potential, so in 2015 the increase in oil reserves amounted to 600 million tons, which is 20% more than production. In total, on the territory of the Russian Federation in already open fields There are more than 80,000 million tons of oil; according to this indicator, Russia is in 8th place in the world ranking.

Gas production in 2015 increased by 6.2% compared to the previous year and amounted to 642 billion cubic meters. According to experts, the proven volumes of gas in the country are 43.30 trillion tons, this figure indicates the unconditional leadership of Russia, Iran is in second place, its reserves are estimated at 29.61 trillion tons.

Gold production volumes in the first half of 2015 amounted to 183.4 tons, and Russia is also among the world leaders in this mineral resource.

Video: Diamond mining