There have been revealed over 1500 deposits of various kinds of mineral raw material, including 150 kimberlitic pipes, about 600 gold-bearing, 44 tin and as much coal, 34 oil-and-gas, 26 mica, 7 ferrous, a number of antimony, zeolitic, apatite and many other deposits on the territory of the Republic.
Energy resources of the Republic are significant. On its share come 47 percent of reconnoitred stocks of coal, 35 percent of natural gas and oil of the Eastern Siberia and the Far East, and also 22 percent of hydro resources as a whole across Russia. Today, the Republic occupies leading positions in the country, providing, in particular, 100 percent of Russia’s antimony extraction, 98 percent of diamonds, 40 percent of tin, 15 percent of gold and 24 percent of brilliants’ manufacture. By the existing estimations, the basic reconnoitred and forecasted resources of diamonds and antimonies of Russia, 40 percent of tin, 20 percent of gold, 9 percent of the reconnoitred and 15 percent of predicted stocks of wolfram, 10 percent of industrial stocks of phosphates, iron ores, significant stocks of hydrocarbons are concentrated in the Republic. Many of the reconnoitred but not developed deposits refer now to the complex, unique and large deposits.
Diamonds. Total amount of the reconnoitred stocks of diamonds is able to provide the diamond-mining industry for 34 years.
The largest diamond-mining companies are ALROSA JSC, ALROSA-NYURBA JSC, NIZHNE-LENSKOYE JSC, and ALMAZY ANABARA JSC.
Nyurbinsky Mine Concentrating Combine was put into operation in 2003. Construction and input of underground diamond mines “Mir”, “Aikhal”, “Internatsionalny”, “Udachnaya”, and “Botuobinskaya” are planned.
Oil and gas. 30 oil and gas fields have been discovered on the territory of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) by now. The balance stocks of natural gas make 2.48 trillion m³; the taken oil stocks make 330 million tons; gas condensate stocks make 52.5 million tons; helium stocks make 8934.6 million m³. Moreover, not more than 10% of the territory of Yakutia’s four oil and gas provinces have been geologically explored.
The prevailing part of hydrocarbon resources is concentrated in South-Western (Botuobinsky geological area) and Central Yakutia (Vilyusky geological area). The largest and the well-explored fields of Western Yakutia are Chayandinskoye gas condensate deposit (taken stocks – 50 million tons of oil and 1.24 billion m³ of gas), Talakansoye (taken stocks – 122.3 million tons of oil and 54.2 billion m³ of gas) and Srednebotuobinskoye gas condensate fields (taken stocks – 63.1 million tons of oil and 172.8 billion m³ of gas), as well as Irelyakhskoye, Taas-Yuryakhskoye, Verkhnevilyuchanskoye and other fields. Gas fields of this region are characterized by high content of helium (0.2-0.6%).
The available raw-material oil base can provide the initial stage of the development of oil-extracting and oil refining complex; the prospected natural gas stocks at the maximal annual extraction of 35 billion cubic meters will last for 40 years.
Hydrocarbon potential of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) is not limited to 30 explored fields and their estimated stocks of oil and gas. The territories to the west of Verkhoyansky Range totalling 15 million km² are promising. There also are potentially gas-bearing areas in the north-east of the Republic, where they are closely connected with intermountain and maritime basins. Huge hydrocarbon resources are also forecasted in the shelf plates of the Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea.
Coal. By the geological coal stocks the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) takes the first place in Russian Federation and contains in its bowels more than 40 percent of Russian Federation’s coal stocks. Now only 44 deposits are taken into account in the state balance. Their balance stocks totally make 9.6 billion tons a year. The significant part of balance stocks is presented by the high-quality coking coal of Neryungrinskoye, Denisovskoye, Chulmanskoye and Elginskoye deposits.
Gold. Mineral raw-material base of gold is one of the largest in Russia (more than 20 percent from the Russian Federation’s). 18.9 tons of gold was extracted in the Republic in 2007.
Gold is widely distributed over all the territory of Yakutia; however, industrial gold-bearing is concentrated in eastern and southern Yakutia, basically, in the basins of the Indigirka, Yana and Aldan Rivers. Conditional provision of gold mining enterprises with the balance stocks of gold is over 50 years in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) in whole.
The largest enterprises are ALDANZOLOTO GRK JSC, NERYUNGRIMETALLIC LLC, ZAPADNAYA Prospectors’ Team LLC, and SELIGDAR Prospectors’ Team.
POLYUS-ZOLOTO JSC (affiliated company of NORILSK NICKEL) is the subsoil user of the large objects of Kuranakhskoye ore field, Nezhdaninskoye gold ore deposit, and Kyuchus deposit.
Complex ores. The basic valuable components of these ores are lead and zinc; the associated ones are copper, gold, silver, cadmium, bismuth, tin, gallium, scandium, and indium. 11 complex ore deposits have been explored and investigated in the Republic. By their stocks Yakutia is on one of the first places in Russia. Besides lead-zinc ores, there were also found copper-molybdenum ores in Verkhoyanskaya complex ore province; chromium-titanium ores were found in Prikolymskaya province, and copper-silver ores were found in South-Western province; they are not used yet.
Tin. By stocks of 778 thousand tons (about 50 percent from the Russian Federation’s) and volume of tin extraction (about 40 percent from the Russian Federation’s), the Republic occupies the first place in the Russian Federation. Prospecting works are being done only at Churpunya deposit. The available raw-material base allows to increase the extraction of tin by 2-3 times.
Recent tendency of higher prices for tin at the world market opens good prospects of the branch’s further development.
Antimony. Balance and forecasted stocks of antimony in the Republic make more than 90 percent from all-Russian. The raw-material base is presented by the large Sarylakhskoye and Sentachanskoye gold and antimony deposits which are worked off, and also by small reserve Maltanskoye, Kimovskoye and Tanskoye gold and antimony deposits with low associated antimony content. Sarylakhskoe and Sentachanskoe deposits’ stocks are estimated at 210 thousand tons of antimony.
Metal antimony trioxide plant of 9.5 tons yearly capacity was put into operation in Oimyakonsky region in 2006.
Niobium, rare earth elements. Rare earth elements’ stocks are estimated at 8 million tons. Tomtorskoye deposit located in the northwest of Yakutia is perspective; it is a large object of rare metals, including niobium and yttrium. On the basis of this deposit the large mineral raw-material niobium and rare earths of the yttrium group’s base able to provide Russia’s needs on long prospect is prepared for industrial development.
Iron. Large ferrous base for the development of Far East metallurgical manufacture is prepared for development in Southern Yakutia on a basis of thoroughly reconnoitred stocks of iron ores of Tayozhnoye, Desovskoye, Tarynnakhskoye and other deposits. Positive factors for its development are the presence in immediate proximity of coking coals’ deposit, a favourable infrastructure with working motor and railways, as well as free capacities of power, mining and building industry. Iron stocks are estimated at 5.7 billion tons.
Apatite, etc. Southern Yakutia’s apatite (Seligdarskoye deposit), piezooptic raw material (Inagli, the Lilac stone, Mustakh, etc.), building materials, stone salt, mineral water, zeolite, phlogopite deposits should play the big role in social and economic development of the Republic in future. Apatite stocks are estimated at 85.6 million tons.
Precious and ornamental stones. In Yakutia there are deposits of Iceland spar, emery (true ruby, sapphire), rock crystal (piezocrystal: chalcedony, agate, and chrome-diopside – an emerald green diopside crystal, a valuable jewel stone).
Along with diamonds in the diamond-bearing kimberlite pipes there is a group of minerals known as garnet and its varieties: red ones – Bohemian garnets, yellowish-green ones – chrysolites; they are used as jewel stones.
In Yakutia they also mine rocks used as jewel and ornamental stones: jasper, jade and charoit. There is the only in the world charoit deposit in the southern part of Yakutia. In Aldansky and Anabarsky regions there are deposits of different shaded marble, which is a valuable facing material.
Hundreds of mineral sources have been discovered in Yakutia; some of them have healing qualities (Sytygan Sylba in Oymyakonsky region). Three lakes with balneological therapeutic muds have been explored: Abalakh Lake in Megino-Kangalassky region, Mokhsogollokh Lake in Suntarsky Region, and Kumakh Elesin Lake in Ust-Aldansky region.
Present and expected in long-term world and Russian market conditions allow to make a conclusion of high demand for the present and potential mineral and raw material resources of Yakutia. In this relation the sub-branches of mining and fuel and power industries will continue serving as system-forming base for the economic complex of Yakutia.
You might be interested in business opportunities in Yakutia and download all current valid investment projects. Check out the post Do you have any information on business opportunities in Yakutia?
Similar Posts:
- 2011 Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) Investment Guidebook w/ available projects list, infographs & photographs
- MIR Diamond Pipe – Mirny
- Do you have any information on business opportunities in Yakutia?
- What does the West know about the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)?
- Press Release: New Technologies & Innovations Permanent Yakutia Online Exhibition
