Minerals are formations of the earth's crust, consisting of minerals, the chemical and physical properties of which allow them to be used in the industrial and domestic sphere. Without the variety of substances that the Earth is rich in, our world would not be so diverse and developed. Technological progress would be unattainable and prohibitively difficult. Let's consider the concept, types of minerals and their characteristics.
Concepts and terms related to the topic
Before examining the types of minerals, it is necessary to know the specific definitions related to this topic. This will make it easier and easier to figure everything out. So, minerals are mineral raw materials or formations of the earth’s crust, which can be of organic or inorganic origin and used in the production of material objects.
A mineral deposit is the accumulation of a certain amount of mineral matter on the surface or in the interior of the Earth, which is divided into categories depending on the field of application in industry.
Ore is a mineral formation that occurs in natural conditions and consisting of such components and in such a ratio that its use is possible and advisable for the industrial and technical sphere.
When did mining start?
It is not known for certain when exactly the first mining took place. According to historians, the ancient Egyptians opened the veil. The expedition was sent to the Sinai Peninsula in 2600 BC. It was assumed that they would mine mica. However, there was a breakthrough in the knowledge of the ancient inhabitants about raw materials: copper was found. The mining and processing of silver is known from the history of Greece. The Romans learned about metals such as zinc, iron, tin and lead. Having established mines from Africa to Britain, the Roman Empire mined them and then used them to make tools.
In the 18th century, after the Industrial Revolution, minerals became urgently needed. In connection with this, their production developed at a rapid pace. Modern technologies are based on the discoveries of that period. In the 19th century, the famous “gold rush” occurred, during which it was mined huge amount precious metal - gold. Several diamond deposits were discovered in the same places (South Africa).
Characteristics of minerals by physical state
From physics lessons we know that substances can be in one of four states of aggregation: liquid, solid, gaseous and plasmatic. In ordinary life, everyone can easily observe the first three. Minerals, like any other chemical compounds, can be found on the surface of the Earth or in its interior in one of three states. Thus, the types of minerals are primarily divided into:
- liquid (mineral waters, oil);
- solid (metals, coals, ores);
- gaseous (natural gas, inert gas).
Each of the groups is an important and integral part of industrial life. The diversity of resources allows countries to develop in the technical and economic spheres. The number of mineral deposits is an indicator of the wealth and well-being of a country.
Industrial types, classification of minerals
After the discovery of the first mineral rocks, man began to think seriously about the benefits they could bring to his life. With the emergence and development of industry, a classification of mineral deposits was formed based on their use in the technical field. Let's look at these types of minerals. The table contains complete information about their characteristics:
| Fossil deposit type | Groups within it | Types of fossils |
| Combustible (fuel) | Solid state | Peat, coal |
| Liquid/gaseous state | Gas, oil | |
| Metal | Ferrous metals | Manganese, chromium, titanium, iron |
| Non-ferrous metals | Lead, copper, cobalt, aluminum, nickel | |
| Noble metals | Platinum, gold, silver | |
| Rare metals | Tin, tantalum, tungsten, niobium, molybdenum | |
| Radioactive compounds | Thorium, radium, uranium | |
| Non-metallic | Mining raw materials | Mica, magnesite, talc, limestone, graphite, clays, sands |
| Chemical raw materials | Fluorite, phosphorite, barite, mineral salts | |
| Construction materials | Marble, gypsum, gravel and sand, clays, facing stones, cement raw materials | |
| Gemstones | Precious and ornamental stones |
The types of minerals considered, together with fresh water reserves, are the main characteristic of the wealth of the earth or an individual country. This is a typical gradation of mineral resources, with the help of which all natural substances used in the industrial and domestic sphere are grouped depending on the physical and chemical properties. Let's get acquainted with each category separately.
Fossil fuels
What type of mineral is oil? What about gas? The mineral is more often represented hard metal, rather than an unknown liquid or gas. People are familiar with metal from early childhood, while understanding what oil or even household gas is comes a little later. So, what type, according to the classifications already studied, should oil and gas be classified as? Oil belongs to the group of liquid substances, gas – to gaseous substances. Based on their application, clearly, to combustible or, in other words, fuel minerals. After all, oil and gas are used primarily as a source of energy and heat: they power car engines, heat living quarters, and cook food with their help. The energy itself is released by burning the fuel. And if you look even deeper, this is facilitated by carbon, which is included in all fossil fuels. We figured out what type of mineral resource oil is.
What other substances are included here? These are solid fuel compounds formed in nature: stone and brown coal, peat, anthracite, oil shale. Let's look at their brief characteristics. Types of minerals (combustible):
- Coal is the first fuel that man began to use. The main source of energy used on a large scale in production, it was thanks to this fossil that the industrial revolution took place. It is formed due to plant residues without air access. Depending on the specific gravity of carbon in coal, its varieties are distinguished: anthracite, brown and coal, graphites;
- Oil shale was formed on the seabed about 450 million years ago from the remains of vegetation and animals. Consists of mineral and organic parts. When dry distilled, it forms a resin that is close to petroleum;
- peat is an accumulation of incompletely decomposed plant remains in swamp conditions, more than half of its composition is carbon. Used as fuel, fertilizer, thermal insulation.
Combustible natural substances are the most important types of minerals. Thanks to them, humanity learned to produce and use energy, and also created many industries. Currently, the need for fossil fuels is very acute for most countries. This is a large segment of the world economy, on which the well-being of countries around the world depends.
Metal minerals: types, characteristics
We know the types of minerals: fuel, ore, non-metallic. The first group has been successfully studied. Let's move on - ore, or metal, minerals - that's what industry was born and developed for. Since ancient times, man has understood that metal gives everyday life much more possibilities than its absence. IN modern world It is no longer possible to imagine life without any metal. IN household appliances and electronics, in homes, in the bathroom, even in a small light bulb - it is everywhere.
How do they get it? Only noble metals, which due to their chemical properties do not react with other simple and complex substances, can be found in their pure form. The rest actively interact with each other, turning into ore. The mixture of metals is separated if necessary or left unchanged. Alloys formed by nature have “taken root” due to their mixed properties. Iron, for example, can be made harder by adding carbon to the metal to create steel, a strong compound that can withstand heavy loads.
Depending on individual characteristics, as well as the area of application, ore minerals are divided into groups: ferrous, non-ferrous, noble, rare and radioactive metals.
Ferrous metals
Ferrous metals are iron and its various alloys: steel, cast iron and other ferroalloys. It is used in a variety of industries: military, shipbuilding, aircraft, mechanical engineering.
Many iron products are used in everyday life: steel is made from kitchen utensils, it covers many plumbing elements.
Non-ferrous metals
The group of non-ferrous metals includes a large number of minerals. The name of the group comes from the fact that many metals have a specific color. For example, copper is red, aluminum is silver. The remaining 3 types of minerals (noble, rare, radioactive) are essentially a subtype of non-ferrous metals. Many of them are mixed into alloys, because in this form they have better properties.
Non-ferrous metals are classified into:
- heavy – highly toxic with high atomic weight: lead, tin, copper, zinc;
- light, having low density and weight: magnesium, titanium, aluminum, calcium, lithium, sodium, rubidium, strontium, cesium, beryllium, barium, potassium;
- noble ones, due to their high resistance, practically do not enter into chemical reactions, are beautiful to look at: platinum, silver, gold, rhodium, palladium, ruthenium, osmium;
- small (rare) – antimony, mercury, cobalt, cadmium, arsenic, bismuth;
- refractory have a high melting point and resistance to wear: molybdenum, tantalum, vanadium, tungsten, manganese, chromium, zirconium, niobium;
- rare earth - the group consists of 17 elements: samarium, neodymium, lanthanum, cerium, europium, terbium, gadolinium, dysprosium, erbium, holmium, ytterbium, lutetium, scandium, yttrium, thulium, promethium, terbium;
- scattered ones are found in nature only in the form of impurities: tellurium, thallium, indium, germanium, rhenium, hafnium, selenium;
- radioactive ones independently emit a stream of radioactive particles: radium, plutonium, uranium, protactinium, californium, fermium, americium and others.
Aluminum, nickel and copper are of particular importance to humanity. Developed countries are striving to increase their production, since the amount of these non-ferrous metals directly affects technical progress in aircraft construction, astronautics, atomic and microscopic devices, and electrical engineering.
Non-metallic natural elements
Let's summarize. The main categories from the table “Types of minerals” (fuel, ore, non-metallic) have been studied. What elements are classified as non-metallic, i.e. non-metallic? It is a group of hard or soft minerals occurring as individual minerals or rocks. Modern science More than a hundred such chemical compounds are known, which are nothing more than a product of natural processes.
In terms of the scale of their extraction and use, non-metallic minerals are ahead only of fuel types of minerals. The table below contains the main rocks and minerals that make up the non-metallic group of natural resources, and their brief characteristics.
| Group of non-metallic minerals/rocks | Type of rock/mineral | Characteristic |
| Mining raw materials | Asbestos | Fireproof rock. Used for the manufacture of fire-resistant materials, roofing, fire-resistant fabrics. |
| Limestone | Sedimentary rock widely used in construction. When it is fired, quicklime is obtained. | |
| Mica | Rock-forming mineral. According to the chemical composition, it is divided into aluminum, magnesium-iron lithium micas. Used in modern technology. | |
| Chemical raw materials | Potassium salts | Sedimentary rocks, which contain potassium. Used as raw material for chemical industry and in the production of potash fertilizers. |
| Apatite | Minerals containing large amounts of phosphorus salts. Used for the manufacture of fertilizers, as well as in the production of ceramics. | |
| Sulfur | It occurs in the form of native sulfur ore and in compounds. It is used mainly for the production of sulfuric acid in the vulcanization of rubber. | |
| Construction materials | Gypsum | Sulfate mineral. Applicable in various fields human activity. |
| Marble | A rock based on calcite. Used in electrical engineering, for the manufacture of plaster and mosaics, monuments. | |
| Gemstones | Precious | They have a beautiful pattern or color, shine, and are easy to polish and cut. Used for making jewelry and other decor. |
| Semi-precious | ||
| Ornamental |
Non-metallic minerals are very important for various industries, construction, and are also necessary in everyday life.
Classification of resources by exhaustibility
In addition to the gradation of minerals according to their physical state and characteristics, indicators of their exhaustibility and renewability are considered. The main types of minerals are divided into:
- exhaustible, which at a certain moment may run out and will not be available for production;
- inexhaustible – relatively inexhaustible sources natural resources, for example, solar and wind energy, oceans, seas;
- renewable - fossils that are a certain level exhaustible resources can be partially or completely restored, for example, forests, soil, water;
- non-renewable - if resources have been completely exhausted, it is usually not possible to renew them;
- replaceable – fossils that can be replaced if necessary, for example, fuel types.
- irreplaceable – those without which life would be impossible (air).
Natural resources require careful treatment and rational use, since most of them have an exhaustible limit, and if they are renewable, it will not be very soon.
Minerals play an important role in human life. Without them, there would be no technical and scientific discoveries, or even normal life in general. The results of their extraction and processing surround us everywhere: buildings, transport, household goods, medicines.
Natural gas is one of the non-renewable minerals. According to one of the most popular theories, they are formed during a long process of anaerobic decomposition of living organisms in the soil under the influence of high temperatures s and pressure. The extracted raw materials contain methane, butane, ethane, propane and other compounds. Natural gas is odorless and colorless. In Russia, mining and processing of this mineral began about 200 years ago. At first, gas was considered a by-product of oil production (both types of fuel usually occur next to each other). However, subsequently they began to extract these minerals separately.
Gas fields
The Russian Federation has the largest gas reserves in the world. The United States is considered to have the second largest reserves of this mineral. Following it are some countries from the post-Soviet space (Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan) and states located in the Persian Gulf. Natural gas is produced all over the world. Moreover, the development of blue fuel deposits is not limited to land areas. It is actively mined from the seabed. In Russia, gas fields are mainly located behind the Ural Mountains. They are also found in the North Caucasus and the Black Sea. The largest reserves of blue fuel were found in the following deposits:
- Urengoyskoe. It is located in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. This field is the second in the world in terms of natural gas reserves.
- Nakhodkinskoe. This deposit also belongs to the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. Its development began in 2004. It is estimated that its gas reserves reach 275 billion cubic meters.
- Angaro - Lenskoye. Located in the Irkutsk region. Exploration data indicates that about 1.4 trillion cubic meters have accumulated in the field. gas
- Kovyktinskoe. Located near Irkutsk. It is one of the most difficult deposits in terms of production, since part of the territory is covered with a layer of permafrost. According to preliminary estimates, about 2 trillion cubic meters lie here. gas and approximately 120 million tons of liquid condensate.
- Shtokman. Another deposit that belongs to the largest category. It is located approximately 600 km from Murmansk and includes about 3.8 trillion cubic meters. gas Due to the great depth of mineral deposits, mining at this deposit is not yet underway.
All large and most small fields in the Russian Federation belong to Gazprom. The gas monopolist, which produces and processes more than 74% of all Russian fuel reserves, occupies a 20% share of the world market. In addition to its main tasks, Gazprom is also carrying out gasification of the country.
Gas exploration and production methods
Before the start of production, geological exploration of the territory where there may be deposits of blue fuel is carried out. They make it possible to determine approximate gas reserves and the prospects for field development. Area reconnaissance is carried out using one of the following methods:
- Gravitational. During which experts evaluate the gravity of rocks. The presence of gas is indicated by areas of lower density.
- Magnetic. It is based on the different magnetic permeability of rocks.
- Seismic. Such geological exploration involves the use special equipment, which sends waves of different lengths through the earth's layers and picks up the reflected echo.
- Geochemical. Groundwater is being studied to determine the level of concentration of certain chemical compounds in it.
- Drilling. It is considered the most accurate method of geological exploration. However, drilling is also the most expensive way to explore deposits.
There are several enough effective methods natural gas production. These include:
- One of the most basic areas is, of course, drilling. Natural gas fills many voids in the earth's rocks, connecting with each other through channels. When drilling a well, fuel begins to rise upward under natural pressure. To ensure uniform production, the well itself is created in the form of a “ladder”, and its walls are strengthened with casing pipes.
- Hydraulic fracturing. This method also involves drilling wells into which a large amount of water or air flow is then injected. This approach allows you to destroy the partitions formed in the rock, allowing all the gas to escape under pressure.
- Underwater mining. Underwater gas production is carried out from special platforms, the concrete base of which rests on the bottom. It is in the latter that the columns through which wells are drilled and tanks for temporary fuel storage are built. The gas is then sent through a pipeline to land, where it is processed in the traditional way.
The extracted gas contains a wide variety of impurities. Therefore, it is sent to a special station, which is usually built next to the field. It is necessary to process fossils because it is necessary to remove impurities and various inclusions such as sand and water from them.
Subsequently, the blue fuel is sent for storage. To do this, it is pre-cooled to a temperature of -160 degrees and filled with containers made of aluminum alloys or steel. Most gas storage facilities are built underground.
To transport gas to end consumers and for export deliveries, special main pipelines are used, through which gas is supplied to gas distribution stations, where pressure is reduced, but also an odorant (ethyl mercaptan) is added, a substance that gives the gas a characteristic odor and helps prevent unnoticed gas leakage.
Today, gas production is one of the most important industries in Russia. It forms a significant part of the country's budget.
Good afternoon, my reader. Today I will tell you about what the largest mineral deposits exist in the world and separately in our country. First, let me remind you what minerals are.
Minerals throughout the world are considered to be organic and mineral formations located in the earth's crust, the composition and properties of which can be effectively used in the national economy.
One of the types of natural resources is mineral resources - rocks and minerals used in the mineral resource base of the world economy.
Today world economy uses over 200 types of ore, fuel, energy and mineral resources.
In the distant past, our Earth has experienced numerous natural disasters, one of which was volcanic eruptions. Hot magma from the crater of the volcano spread over the surface of our planet and then cooled, flowing into deep crevices, where it crystallized over time.
Magmatic activity was most evident in areas of seismically active zones, where, over a long period of development of the earth's crust, useful resources were formed, which are distributed relatively evenly throughout the planet. The main continents for the distribution of raw materials are South and North America, Eurasia and Africa, Asia and Australia.
As is known, different metals have different melting temperatures, and the composition and location of ore accumulations depend on the temperature.
The location of these deposits had its own certain patterns, depending on geological features and weather factors:
- the time of the appearance of the earth,
- structure of the earth's crust,
- type and terrain,
- shape, size and geological structure of the territory,
- climatic conditions,
- atmospheric phenomena,
- water balance.
Mineral resource areas are characterized by a closed area of concentration of local mineral deposits and are called basins. They are characterized by common rock formations and a single process of sediment accumulation in the tectonic structure.
Large accumulations of minerals of industrial importance are called deposits, and closely located, closed groups of them are called basins.
Types of resources on our planet
The main resources on our planet are found on all continents - South and North America, Africa and Eurasia, Australia and Asia; they are not evenly distributed and therefore their selection is different in different territories.
World industry annually requires more and more raw materials and energy, so geologists do not stop their search for new deposits for a minute, and scientists and industry experts are developing modern technologies extraction and processing of extracted raw materials. 
This raw material is already mined not only, but also at the bottom of the seas and coastal oceans, in hard-to-reach areas of the earth and even in permafrost conditions.
The presence of proven reserves over time required specialists in this industry to record and classify them, so all minerals were divided according to physical properties into: solid, liquid and gaseous.
Examples of solid minerals include marble and granite, coal and peat, as well as ores of various metals. Accordingly, liquids are mineral waters and oil. As well as gaseous ones - methane and helium, as well as various gases.
According to their origin, all fossils were divided into sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic.
Igneous fossils are classified as places that are superficial or close to the surface of the outcrop of the crystalline foundation of platforms during the period of activity of tectonic processes.
Sedimentary fossils are formed over many centuries and millennia from the remains of ancient plants and animals, and are used primarily as fuel.
Fuel minerals form the largest oil, gas and coal basins. Metamorphic fossils are formed by alteration of sedimentary and igneous rocks due to changes in physicochemical conditions. 
By area of use: combustible, ore and non-metallic, where separate group precious and ornamental stones were designated.
Fossil fuels are natural gas and oil, coal and peat. Ore minerals are rocks containing metal components. Non-metallic minerals are rocks of substances that do not contain metals - limestone and clay, sulfur and sand, various salts and apatites.
Availability of general mineral reserves
For industrial development, not all explored mineral deposits could be extracted by humanity due to their unfavorable and inaccessible conditions, therefore, in the world ranking for the extraction of reserves of natural raw materials, each country is retaining its specific place.
Every year, mining engineers and geologists continue to identify new reserves of underground wealth, which is why the leading positions of individual states change from year to year.
So it is believed that Russia is the richest country in the world in terms of natural resource production, namely 1/3 of the world's natural gas reserves are located here.
The largest gas fields in Russia are Urengoyskoye and Yamburgskoye, which is why our country ranks first in the world ranking for this raw material. Russia is in second place in terms of tungsten reserves and production.
Our largest coal basins are located not only in the Urals, but also in Eastern Siberia, in Far East and in Central Russia Therefore, Russia is in third place in the world ranking for coal. In fourth place - in gold, in seventh - in oil.
The main gas and oil fields on the continents are located in the foothills and depressions, but the world's largest deposits of this raw material are located on the seabed of the continental shelf. So in Africa and Australia, large reserves of oil and gas were found in the shelf zone of the mainland coast.
Latin America has huge reserves of non-ferrous and rare metals, so this country ranks first in the world for this natural raw material. North America is home to the largest coal basins, so these natural resources in terms of their reserves have brought this country to first place in the world. 
The Chinese platform, where fossil fuels such as oil and gas have been used for lighting and heating human homes since the 4th century BC, can be considered very promising in terms of oil reserves.
Overseas Asia contains the world's richest mineral resource diversity, influenced by volcanic and seismic landforms, as well as the activity of permafrost, glaciers, wind and flowing waters.
Asia is famous all over the world for its reserves of precious and semi-precious stones, so this continent is very rich in a variety of minerals.
The tectonic structure in the history of the geological development of such a continent as Eurasia determined the diversity of the terrain, which is why it has the richest oil reserves in the world compared to other countries.
Large reserves of ore minerals in Eurasia are associated with the foundation of Mesozoic folding platforms.
In search of fuel and other raw materials, humanity is moving more and more confidently in, where black gold and natural gas are mined at continental depths of over 3000 meters, because the bottom of this area of our planet has been little studied and definitely contains innumerable reserves of precious natural raw materials.
And that's all for today. I hope you liked my article about the largest mineral deposits in Russia and the world, and you learned a lot of useful things from it. Maybe you also had to engage in amateur mining of some of them, write about it in your comments, I will be interested in reading about it. Let me say goodbye to you and see you again.
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Natural gas is formed by mixing different gases in the earth's crust. In most cases, the depth ranges from several hundred meters to a couple of kilometers. It is worth noting that gas can form at high temperatures and pressures. In this case, there is no oxygen access to the place. Today, gas production is implemented in several ways, each of which we will consider in this article. But let's talk about everything in order.
General information
It is important to understand that natural gas is approximately 98% methane. In addition, it may contain ethane, propane, butane, etc. There is also the term “unconventional gas”. It refers to natural gas, which is mainly extracted from clay rocks. It lies deep underground in coal seams, sandstones and other geozones, under extremely high pressure. Today, the share of unconventional gas is slightly less than half, and by 2030 it is planned to increase this figure to 56%. Currently, almost all gas producing countries have drilling rigs. But most of them, approximately 40%, belong to the United States. After all, it is this state that sells huge amounts of gas every year. Let's talk in more detail at this topic and we will deal with the questions that interest us.
Gas production in the world
For many hundreds of years, people have strived to improve methods that, in principle, are quite normal. Human needs are growing every day, and there is a need for new extraction technologies. Today, such as natural gas, is produced all over the world from oil and gas fields, and it can also be found dissolved in oil or water. If we talk specifically about Russia, then in our country it is mined from the bowels of planet Earth. It is noteworthy that the gas in its pure form has neither color nor odor. In order to quickly detect a gas leak, odorants that have a sharp bad smell. This approach makes it possible to reduce mortality among the population as a result of gas leaks. Of course, gas production in the world requires the use of safe equipment, since any open fire can lead to a large number casualties at the well site.
Gas hydrate deposits
Not long ago it was determined that gas can be found underground in a solid state. If earlier scientists knew only about the liquid and gaseous state, today they know about solid deposits, which are also of great importance for industry. Every day there is more and more talk that there are large accumulations of greenhouse gases at the bottom of the ocean, which are there in the form of hydrates. Hydrates have not yet found widespread use, but are already used for water desalination; in addition, it is planned to use such deposits for storing gases. In fact, gas production areas may expand somewhat, since where there are hydrates, there may be other mineral deposits. Well, now let's move on and look at something else interesting.
Natural gas deposits
There is evidence that there are simply huge deposits of natural gas in the sedimentary shell of the earth's crust. There is a biogenic theory, which says that gas, like oil itself, is formed as a result of long-term decomposition of living organisms under the influence of high temperatures and pressure. In addition, the temperature regime is usually slightly higher, just like the pressure, than in oil deposits. This is due to the fact that gas is located below oil. Today, Russia has the largest deposits. By and large, the reserves of this natural resource may last for many years. Gas production in Russia has been established in almost all places. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources Russian Federation total volumes are estimated at 48.8 trillion m 3 .
Natural gas reserves by country
Currently, we can say that, according to official data, 101 countries have reserves of this mineral on their territory. Benin comes in last place - 0.0011 trillion m 3 , and Russia is in first place - 47.800 trillion m 3 . But these are figures provided by the CIA, so in reality the data may differ slightly. Another country with inexhaustible reserves is Iran. In addition, Gulf countries such as the United States and Canada also boast rich natural gas deposits. If you list European countries, Norway and the Netherlands will be in first place. It is also noteworthy that countries that were once part of the USSR, such as Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan, also have a lot of natural gas. As noted above, gas hydrates were discovered in the second half of the 20th century. Today it is known that their deposits are simply huge. Moreover, there are reserves both at great depths and under the ocean floor.
Gas extraction methods
Currently, the deposits are located at a depth of 1-3 kilometers. One of them is located near the city Novy Urengoy, it goes underground for 6 kilometers. In the depths it is located in pores under high pressure. Gradually it moves into pores with lower pressure and so on until it enters directly into the well.
The main method of extraction is drilling wells. Usually there are several wells located on the territory of the field. Moreover, they try to drill them evenly so that they are distributed approximately equally over several wells. If there is only one well, then it is likely that it will become prematurely flooded. Today there are practically no other methods of gas production. By and large, this is due to the fact that it is inappropriate to come up with something new, especially if the technology becomes more complex. It is unlikely that anything will replace wells in the near future.
Preparation of gas for transportation
After a natural resource has been delivered through a well from the depths of the earth, it must be delivered to the user. This could be a chemical plant, thermal power plant and other gas networks. Its preparation for transportation is due to the fact that, in addition to the necessary components, the composition contains other impurities that complicate its further use and movement along highways. It is necessary to remove water vapor, which can accumulate in the lines and make movement difficult. It is also necessary to remove hydrogen sulfide, which poses a serious threat. gas equipment(cause corrosion). Can be used for preparation various schemes. The most appropriate is considered to be one in which the treatment station is located in close proximity to the deposit. This is where drying and cleaning takes place. If there is a high content of hydrogen sulfide or helium, the fossil is sent to a gas processing plant. In principle, gas production in Russia is usually carried out through factories, since the quality of the initial product is not always at the proper level.
Gas transportation
Currently, the main mode of transport is the pipeline. The diameter of the pipe can reach 1.4 meters, and the pressure in the system is 75 Atmospheres. However, as it moves along the line, pressure is lost and the product heats up. For this simple reason, compressor stations are built at certain intervals. There the gas pressure is increased to 55-120 atm and cooled. Despite the fact that laying a gas pipeline is very expensive, today it is the most expedient method of supplying natural resources over medium and short distances. In some cases, gas carriers are used; they are often called tankers. The gas is in special containers in a liquefied state. The temperature during transportation should be in the range of 150-160 degrees Celsius. This method has significant advantages such as safety
Conclusion
This article briefly reviewed gas production technology. In principle, the borehole method is the most popular. Other methods, even if they were introduced, were not used for various reasons. As for the scope of gas application, first of all it is fuel. It is used as fuel for heating residential premises, as well as heating water, cooking, etc. In view of high prices for electricity - this is one of the cheapest heating methods. Gas is also used as fuel for vehicles, thermal power plants, and boiler houses. It is used to produce plastics and other organic substances. Well, that's all on this topic. Remember that improper handling of gas can be fatal.
The largest country in the world occupies one of the leading places in mineral reserves.
This can be most clearly represented in numbers. More than 200 thousand deposits have now been discovered in Russia, and the total value of all minerals is about 30 trillion. dollars.
Here is Russia's share in world reserves individual species fossils:
- Oil— 12%
- Natural gas — 32%
- Coal— 30 %
- Potassium salts — 31%
- Cobalt— 21%
- Iron— 25%
- Nickel— 15%.
Features of the relief of Russia
Russia occupies the largest territory in the world, and therefore has a varied and complex terrain. Among the features of the relief are:
1. The predominance of plains in the European part of the country and central regions.
2. The mountains are located mainly in the south, east and northeast (not counting the Ural range, which crosses Russia from north to south).
3. The relief has a general slope to the north, so most rivers flow into the waters of the Arctic seas.
These characteristic features relief influence the distribution of mineral deposits. Rocks are mined in the Caucasus and Eastern Siberia, peat in forests, bauxite and iron ores in the plains.
Types of minerals
Minerals are minerals and rocks that are used by humans. There are several classifications of minerals, but most often they are divided by type of use.
Flammable
- Coal- sedimentary rock, occurs in layers. The most important type of fuel, used in metallurgy. The most important reserves in Russia are the Kuzbass, Pechora, and Tunguska deposits.
- Peat formed in swamps from rotting plant remains. Contains up to 60% carbon. Used as cheap fuel, for fertilizers and for the extraction of acetic acid.
- Oil- black oily liquid that burns well. It lies between sedimentary rocks at different depths. It is the most important fossil fuel. In the Russian Federation, the largest deposits are the West Siberian basin, basins North Caucasus and Volga region.
- Natural gas- Forms in rock voids. Sometimes its accumulations can amount to millions of cubic meters. This is the cheapest and most convenient fuel.
- Oil shale — sedimentary rocks, which are a mixture of siliceous clay and organic matter residues. When shale is distilled, a resin is obtained that is similar in composition and properties to oil.
Ore
- Rocks(marble, mica, asphalt, tuff, potassium salt, phosphorites). They have different origins and are used in almost all industrial sectors.
Thus, tuffs and marble are used in construction, micas - in the electrical and radio industries, asbestos - for thermal insulation and fireproofing, asphalt - for road surfaces.
- Metal ores(iron, copper, nickel, non-ferrous metals) are rock accumulations containing metals. For example, aluminum is mined from bauxite, nepheline and alunite, iron is mined from iron ore, brown, red and magnetic iron ore.
- Non-metallic ores(sand, asbestos).
Nonmetallic
- Gems- natural stones of organic or mineral origin. Used in jewelry, medicine, and the chemical industry.
- Sand, gravel, clay, chalk, salt- hard rocks used in almost all areas of industry.
Resources and deposits
About 30 types of fossils are represented on the territory of Russia. Here is a description of the main deposits and reserves of just some of them.
Oil and gas
Oil is produced mainly in the eastern and northern parts of the country, as well as on the shelf seas of the Arctic and Far East. Currently, 2152 are being actively developed oil fields. Up to 600 million tons are mined annually, and projected reserves are estimated at 50 billion tons.
Russia ranks first in the world in terms of natural gas reserves. About 650 billion cubic meters of gas are produced annually. More than 10 deposits have been explored, which are called unique, since the predicted reserves in them exceed the 1 trillion mark. cubic meters
Coal
Russia ranks third in the world in coal production. Only proven reserves will last the country for 400 years. Coal Pools concentrated mainly in the east of the country - beyond the Ural Mountains. The largest deposits are the Tunguska (more than 2200 billion tons) and Lena basins (1647 billion tons).
Oil shale
The main deposits are concentrated in the European part of the country. The largest is the Baltic shale basin.
Peat
The main peat reserves are located in the Asian part of Russia. In total, more than 46 thousand deposits have been explored. The largest is Vasyuganskoye, where 15% of peat reserves in the Russian Federation are mined.
Iron ores
Russia ranks first in the world in terms of iron ore deposits. The largest deposits are concentrated in the European part (Kursk Magnetic Anomaly, Baltic Shield on the Kola Peninsula, KMA Basin).
Manganese
In the Russian Federation, manganese is mined mainly of the carbonate type. To date, 14 deposits have been explored in the Urals, Siberia and the Far East. The total amount of reserves is about 150 million tons. Largest deposits— Yurkinskoe, Berezovskoe, Polunochnoe.
Aluminum
Russia has sufficient reserves of bauxite and nepheline in the Urals and Western Siberia. But the problem is that the ores are of low quality, and aluminum mining seems expensive. The most promising in this regard are the bauxite reserves of the North Ural region.
Non-ferrous metals
In terms of reserves of non-ferrous metal ores, Russia ranks 1st in the world, and the total value of explored reserves is more than 1.8 trillion. dollars. The richest ore deposits were found in Eastern Siberia and Taimyr. For example, Russia’s share in global diamond production is 25%. More is mined only in South Africa.
Non-metallic building materials
Experts note the main problems that prevent Russia from fully exploiting the potential in the field of mineral reserves - these are insufficient funding for geological surveys, problems with taxation, a lack of manufacturing enterprises and the inability to provide a sufficient sales market.
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