A major center of nickel metallurgy. “Copper-nickel ores of the Kola Peninsula, their extraction, processing, complex use. The largest iron ore deposit in the world

The largest deposits of copper-nickel ores are Talnakhskoye and Oktyabrskoye in the Norilsk mining and industrial region of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Zhdanovskoye on the Kola Peninsula, Buruktalskoye and Serovskoye in the Urals.

The quality of sulphide copper-nickel ores mined in Russia is comparable to the quality of similar ores in foreign countries: the average nickel content in them is 1.6%, while in sulphide ores in Canada - 1.3%, Australia - 2.1 %. In addition to nickel, Norilsk ores contain significant amounts of copper, cobalt, gold, silver and platinum group metals. A significant part of East Siberian nickel (about 80%) is mined in rich ores, in which the average metal content is 2.6-2.9%. http://ru.wikipedia.org Negative factors in the development of the industry in the Taimyr North are difficult natural conditions (cold climate, permafrost, polar night, short growing season) and a significant depth of ore bodies at the mines of the Norilsk Combine.

In Russia, nickel ore is mined by four enterprises: Norilsk Mining and Ore Company, Kola Mining and Metallurgical Company (both enterprises are part of RAO Norilsk Nickel), Ufaleinickel and Yuzhuralnickel. The largest of them is RAO Norilsk Nickel, which includes the mines of the Norilsk MMC and the Pechenganikel combine, which develop sulfide copper-nickel ores from the Norilsk region and the Kola Peninsula. In recent years, these ores have accounted for 92--93% of the total Russian production of nickel and cobalt.

Only sulphide nickel ores are enriched at the enrichment plants of RAO Norilsk Nickel. Silicate nickel ores are developed by the enterprises "Ufaleinickel" and "Yuzhuralnickel" and go directly to the smelting, bypassing the enrichment stage. Over the past 10 years, the production of these ores has declined significantly. Due to the depletion of reserves, the quarries of the Rezhsky Nickel Plant were closed, at the quarries of Ufaleinickel and Yuzhuralnickel, production decreased due to a lack of funds to support production. At the last enterprise, ore production declined especially strongly, which is associated with the complete cessation of mining in 1998 at the large Kempirsay mine administration located in Kazakhstan. In 1992, due to unprofitable production, the Tuvacobalt combine, which exploited the Khovu-Aksy nickel-cobalt ore deposit, was liquidated. Commissioned in 1995 in the South Urals, the Sakharinsky mine with a design capacity of 1,100 thousand tons per year, due to insufficient funding, extracts no more than 350 thousand tons of ore. At present, the Sakharinskoye and Buruktalskoye deposits in the South Urals are the raw material base of the Orsk Yuzhuralnickel enterprise, the Serov deposit (Northern Urals) is supplied to Ufaleinickel and the Rezhsky Nickel Plant, and insignificant production has been preserved in the vicinity of the Upper Ufaley.


The metallurgical complex of Russia is an extensive industry that includes enterprises that smelt ferrous and non-ferrous metals. The latter occupies a very important place in the economy of our country. Today we have several centers of non-ferrous metallurgy, which carry out the extraction, enrichment of non-ferrous ores, rare and noble metals.

Non-ferrous metallurgy deals with several types of metals - these are basic or so-called heavy ones. These include copper, light, small, alloying, noble, rare and scattered.

Let's take a closer look at copper production. Copper production centers are concentrated in different regions of our country. The location of such enterprises is determined by a number of factors, among which it should be noted:

  • raw materials;
  • energy and fuel factor;
  • consumers.

The main copper centers in Russia.

Copper ore in our country is mined in different regions. The richest ore deposits are located in Kazakhstan, although copper is mined in other regions, for example, there are rich deposits in the Urals. It is worth noting that Russia is currently ranked first in the world in the extraction of copper ore.

The main centers of copper production are located in the Urals. This region ranks first in copper production.

Copper enterprises are most often located near mines. The raw material factor is key due to the low content of concentrates in the raw materials. Today, copper producers widely use as a raw material copper pyrite, mined in deposits located in different regions of the Urals. Therefore, copper production enterprises are also concentrated in this region, although they also use imported Kazakh ores in their activities. This industry has its own raw material reserve in the form of cuprous sandstones, which are located in Eastern Siberia.

Chernov copper in the Urals is produced by such enterprises as Sredneuralsky, Kirovograd, Krasnouralsky ("Svyatogor"), Mednogorsky and Karabashsky plants. The Verkhnepymensky and Kyshtymsky plants are engaged in the refining of copper.

In total, 11 copper enterprises operate in the Urals, which produce 43 percent of all copper in Russia.

Ural enterprises are also characterized by waste disposal. For example, factories in cities such as Revda, Kirovograd and Krasnouralsk use sulphurous gases generated during production for the production of sulfuric acid, which later serves for the production of fertilizers.

Large centers of copper production are located not only in the Urals, but also in other regions of the country. The table shows where the raw materials and industry centers are located.


Sredneuralsky plant: characteristics.

As mentioned above, the Sredneuralsky Copper Plant (SUMZ) is one of the main centers for copper smelting in our country. This plant is located in the city of Revda, in the Sverdlovsk region. SUMZ belongs to the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company, and is also a member of the regional industrial chamber.

At SUMZ, copper is smelted from primary raw materials, which are taken from the Degtyarskoye deposit.

The Sredneuralsk Copper Smelting Plant has a large copper smelting shop, a beneficiation plant, as well as xanthate and sulfuric acid shops. The plant also has a number of auxiliary enterprises that serve the needs of the copper smelter.

SUMZ produces about one hundred tons of blister copper annually. Copper concentrates at this plant are processed by firing in fluidized bed furnaces, converting and reflective cinder smelting is also used.

The products of the Serdneuralsk plant are supplied to all large Russian enterprises operating in the metallurgical, mining and processing, chemical industries and located in different regions of the country, as well as abroad.

Kirovograd copper smelting plant: characteristics.

Another large copper-smelting enterprise in the Urals is the Kirovograd Combine. He is engaged in the processing of copper and copper-zinc ores, as well as their extraction.

The plant began its activity in 1957, it was created on the basis of a copper smelter and a number of other small enterprises. Today the plant is a member of Tyazhtsvetmet LLP.

The plant in Kirovograd carries out its activities in several directions - mining, processing, enrichment of ores containing copper, smelting of copper from raw materials, both primary and secondary. The plant is also engaged in the processing of metallurgical dust, gold concentrates, scrap and waste, which contain copper and other metals.

In 2008, the plant in Kirovograd produced almost seventy thousand tons of blister copper, which was sent to various enterprises in our country.

Krasnouralsk enterprise "Svyatogor": characteristics.

The third large enterprise in the Urals for the production of blister copper. In its structure "Svyatogor" has the Volkovsky mine, which supplies the enterprise with raw materials, a metal beneficiation plant capable of processing almost two million tons of ore per year, a sulfuric acid workshop (producing up to 240 thousand tons of acid). The enterprise annually produces about 60 thousand tons of blister copper.

Russia is the second largest nickel producer in the world. 14% of the world's nickel reserves are located in Russia. Most of the nickel resources are located in the Norilsk-Kharaelakhskaya metallogenic zone in the north of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the ore in these deposits is mainly sulfide, the nickel content is 0.7-0.85%, less often - 3.14 - 3.63%. For example, in the nickel ores mined in Canada, at the Voysey Bay deposit, the average nickel content is 2.24%, but the amount of nickel reserves is three times less. In addition to nickel, the ores of the Norilsk deposits contain: copper (0.5 - 5.8%), cobalt, platinum group metals (including gold) and other elements.

Nickel deposits have been explored in the Pechenga ore region of the Imandra-Varzut metallogenic zone (Murmansk region), which contains about 18% of all nickel reserves in Russia. These deposits are dominated by disseminated ores in which the content of valuable components is not high. The largest deposit in this region is Zhdanovskoye, and the nickel content in the ore mined at this deposit is 0.56%.

Rice. 1. The main deposits of nickel in the Russian Federation

The recently explored ore-bearing areas include the basin of copper-nickel ore deposits in the south of Siberia, in the Kansk metallogenic zone (Krasnoyarsk Territory and Irkutsk Region). Here, in two deposits of the Kingash ore field, 6.7% of the country's nickel is contained. The nickel content is not high, about 0.5%. However, together with nickel, there is a relatively high amount of precious metals, as well as copper and cobalt.

An insignificant amount of nickel is contained in the Dzhugdzhur and Sredinno-Kamchatka metallogenic zones - 0.7% and 0.2% of Russian reserves, respectively. The rest of the nickel reserves are concentrated in the group of metallogenic zones of the East Ural province, specialized in deposits of silicate geological-industrial type, the nickel content of which is less than 1%.

A total of 52 nickel deposits have been found in Russia. In 2009, new fields were being developed. In the Pechenga ore region, OJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel is preparing the Sputnik, Bystrinskoe, Tundrovoe and Verkhnee deposits for development. While, in the Orenburg region, OJSC Ural Steel is developing the Vostochno-Novokievskoe silicate deposit.

Non-ferrous metallurgy includes the extraction, processing and metallurgical processing of non-ferrous, precious and rare metal ores, including the production of alloys, rolling of non-ferrous metals and processing of secondary raw materials, as well as the extraction of diamonds (Fig. 5.6, see color insert). Taking part in the creation of structural materials of ever higher quality, it performs essential functions in the conditions of modern scientific and technological progress.

Due to the variety of raw materials used and the widespread use of non-ferrous metals in modern industry, non-ferrous metallurgy is characterized by a complex structure. According to their physical properties and purpose, non-ferrous metals are conventionally divided into four groups:

the main ones, which include heavy (copper, lead, zinc, tin, nickel), light (aluminum, magnesium, titanium, sodium, potassium, etc.), small (bismuth, cadmium, antimony, arsenic, cobalt, mercury); alloying (tungsten, molybdenum, tantalum, niobium, vanadium); noble (gold, silver and platinum with platinoids); rare and scattered (zirconium, gallium, indium, thallium, germanium, selenium, etc.).

The non-ferrous metallurgy of Russia includes copper, lead-zinc, nickel-cobalt, aluminum, titanium-magnesium, tungsten-molybdenum, hard alloys, rare metals and other industries, which are isolated depending on the type of products produced, as well as gold and diamond mining. According to the stages of the technological process, it is divided into the extraction and enrichment of raw materials, metallurgical processing and processing of non-ferrous metals.

Non-ferrous metallurgy is characterized by the organization of closed technological schemes with multiple processing of intermediate products and disposal of various wastes. In the future, this trend will intensify. At the same time, the limits of production combination are expanding, which makes it possible, in addition to non-ferrous metals, to obtain


additional products - sulfuric acid, mineral fertilizers, cement, etc.

Due to the significant consumption of materials, non-ferrous metallurgy focuses mainly on raw materials. At the same time, beneficiation is directly "tied" to the places of extraction of non-ferrous and rare metal ores.

Non-ferrous metal ores are characterized by an extremely low content of useful components. Typical ores used for the production of copper, lead, zinc, nickel, tin have only a few percent, and sometimes even a fraction of a percent, of the base metal.

Ores of non-ferrous and rare metals are multicomponent in composition. In this regard, the complex use of raw materials is of great practical importance.

Consistent and deep metallurgical redistribution with repeated return to the "head" of the technological process of intermediate products and comprehensive waste disposal for the most complete recovery of useful components determine the wide development of industrial combination within non-ferrous metallurgy.


The efficiency of the combination based on the complex processing of non-ferrous and rare metal ores is extremely high, given that, firstly, most of the accompanying elements do not form independent deposits and can be obtained only in this way, and secondly, the raw materials base of non-ferrous metallurgy are often located within poorly developed areas and therefore require additional costs for their industrial development.

The integrated use of raw materials and the disposal of industrial waste link non-ferrous metallurgy with other branches of the heavy industry. On this basis, whole industrial complexes are being formed in individual regions of the country (North, Ural, Siberia, etc.).

Of particular interest is the combination of non-ferrous metallurgy and basic chemistry, which appears, in particular, when sulfur dioxide gases are used in the production of zinc and copper. Even more complex territorial combinations of different industries arise during the complex processing of nepheline, when aluminum, soda, potash and cement are extracted from the same raw material as finished products, and thus not only the chemical industry, but also industry falls into the sphere of technological ties of non-ferrous metallurgy. building materials.

In addition to raw materials, the fuel and energy factor plays a significant role in the placement of non-ferrous metallurgy. From the point of view of the requirements for fuel and energy, fuel-intensive and electric-intensive production are distinguished in its composition.

Raw materials and fuel and energy factors have a different effect on the location of enterprises in different branches of non-ferrous metallurgy. Moreover, in the same industry, their role is differentiated depending on the stage of the technological process or the adopted scheme for the production of non-ferrous and rare metals. Therefore, non-ferrous metallurgy


differs in a large number of options for the location of production in comparison with ferrous metallurgy.

Copper industry due to the relatively low content of concentrates, it is confined (excluding the refining of crude metal) to areas with raw material resources.

The main type of ore currently used in Russia for copper production is copper pyrite, which are represented mainly in the Urals (Krasnouralskoye, Revdinskoye, Blyavinskoye, Sibayskoye, Gayskoye and other deposits). An important reserve is cuprous sandstones concentrated in Eastern Siberia (Udokan deposit). There are also copper-molybdenum ores.

Copper-nickel and polymetallic ores are used as additional raw materials, from which copper is usually extracted in the form of the so-called matte.

The main area of ​​copper production is the Urals, which is characterized by the prevalence of metallurgical processing over mining and enrichment. Therefore, they are forced to use imported (mostly Kazakh) concentrates.

In the Urals, enterprises for the production of blister copper and its refining are isolated from each other. The first group includes the Krasno-Uralsky, Kirovgrad, Sredneuralsky (Revda), Karabashsky and Mednogorsky copper smelters, the second - the Kyshtym and Verkhne-Pyshminsky copper electrolytic plants.

The widespread utilization of waste for chemical purposes is characteristic. At the copper-smelting enterprises of Krasnouralsk, Kirovgrad and Rev-dy, sulfurous gases are used as a feedstock for the production of sulfuric acid. In Krasnouralsk and Revda, phosphate fertilizers are produced on the basis of sulfuric acid and imported apatite concentrates.

The trend towards a balanced development of different technological stages in the Urals is expressed in the expansion of production and processing.

In the future, it is planned to involve new sources of raw materials for copper production into circulation. For the development of the unique Udokan deposit in Eastern Siberia, a mining company of the same name (UGK) was established with the participation of the American-Chinese capital. The field - the third largest in the world - is located near the station. Chara on the BAM. Ore reserves amount to 1.2 billion tons with an average copper grade of 1.5%. Consequently, 18-20 million tons of copper are concentrated in the Udokan deposit.

Refining as the final stage of copper production has little to do with raw materials. In fact, it is located either where there is a metallurgical redistribution, forming specialized enterprises or combined with the smelting of crude metal, or in areas of mass consumption of finished products (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kolchugino, etc.). A favorable condition is the availability of cheap energy (3, 5-5 thousand kWh are consumed per 1 ton of electrolytic copper).


Lead-zinc industry characterized by more complex structural and territorial features in comparison with the copper industry.

In general, it is confined to the areas of distribution of polymetallic ores - the North Caucasus (Sadon), Kuzbass (Salair), Transbaikalia (Nerchinsk deposits) and the Far East Primorye (Dalnegorek).

However, due to the fact that lead and zinc concentrates have a rather high content of useful components, and, consequently, transportability (as opposed to copper concentrates), beneficiation and metallurgical processing are often separated from each other. So, in the Urals, the specificity of the raw material base of which is the presence of copper-zinc ores, not only local concentrates are used for the production of zinc (Chelyabinsk), but also those coming from other regions of the country. Similar cases occur in lead smelting.

A characteristic feature of the lead-zinc industry is the territorial disunity of beneficiation and metallurgical processing. Another important feature of the industry is that, despite the complex composition of raw materials, not all lead and zinc are obtained simultaneously in pure form. According to the degree of completeness of the technological process, the following regions are distinguished: 1) for the production of lead and zinc concentrates without metallurgical processing - Transbaikalia; 2) for the production of metallic lead and zinc concentrates - Far East Primorye (Dalnegorsk); 3) for the production of metallic zinc and lead concentrates - Kuzbass (Belovo); 4) for the joint redistribution of lead and zinc - the North Caucasus (Vladikavkaz); 5) for the production of metallic zinc from imported concentrates - Ural (Chelyabinsk).

The lead-zinc industry utilizes industrial waste. First of all, this relates to zinc, which is obtained mainly by the hydrometallurgical method, that is, by electrolysis of a solution of zinc sulfate. The sulfuric acid required in this case is formed from sulphurous gases - a waste from the roasting of zinc concentrates. Sulfuric acid production includes the Electrozinc plant (Vladikavkaz) and other enterprises.

Nickel-cobalt industry most closely related to the sources of raw materials, which is due to the low content of intermediate products (matte and matte) obtained in the process of processing the original ores.

In Russia, two types of ores are exploited: sulfide (copper-nickel), which are known on the Kola Peninsula (Nickel) and in the lower reaches of the Yenisei (Norilsk), and oxidized - in the Urals (Verkhniy Ufaley, Orsk, Rezh). The Norilsk region is especially rich in sulfide ores. New sources of raw materials have been identified here (Talnakhskoye and Oktyabrskoye deposits), which makes it possible to further expand the metallurgical processing of nickel.


The Norilsk region is the largest center for the integrated use of copper-nickel ores. The plant operating here, which combines all stages of the technological process - from raw materials to finished products, produces nickel, cobalt, platinum (together with platinoids), copper and some rare metals. By utilizing waste, sulfuric acid, soda and other chemical products are obtained.

The Kola Peninsula, where several enterprises of the nickel-cobalt industry are located, are also characterized by complex processing of raw materials. Extraction and concentration of copper-nickel ores and production of matte are carried out in Nikel. The Severonikel Combine (Monchegorsk) is completing its metallurgical redistribution. Waste disposal allows additional production of sulfuric acid, mineral wool and thermal insulation boards.

Tin mining industry in contrast, nickel-cobalt is represented by territorially separated stages of the technological process. Metallurgical redistribution is not related to the sources of raw materials. It is focused on the areas of consumption of finished products or is located on the route of concentrates (Novosibirsk). This is due to the fact that, on the one hand, the extraction of raw materials is often dispersed over small deposits, and on the other hand, the enrichment products are highly transportable.

The main resources of tin are located in Eastern Siberia and the Far East. Sherlovogorsk, Khrustalnensky, Solnechny, Ese-Haysky and other mining and processing plants operate here. The construction of the first stage of the Deputatsky GOK (Yakutia) is nearing completion.

The geography of production of light non-ferrous metals, primarily aluminum, is characterized by special features.

Aluminum industry uses raw materials of a higher quality than other non-ferrous metallurgy industries. Raw materials are represented by bauxites, which are mined in the North-West (Boksi-togorsk) and the Urals (Severouralsk), as well as nephelines - in the Northern region, on the Kola Peninsula (Kirovsk), in Eastern Siberia (Goryachegorsk). A new bauxite mining center is being formed in the Northern Region (Severoonezhskoye field). In terms of composition, bauxites are simple, and nephelines are complex raw materials.

The technological process in the aluminum industry is formed (excluding the extraction and processing of raw materials) of two main stages: the production of alumina and the production of metallic aluminum. Geographically, these stages can be located together, as, for example, in the Northwest or the Urals. However, for the most part, even within the same economic region, they are disunited, because they are subject to the influence of different factors of location. Alumina production, being material-intensive, gravitates towards the sources of raw materials, and the production of metal aluminum, as energy-intensive, is focused on the sources of mass and cheap electrical energy.

For 1 ton of alumina from low-siliceous bauxites, 2.5 tons of raw materials are required, from high-silica - 3.5 tons, and in addition, as


Alumina production centers are located in the North-West (Boksitogorsk - Tikhvin bauxites, Volkhov and Pikalevo - Khibiny nephelines), in the Urals (Krasnoturinsk and Kamensk-Uralsky - North Ural bauxites) and in Eastern Siberia (Achinskiy-Shaltyr nephelines). Consequently, alumina is obtained not only from sources of raw materials, but also away from them, but in the presence of limestone and cheap fuel, as well as in a favorable transport and geographical location.

2 /5 1 /3) and North-West (more 1 /5). But domestic production provides only half of the existing needs. The rest of the alumina is imported from neighboring countries (Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Ukraine), as well as from Yugoslavia, Hungary, Greece, Venezuela and other countries. About 1/5 of the alumina demand of aluminum smelters is covered by the Nikolaev Alumina Plant (Ukraine), the largest in the CIS. Its capacity is 1.2 million tons of alumina per year.

In Russia, all centers for the production of metallic aluminum (with the exception of the Urals) are to some extent removed from raw materials, being near hydroelectric power plants (Volgograd, Volkhov, Kandalaksha, Nadvoitsy, Bratsk, Shelekhov, Krasnoyarsk, Sayanogorsk) and partly where large power plants operate on cheap fuel (Novokuznetsk).


auxiliary material - over 1 ton of limestone; from nepheline - 4, 6 tons of raw materials and 9-12 tons of limestone. Alumina production, regardless of the type of raw material used, has a fairly high fuel and heat capacity. At the same time, the complex use of nepheline is important: of which, per 1 ton of alumina, about 1 ton of soda and potash, 6-8 tons of cement (by recycling sludge) are additionally obtained, in addition, some rare metals.

Areas where limestone and cheap fuel are found along with aluminum raw materials should be considered optimal for the production of alumina. These include, in particular, Achinsk-Krasnoyarsk in Eastern Siberia and Severouralsk-Krasnoturinsk in the Urals.

Alumina production centers are located in the Northwest (Boksitogorsk - Tikhvin bauxites, Volkhov and Pikalevo - Khibiny nephelines), in the Urals (Krasnoturinsk and Kamensk-Uralsky - North Ural bauxites) and in Eastern Siberia (Achinsk - Kiya-Shaltyr nephelines). Consequently, alumina is obtained not only from sources of raw materials, but also away from them, but in the presence of limestone and cheap fuel, as well as in a favorable transport and geographical location.

The first place in the production of alumina is occupied by the Urals (more 2 /5 general issue), then Eastern Siberia (over 1 /3) and North-West (more 1 /5). But domestic production provides only half of the existing needs. The rest of the alumina is imported from neighboring countries (Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Ukraine), as well as from Yugoslavia, Hungary, Greece, Venezuela and other countries. About 1/5 of the alumina demand of aluminum smelters is covered by the Nikolaev Alumina Plant (Ukraine), the largest in the CIS. Its capacity is 1.2 million tons of alumina per year.

In the future, the situation will change dramatically due to the Russian-Greek agreement on the construction of the ELVA plant on the shores of the Gulf of Corinth and on the purchase of alumina produced there. The launch of this enterprise will create a reliable base for alumina for domestic aluminum smelters.

Due to the significant electrical capacity, the production of aluminum metal, regardless of the quality of the feedstock, is almost always confined to sources of cheap electricity, among which powerful hydroelectric power plants play a primary role. Here, the use of imported alumina (about 2 tons per 1 ton of aluminum) turns out to be economically more profitable in comparison with the transfer of electricity or an equivalent amount of fuel to the regions where cheap alumina is produced.

In Russia, all centers for the production of metallic aluminum (with the exception of the Urals) are more or less remote from raw materials, being near hydroelectric power plants (Volgograd, Volkhov, Kandalaksha, Nadvoitsy, Bratsk, Shelikhov, Krasnoyarsk, Sayanogorsk) and partly where large power plants running on cheap fuel (Novokuznetsk).


Joint production of alumina and aluminum is carried out in

North-West region (Volkhov) and in the Urals (Krasnoturyinsk and Kamensk-Uralsky).

The aluminum industry stands out among other branches of non-ferrous metallurgy by the largest scale of production.

In 1993, for example, the capacity for alumina was 2, 2, and for aluminum - about 3 million tons.

The most powerful alumina enterprises operate in Achinsk, Krasnoturyinsk, Kamensk-Uralsky and Pikalev, for aluminum - in Bratsk, Krasnoyarsk, Sayanogorsk and Irkutsk (Shelekhov). Thus, in the production of metallic aluminum, Eastern Siberia is sharply ahead (almost 4/5 of the total production in the country).

The final stage of the technological process in non-ferrous metallurgy - the processing of metals and their alloys - is close to the areas of consumption and is usually located in large industrial centers. Consumption areas also attract the processing of secondary raw materials - an important additional resource in increasing production

non-ferrous metals, which makes it possible to obtain finished products at much lower costs.

Gold mining industry- one of the oldest in Russia. In 1993, 132.1 tons of gold were produced, which makes our country the fifth largest in the world after South Africa, the USA, Canada and Australia. Currently, the share of Russian gold in world production is about 8%.

In terms of explored reserves, which are estimated at no less than 5 thousand tons, Russia is significantly inferior only to South Africa, but surpasses Australia and Canada and is on a par with the United States. Domestic deposits are represented by placer, primary (ore) and complex (gold in combination with copper, polymetals, etc.). The main reserves are concentrated in primary deposits, then there are complex and, finally, placer deposits.

Meanwhile, alluvial deposits have always been developed most intensively: their development required less money and less time.

compared with indigenous. Now they account for about 3 /4 total production.

Placer gold reserves have significantly decreased by now. In the future, we should expect an increase in the role of primary deposits, which is associated, in particular, with the attraction of foreign capital. One example is the creation of the Russian-Australian JSC "Lenzoloto" at the famous Bodaibo mines, where gold production is to be increased to 62 tons by 2000, that is, to increase several times. For this purpose, the development of the country's largest deposit "Sukhoi Log" (reserves of about 1.5 thousand tons) will be started using advanced technologies for ore mining and gold extraction.

The bulk of domestic gold is mined in the Far East (2/3 of the total) and in Eastern Siberia (over 1 /4). In the Far East 2 /3 all production is concentrated in the mines of Yakutia (30, 7 tons) and Magadan region. (28.2 tons).


In Eastern Siberia, mining is also 2 /3 concentrated in the Irkutsk region. (11, 7 tons) and the Krasnoyarsk Territory (10, 8 tons).

The rest of the gold comes from the Urals (5%), where mines appeared much earlier than in other regions of Russia, Western Siberia and the North of the European part.

Diamond mining industry. Diamonds are one of the most important income items for domestic exports. The country receives about $ 1.5 billion annually from their sale.

Diamonds are mined in more than 20 countries around the world. Some of them are independent exporters of diamonds, others, including Russia, enter the world market through the South African De Beers cartel.

World production of diamonds is 100 million carats (about 20 tons per year), of which at least half is technical. In value terms, their share is only 2%. De Beers produces 50% of gem-quality diamonds, and Russia accounts for 25% of their world production.

Currently, almost all domestic diamonds are mined in Yakutia. In two diamondiferous regions of the river. Several mines operate in Vilyui, including such well-known ones as Yubileiny and Udachny (85% of the total production volume). In the eastern regions of the country, diamonds were also found in Eastern Siberia (Krasnoyarsk Territory and Irkutsk Region).

The northwestern part of the Russian platform is very promising. The so-called Zimne-Berezhnoe kimberlite field (near Arkhangelsk) with several kimberlite pipes and veins was discovered here. According to De Beers experts, the reserves of one of the discovered deposits - named after Lomonosov - amount to at least 250 million carats. The content of gem-quality diamonds in the Pomor pipes is much higher (2-3 carats per 1 ton of rock) than in the mines of Yakutia, and the quality of the Arkhangelsk diamonds is much higher than the South African ones. The Leningrad Region is also potentially diamondiferous. (between Tikhvin and Lodeynoye Pole) and Karelia.

Test

Copper-nickel industry of the Russian Federation


Introduction

Copper - nickel industry of the Russian Federation

Conclusion

Used Books


Introduction

Non-ferrous metallurgy includes mining, concentration of non-ferrous metal ores and smelting of non-ferrous metals and their alloys.

Russia possesses a powerful non-ferrous metallurgy, a distinctive feature of which is development on the basis of its own resources. According to their physical properties and purpose, non-ferrous metals can be conditionally divided into heavy (copper, lead, zinc, tin, nickel) and light (aluminum, titanium, magnesium). On the basis of this division, a distinction is made between the metallurgy of light metals and the metallurgy of heavy metals.

Several basic non-ferrous metallurgy bases have been formed on the territory of Russia. Their differences in specialization are explained by the dissimilarity of the geography of light metals (aluminum, titanium-magnesium industries) and heavy metals (copper, lead-zinc, tin, nickel-cobalt industries).

The location of non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises depends on many economic and natural conditions, especially on the raw material factor. In addition to raw materials, the fuel and energy factor plays a significant role.

The production of heavy non-ferrous metals due to a small need for energy is confined to the regions of raw materials extraction in terms of reserves, mining and enrichment of copper ores, as well as in copper smelting, the Ural economic region occupies a leading place in Russia, on the territory of which Krasnouralsky, Kirovogradsky, Sredneuralsky, Mednogorsky factories.

The lead-zinc industry as a whole gravitates towards the areas of distribution of polymetallic ores. Such deposits include Sadonskoe (North Caucasus), Salair (Western Siberia), Nerchenskoe (Eastern Siberia) and Dalnegorskoe (Far East). The centers of the Nickel-Cobalt industry are the cities: Norilsk (Eastern Siberia), Nickel and Monchegorsk (Northern Economic Region).

The production of light metals requires a large amount of energy. Therefore, the concentration of enterprises that smelt light metals at sources of cheap energy is the most important principle of their location.

The raw materials for the production of aluminum are bauxites of the North-West region (the city of Boksitogorsk), the Urals (the city of Severouralsk), nephelines of the Kola Peninsula (the city of Kirovsk) and southern Siberia (the city of Goryachegorsk). Alumina - alumina - is isolated from this aluminum raw material in mining areas. Smelting aluminum metal from it requires a lot of electricity. Therefore, aluminum plants are built near large power plants, mainly hydroelectric power plants (Bratsk, Krasnoyarsk, etc.).

The titanium-magnesium industry is located mainly in the Urals, both in the regions where raw materials are extracted (Bereznikovskiy magnesium plant, and in regions of cheap energy (Ust-Kamenogorsk titanium-magnesium plant).

The final stage of titanium-magnesium metallurgy - the processing of metals and their alloys - is most often located in areas where finished products are consumed.


Copper-nickel industry of the Russian Federation

The copper-nickel industry belongs to non-ferrous metallurgy, namely the mining industry, which occupies an important place in the industry of Russia. Unlike ferrous metallurgy, nonferrous metallurgy develops on its own resources, it also specializes in enriching metallurgical processing. Non-ferrous metallurgy represents about a hundred enterprises, thanks to which more than 50 elements of the periodic table are extracted.

Copper and nickel are heavy metals. They are also metal ore mineral resources. The structure of production includes the extraction of ores of these metals, their enrichment, metallurgical processing, production of alloys, rolling.

Let's start with copper. Copper, in its essence, is the third most important metal after iron and aluminum, it is a strategic metal, because it is one of the indicators of the country's production and technical potential. The cost of one ton of copper on the world market, where Russia is the main exporter of copper concentrates and refined copper, ranges from USD 1,350 to USD 3,540 (currently USD 1,664). The main type of ore is copper pyrite of the Urals (Krasnouralskoe, Kirovgradskoe, Gayskoe in the Orenburg region - the best ores in the country, up to 10% copper), cuprous sandstones of Eastern Siberia (the Udokan deposit in the Chita region, Altai, the Kola Peninsula). Its refining is carried out at the electrolytic plants in Kyshtym and Verkhnyaya Pyshma. When copper smelting, wastes are generated that are used in the chemical industry: for the production of sulfuric acid, superphosphate (for example, at the Mednogorsk copper - sulfuric plant). In the copper industry, communication with sources of raw materials is a prerequisite for the location of the beneficiation plant. During metallurgical redistribution, the role of the raw material factor is somewhat weakened and becomes the less, the higher the quality, and therefore the transportability of the concentrates used. At the final stage of the technological process, it generally loses its significance, therefore, enterprises for the refining of blister copper are located near consumers and fuel and energy resources. When characterizing the raw material base of the copper industry, it should be borne in mind that the Urals provide themselves with raw materials only by 50%, and these reserves are steadily decreasing. Therefore, the enterprises of the Urals are showing particular interest in terms of the development of other copper deposits. The Udokan deposit is considered as a prospect, where there are huge reserves - 27 million tons of pure copper. But the sale of a license for the development of the deposit has been postponed all the time, thus, the state is pushing entrepreneurs to first develop small deposits of copper resources. In Russia, in the context of a general industry deficit of copper raw materials, the development of this deposit could solve the problem. The difficult mining conditions in Udokan should also be noted - two negative factors act simultaneously: permafrost and high seismicity.

Copper mining

Since 2005, the Russian Copper Company has been operating the first Russian copper mining complex using in-situ leaching of ore at the Gumeshevskoye deposit. The new technology for the beneficiation of copper ore does not require its extraction to the surface, and therefore is highly cost-effective. The total investment in the project was $ 18.5 million.

The copper production created in the Sverdlovsk region consists of two sections: a geotechnological field, where an underground process of saturation of an aqueous solution of copper is taking place, and an extraction and electrowinning complex, where high-quality copper cathodes of the M00K brand are obtained from the resulting solution.

The volume of investments in research, development and adaptation of a unique mining method to local conditions amounted to more than $ 3.5 million. Testing of a new mining method began in 2000, when specialists from the Russian Copper Company (RMK) began construction of a pilot plant at the Gumeshevskoye field in the city of Polevskoy Sverdlovsk region. Experts of ZAO Uralgidromed together with SNC-Lavalin Europe Ltd (Great Britain) took part in the creation of the experimental production.

The decision to build an industrial complex for the production of high-quality copper was made immediately after the confirmation of the efficient operation and environmental safety of the pilot plant. The construction of an industrial complex for the extraction of copper from solution using organic substances and electrowinning began in December 2004. The design and construction of the facility was carried out by Outokumpu Technology Oy (Finland). The volume of investments in the creation of an extraction and electro-winding complex amounted to more than $ 15 million.

The production capacity of the first stage of the combined complex (including a hydrotechnological field and a production complex for extraction and electrowinning) is 5 thousand tons of copper cathodes per year, but with the beginning of commercial operation of the second section of the hydrotechnological field by the end of 2006, the production volume will be doubled. The advantages of the new technology are that the main processes are transferred underground and take place without human intervention, which dramatically increases production efficiency. The traditional expensive process has been replaced by a technology based on the use of weak acid solutions, which react with the ore even underground and are enriched with copper. This unique enrichment technology was developed in the USSR for the extraction of uranium and rare earth elements. Uralgidromed is the first enterprise to use this invention for industrial copper production.

Reference: Russian Copper Company Holding (RMK) produces and sells over 15% of Russian copper and is the third largest copper producer in Russia after Norilsk Nickel and UMMC. RCC enterprises operate in four regions of Russia and on the territory of Kazakhstan. They form a complete production cycle: from ore mining and scrap collection, production of copper concentrate and blister copper, to the production of copper wire rod and finished products based on copper and its alloys. The number of employees is 15 thousand people. In 2004, RCC enterprises produced over 130 thousand tons of refined cathode copper. "

The most acute problem in the industry at the moment is the supply of raw materials. The government is deciding the issue of admitting or not admitting foreign companies to participate in tenders for the development of Russian copper deposits, since the situation on the world copper market is very difficult: there is an excess of copper-producing capacities. That is, a situation is possible in which foreign companies will benefit from freezing the development of promising Russian deposits, such as Udokanskoye, and thereby remove competitors - Ural metallurgists from the world copper market. In this case, the government should implement protectionist measures in relation to domestic producers and at least partially invest in the development of Udokan copper, the development of which requires more than $ 400 million, and the payback period of the project is quite long - 5 years.

The mining and metallurgical company JSC Norilsk Nickel produces 70% of the copper in Russia. Production volume in 2003 - 473 thousand tons. Revenue of Norilsk Nickel in 2005 amounted to 7.2 billion dollars, net profit - 2.4 billion dollars, profitability - 48%. Moreover, Norilsk Nickel has been demonstrating such profitability for several years. 91% of the plant's proceeds are exported.

The Urals is also an important region for copper production. Most of the enterprises in the Urals belong to the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company (UMMC). It includes more than 20 enterprises in six regions of Russia and abroad. A single technological chain has been built from ore mining to the production of finished products - copper wire rod, copper rolled products, components and assemblies for the automotive industry, cables, conductors. Integration with related sectors is actively going on: ferrous metallurgy, mechanical engineering, cable industry. The annual turnover of UMMC is 1.4 billion dollars, more than 65 thousand people are employed in production. UMMC controls the production of 40% of Russian refined copper, 20% of metal products based on copper alloys, 50% of the European market for copper powders. The beneficiation and processing of nickel ores are the most difficult in nonferrous metallurgy due to the low metal content in raw materials, high fuel consumption, electrical energy (from several thousand to tens of thousands of kilowatt-hours per 1 ton of finished product), the multistage process, the presence of several components (sulfur , copper, cobalt, etc.).

The export orientation of the industry remains. But on the foreign market, Russian producers have to face opposition from copper-producing countries, especially in terms of high conversion rates of copper. It is necessary to export not raw materials and low processing costs, but high-quality products with a maximum degree of readiness, i.e. rental, wire and cable products, radiator tape, special alloys, etc.

The largest nickel deposit is Norilsk, 35.8% of the world's reserves are concentrated in it. Sulfide copper-nickel ores are also mined on the Kola Peninsula and oxidized silicate nickel ores in the Urals (Buruktalskoye and Cheremshanskoye deposits.). the most important property of nickel is that its insignificant addition gives the alloys strength, hardness and corrosion resistance. The industry is focused on sourcing raw materials.

05.24.06 / The volume of ore production at the copper-nickel deposits of the Polar Division of MMC Norilsk Nickel in 2005 exceeded 14 thousand tons. The volume of ore mining at the Oktyabrskoye copper-nickel deposit of the Polar Division of OJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel in 2005 amounted to 9172.3 thousand tons. Last year, the Talnakh copper-nickel deposit produced 2,464.8 thousand tons of ore, while the Norilsk-1 copper-nickel deposit produced 2,751.2 thousand tons of ore. This is stated in the company's accounting report.

At the Copper Plant of ZF MMC, it is planned to complete work on the reconstruction of the automation and power supply system PV-3, which will stabilize the technological process, improve the quality of smelting and reduce inorganic emissions into the atmosphere. It is also planned to commission new air separation units at the KS-1 and KS-2 oxygen stations at the plant.

It should be noted that seven mines of the Polar Division produce sulfide copper-nickel ores from the Oktyabrskoye, Talnakhskoye and Norilsk-1 deposits.

In 2006, capital work was carried out on the main objects of the ore base to reconstruct existing capacities and open new horizons of the mines of the Polar Division. In addition, construction work is underway to reconstruct the Lebyazhye tailing dump, which will provide the branch's enrichment plants with the necessary capacities for storing waste tailings, taking into account the prospects for increasing ore mining and processing. Completion of the project in 2007.

Mining and processing of copper-nickel ores is carried out not only at the unique complex of the Norilsk Mining and Metallurgical Combine, but also at the Nadezhda Metallurgical Combine. The mills use the energy base of the Ust-Khantayskaya HPP, gas from the Messoyakhskoye field and local services.

More than 90% of all nickel in Russia is smelted by JSC Norilsk Nickel. This is ensured by the quality of the resource base and the structure of production. In 2003 the company produced 243 thousand tons of nickel. In the Urals, nickel production is concentrated in the regions of ore mining - Rezhskiy and Ufaleiskiy. Production wastes are used for the production of sulfuric acid, thermal insulation boards, mineral wool. Nickel produced in Russia is export-oriented, 95% of the total. The existing level of world nickel prices to a large extent shows the ratio of supply and demand, because there are more buyers from nickel producers. Thanks to the steady rise in nickel prices, it has become more attractive to investors - another reason why the state is very interested in supporting the development of the raw material base of the copper-nickel industry. But, there is another side, perhaps now the main buyers of nickel - stainless steel producers - will consider that the current price is too high, and will switch to its substitutes, because there are technologies for the production of stainless steel with a reduced nickel content.

The main feature of copper-nickel deposits in Russia is the complex composition of ores, from which, in addition to nickel, a number of other metals are extracted: copper, platinum group metals, as well as gold, silver, selenium, tellurium, which sharply increases the value of these ores, despite the high production cost and production.

Prospects for the development of the nickel-cobalt industry in Russia 25 percent of the world's nickel reserves and resources are concentrated in the bowels of Russia. Most of them are located in the north of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, in the Murmansk Region, in the Middle and South Urals. The overwhelming part of the reserves and resources of cobalt in Russia is associated with nickel deposits, in the ores of which cobalt is a by-product component. The probability of discovering new large deposits of these metals with high quality ores in Russia is extremely low. In terms of proven reserves of nickel, Russia is firmly in first place in the world, and in terms of cobalt it is in fifth place.


Nickel reserves at the beginning of last year were accounted for in 39 ores, and cobalt in 59 deposits. Most of the explored reserves of these metals are concentrated in deposits of sulfide copper-nickel ores (89 percent of nickel and 71 percent of cobalt) and in deposits of silicate ores (11 percent of nickel and 26 percent of cobalt).

The basis of the raw material base of the cobalt-nickel industry in Russia is sulphide copper-nickel deposits of the Norilsk region, where the main object of development in recent years has been rich ores with a nickel content of 3.12-3.65 percent, cobalt - up to 0.1 percent. Intensive mining of high-grade ores will lead to the depletion of their reserves in 20-30 years. In the ores of the Kola Peninsula deposits, the average nickel content is 0.5-0.6 percent, cobalt - hundredths of a percent. In silicate ores of the Urals deposits, the average nickel content is below one percent, cobalt - less than 0.05 percent.

Only the mining enterprises of the Norilsk region are fully and permanently provided with raw materials in the depths. The provision of the enterprises of the Kola Peninsula at the current level of production capacity does not exceed 12 years. The raw material base of the Ural region is severely depleted and does not meet the current industrial requirements.


Conclusion

The situation on the world market has recently been unfavorable for Russian copper producers. This is due to the situation on the foreign market, low prices and overstocking. The reduction in the processing of secondary raw materials in Russia and the decrease in the supply of copper concentrate from Mongolia were the reasons for the decline in the production of refined copper in 2004 by 2.9%. In spite of this, stabilization of supplies of copper concentrate from Mongolia is forecasted in 2006-2008, which will create conditions for the growth of refined copper production in 2007-2008 by 1.3-1.5%.

As for nickel, Russia has a strong position in the world market. However, the demand for metal is growing, and China is playing an increasing role in this. Fueled by the rise in stainless steel production, nickel imports to China in 2005 rose to 96,000 tonnes, double the figure for the same period last year. In terms of nickel consumption, China is now second only to Japan. Stainless steel production in the country in 2005 increased by almost 50%. As for the forecasts for the future, many experts are confident that China's stainless steel production capacity will continue to grow, therefore, nickel consumption in the country will remain at a high level over the next few years. It is the demand for nickel from China that will be the main fundamental factor in the growth of the metal price.

Most non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises are city-forming: the bulk of the population works here, they form the revenue part of municipal budgets by 60 - 80%. However, for the successful development of the territories, this sometimes turns out to be insufficient, therefore the enterprises of the industry keep many social facilities on their balance sheet, participate in the construction of housing and provide energy to cities, and implement numerous charitable programs. For example, JSC "Uralelectromed" annually spends more than 100 million rubles on social programs in Verkhnyaya Pyshma and adjacent territories. The management of the companies concludes agreements on social and economic partnership with local administrations.


Bibliography

1. Economic geography of Russia: Textbook. for university students studying in the specialties of economics and management (008100) / ed. prof. T.G. Morozova - 3rd ed., Revised. and add. M .: UNITY-DANA, 2007 .-- 479s.

2. Rum V.Ya., Dronov V.P. Geography of Russia. Population and economy. 9kl .: Textbook. for general education. study. institutions. - 4th ed. - M .: Bustard, 1998 .-- 400 p .: ill., Maps.


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