Mineral Potential of Ukraine

UKRAINIAN RESOURCES

The Geological Survey of Ukraine has built up a powerful mineral potential which enabled Ukraine to enter the community of leading countries with developed mineral industry. Explored reserves of some mineral commodities are estimated at 7.0-7.5 trillion US dollars ($ US 150,000 per capita), and Ukraine is high on the list of European countries. Taking into account per capita consumption of minerals, Ukraine can be placed alongside with the developed countries of the world.

Ukraine has practically all kinds of raw minerals that ensure stable operation and development of the country economy. That is why the mineral sector of economy is one of the main factors that ensure independence and national security of the state. Nowadays mineral resources are considered to be a great hope of our economy. This mineral potential (over 200 types of minerals) includes about 10000 deposits and manifestations, 7667 deposits (94 types of mineral commodities) of which are of commercial value and are recorded in the State Balance for Reserves.

Geographical location and economic conditions of the deposits are favourable for intense growth of mining and processing enterprises. By now, the industry exploits 3295 deposits which form a mineral base for more than two thousand mining and processing enterprises.

Occupying 0.4% of the world land with population estimated at 0.8% of the world total, Ukraine produces 5% of world mineral raw materials and products of their processing. Ukraine accounts for 6. 2% of the world output. Ukraine mines 3% of coal, 1.0% of iron, 20% of manganese ores from world output figures.

Ukraine ranks the leading place among the developed world countries for 16 types of mineral commodities (coal, iron and manganese ores, titanium, zirconium, mercury, uranium, sulfur, graphite, kaolin and other minerals).

Explored reserves of Ukraine cover 30% of iron ore reserves of the CIS countries, 75% of manganese ore, 70% of kaolin, 90% of crystalline graphite, the greatest part of titanium and zirconium reserves. They comprise a considerable part of CIS reserves of coal, mercury, uranium, beryllium, non-metallic raw materials for metallurgy, different stones.

Mineral raw materials that are mined in Ukraine constitute 2.9-3.8 per cent of the world total ($ US 14.5-20.0 billion). Exported mineral raw materials cover over one-third of the total Ukrainian export.

Losses of mineral commodities due to insufficient mining and extraction make 70% for oil, 40% for coal, 25% for metallic ores and 50% for salt. This mineral wealth remains in the Earth's interior and is considered to be lost.

Now the import of mineral commodities in Ukraine is higher than the country export. Import is 3.5 times greater than export nowadays. This gap is due both to a large list of imported mineral commodities and to low prices for exported minerals.

Specific features of the mineral base of Ukraine favour the growth of trade and economic relations with neighboring countries. For instance, Russia has no mineral base of manganese, titanium, zirconium and some other minerals that occur in Ukraine. As to iron, manganese, kaolin, graphite, titanium and some other minerals, European countries cover their demands at the expense of Ukraine.

Methane

Almost all mine fields of Donbass, except Eastern anthracite regions, have high rate methane content – over 10 m³/t and can be the objects of its extraction.

According to Geological Survey, in 140 mines with high methane rate about 2.5 billion m³ methane gas is recovered annually, and till 550 mln m³ is gained by the degasification system with average 31.7 % methane content.

Building materials

Ukraine is rich in building materials (granite, marble, labradorite, chalk, marl, sandstone). The largest reserves of granite and labradorite are found in Zhitomir oblast.

Mining of gem stone deposits is considered to be an effective activity. Ukraine played an important role in the former USSR as to the output of ornamental (decorative) stones.

As a matter of fact, stone mining and processing requires different tools, machines and equipment to be used. As to Ukraine, its industry does not produce stone-mining equipment for quarries with the exception of several types of pneumatic drill bits.

Dnipropetrovs'k region is unique among other regions of Ukraine for its variety of mineral deposits. In its depths there were found 302 deposits and about 950 ore manifestations. In the region about 39 kinds of minerals are extracted. Kryvorizhsky basin with explored reserves of iron ores equal to 15 mln tons and annual volume of extraction equal to 87 mln tons takes the first place in Ukraine.

Available reserves make it possible to supply ferrous metallurgy with raw material for quite a long time into the third millenium. Nikopol deposit of mangane-se, on the basis of which two mining and concentration plants are working, will be working up to the years 2025-2026.

Date: 2016-01-03; view: 910