Natural resources represent the country's large-scale potential, which can be involved in economic activities.

In the natural resource fund of Belarus, the most important role is given to land, mineral, forest and water resources. Their ratio, as in other countries, is characterized by a certain unevenness, which affects the labor specialization of specific regions.

Water resources

(Braslav Lakes, territory of the Belarusian Lake District)

The Republic of Belarus is assigned to a geographical zone with classic water availability in the CIS. There are over 10,000 lakes and reservoirs in the country, the total water volume of which is almost 6 billion m3. There are 7 large rivers in Belarus with a length of over 500 kilometers, and the total number of river reservoirs is 21,000. Their total length is 91,000 km.

(Lake Naroch)

The fresh-type groundwater system is developed in all regions of the republic. Currently, only 13% of the total predicted resources have been explored. However, this is quite enough to respond to the needs of the state in a timely manner. In general, the country's current water resources meet the needs of the population and the national economy. Moreover, there is a certain reserve for further growth of individual industries. However, there is a problem of uneven distribution of water resources and difficult water supply to citizens in some areas. It is interesting that drinking water consumption per person in Belarus is several times higher than in European countries. At the same time, the main polluter of water resources is agriculture, which has imperfect plant protection methods. Over the past decade, water mineralization in Belarus has increased several times.

Land resources

The republic's land fund is almost 21 million hectares, with 45% of the territory being agricultural land. Approximately 90% of the land is in public use. Arable lands in this group are the most productive. Most of them are located in the Mogilev region. Almost 35% of agricultural land is allocated to pastures and hayfields. The largest number of such territories is in Belarusian Polesie. Difficult terrain and heterogeneous soil composition limit the possibilities for expanding such lands.

In general, the state's land potential is quite high. The structure of the resource fund is changing due to the reorganization of the natural and economic significance of the lands and the transfer of unproductive lands to forestry companies. Compared to Western European countries, Belarus has a higher rate of provision of agricultural land and preservation of wetlands and forest areas. Nevertheless, the most important problem of the land fund of Belarus remains radioactive contamination of resources.

Forest resources

(Typical Belarusian forest)

The forest fund of Belarus is an unlimited natural resource, since the territory of forested lands occupies more than 85% of the entire republic. Most of the country has young forests, the age of which does not exceed 50 years. Approximately 55% of the forest fund is classified as economic forests that are of operational importance. It is worth noting that during the Chernobyl accident in Belarus, 1/5 of all forests were contaminated, in which only partial timber harvesting is now possible.

Mineral resources

(Phosphorite development)

There is no large-scale base of mineral raw materials on the territory of the republic. However, geological exploration activities are ongoing, and today about 5,000 deposits of 30 types of mineral components have been discovered in Belarus. The most important resources for the economy include oil, peat, oil shale, brown coal, rock and potassium salts, mineral and fresh water of underground origin. Despite the impressive reserves of petroleum products, their production volume satisfies only 15% of the country's needs for fuel resources.

The most important mineral resource mined in the mountains of Belarus is potassium salt, in terms of reserves of which the republic occupies a leading position in Europe. Reserves of rock salt are generally considered inexhaustible. Oil shale is present mainly in the south of the country. Currently, Belarus has high prospects for the extraction of ferrous and non-ferrous metal ores. The republic also has a rich base for building materials: dolomite, chalk, clay, sand.

Mineral resources of Belarus are represented by the following groups:

1. fossil fuels (oil, oil shale, peat, brown coal);

2. chemical and agrochemical raw materials (potassium salts, rock salt, phosphorites, dolomites, siliceous rocks, glauconite, etc.);

1. metallic minerals (iron ores, non-ferrous metals);

4. raw materials for the production of building materials (sands, sand-gravel mixtures, clays, carbonate rocks - chalk and marl), gypsum, natural building stone;

5. amber and other ornamental stones, for example, certain types of gypsum;

6. fresh mineral and thermal underground waters.

Geological research, intensively carried out in the post-war years, refuted the previously existing idea of ​​​​Belarus as a country poor in mineral resources. Currently, almost 5 thousand deposits have been identified and explored in its depths, representing about 30 types of mineral raw materials. The most important minerals, the extraction of which has the most significant impact on the country's economy, are potash and rock salts, oil, peat, building materials and raw materials for their production, underground fresh and mineral waters.

Fuel Mineral resources of Belarus include oil, petroleum gases, peat, brown coal and oil shale.

A total of 52 oil fields have been taken into account, of which about 30 are being exploited, and the rest are classified as being explored or mothballed. In accordance with the quantitative assessment of oil content, the initial recoverable oil resources are estimated at 338.3 million tons, residual reserves of industrial categories A+B+C 1- 67.6 million tons and 8.4 billion m 3 of associated gas. The availability of proven oil reserves at the level of annual production (about 2.0 million tons) is approximately 35 years. The national economy's needs for oil are increasing (in 2010 to 15.0 million tons) and current production volumes can cover them only by 10-15%.

Peat resources have been significantly depleted due to intensive use at previous stages of economic development of Belarus. If the total predicted peat resources are estimated at 3.0 billion tons, then only 240 million tons are suitable for industrial extraction. The remaining reserves are located within environmental protection zones or are part of the land fund. The annual production of fuel peat is about 4-5 million tons and approximately the same amount of peat is extracted for agricultural needs, which meets the needs for approximately 20-25 years. All this required a scientifically based approach to the integrated use of the country’s peat fund, which is reflected in the “Scheme for the rational use and protection of peat resources of the Republic of Belarus for the period up to 2010”, in particular, it provides for an increase in the environmental fund to 30% of the total area of ​​peat massifs.

Brown coals have been identified in the territory of the Belarusian Polesie, the predicted reserves are 1350.8 million tons. The three most studied deposits are Zhitkovichskoye, Brinevskoye and Tonezhskoye with total reserves of 150.0 million tons. A project has been developed for the construction of the Zhitkovichsky open-pit mine with a capacity of 2 million tons of coal per year. In the future, brown coal can be a real source of energy and local household fuel, and can also be used as a raw material for certain chemical industries.

Oil shale deposits in the south of Belarus form a large shale basin with an area of ​​more than 20 thousand km 2. Forecast reserves (up to a depth of 600 m) are estimated at 11 billion tons; the Lyubanskoye and Turovskoye fields have been preliminary studied. Oil shale is considered as a potential raw material base for the development of energy, the chemical industry and the production of building materials.

Mining chemical raw materials represented by potassium and rock salts, phosphorites, and mineralized brines. Potassium salts are of the greatest national economic importance, the industrial reserves of which in two explored deposits (Starobinsky and Petrikovsky) amount to 6.9 billion tons, and predicted - over 80 billion tons. The Starobinsky deposit is being developed, on the basis of which four mining departments of the Belaruskali Production Association operate. The prospects for the Petrikovskoye deposit are associated with the introduction of a highly profitable technology for producing potassium concentrate from salts with a high content of magnesium chloride.

Rock salt reserves are estimated to be practically inexhaustible. Only at three explored deposits (Mozyr, Davydov and Starobin) they exceed 22 billion tons. The Mozyr deposit is being exploited, on the basis of which a salt plant operates with an annual production volume of about 400 thousand tons of salt, and supplies of edible salt for export are expanding. Rock salt can also be used as a raw material for the production of soda ash.

There are two phosphorite-bearing basins identified on the territory of Belarus: Sozhsky - in the east and Pripyatsky - in the south. The Sozh basin includes two previously explored fields: Mstislavlskoye and Lobkovichskoye (forecast reserves are estimated at 30 million tons), as well as a number of promising areas. Within the Pripyat phosphorite-bearing basin, the Brest phosphorite-bearing region has been identified (predicted reserves of phosphorus anhydride -
52.9 million tons). It is necessary to search for phosphorite deposits with more favorable conditions and higher quality of ore.

The territory of Belarus is promising for ores of ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Two iron ore deposits were discovered (Okolovskoye and Novoselkovskoye) with total reserves by category A+B+C 1 -
340 million tons and forecast - 1.5 billion tons, their use will largely be determined by the solution to the fuel and energy problem in the country. Swamp iron ores are found almost everywhere, more than 300 deposits are known, until the 60s. XIX century local metallurgical enterprises worked for them. Currently, bog iron ores serve as raw materials for the production of mineral paints. In the sedimentary rocks of the Pripyat trough, deposits of davsanite ores were discovered (Zaozernoye deposit), promising as raw materials for the production of alumina and soda ash. A deposit of rare earth-beryllium ores has been discovered in the crystalline basement rocks of Belarus.

Belarus has a fairly powerful mineral resource base for the production of building materials. The most significant reserves of cement raw materials, dolomite, chalk, building and facing stones, clays for the production of coarse ceramics and light aggregates, silicate and construction sands, sand-gravel and other materials. At the same time, there is a shortage of glass sands and clays for the production of high-quality bricks.

Expanding research and involvement in exploitation mineral underground waters. 58 mineral water sources with total reserves of 14,320.8 m 3 per day have been explored, and 50 sources are being developed. Mineral waters are used for the purposes of sanatorium-resort treatment, and are also sold through the retail chain as mineral medicinal and table waters.

Belarus is rich in mineral brines, the reserves of which within the Pripyat trough are estimated at 1830 km 3, they contain 680109 tons of mineral matter. Highly mineralized brines (the rock is called “Belarusite”) can serve as a raw material base for the production of iodine, bromine, potassium, magnesium and many other elements. The project “Industrial brines of the Pripyat trough” has been developed, the implementation of which will make it possible to annually obtain about 160 tons of bromine and 1.2 tons of iodine. The search for new deposits of ferrous and non-ferrous metal ores, diamonds, gold, amber and other types of minerals on the territory of Belarus is also promising.

TOPIC 1.4: ASSESSMENT OF THE RESOURCE POTENTIAL OF THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS

4.1. The role of the mineral resource complex in the country's economy

4.2. Mineral resource potential of Belarus: forecast reserves, efficiency of use

4.3. Strategy for further development of the mineral, raw materials and natural potential of the Republic of Belarus

The role of the mineral resource complex in the country's economy

One of the most important tasks set by the Head of State at the Fourth All-Belarusian People's Assembly is the intensification of the development of subsoil resources in Belarus, aimed primarily at increasing the gross domestic product by increasing the volume of mineral extraction, maximizing the supply of mineral resources to the enterprises of the republic, increasing the export potential, reducing the economy's dependence on imports of mineral raw materials.

Natural resource potential is the most important part of the country's national wealth. According to the assessment of scientists from the Institute of Geography of the USSR Academy of Sciences, carried out in the 70s, the share of Belarus in the total natural resource potential of the USSR was 1.2%, which significantly exceeded its share in the total area of ​​the country - 0.9%. This excess is due to better availability of land resources (above the world average), more favorable climatic conditions, and sufficient water and forest resources. At the same time, there is a relatively low concentration of mineral resources, especially fuel and energy resources, on the territory of Belarus.

The natural resource potential of the country and its individual regions changes in the process of environmental management, which is due, on the one hand, to the depletion of certain types of natural resources due to their exhaustibility and irrational use. On the other hand, scientific and technological progress opens up the possibility of involving new types of natural resources in the national economic turnover and expanding the country's raw material and fuel and energy base. The knowledge of the subsoil of Belarus at the previous stages of development was insufficient, and the missing types of raw materials and materials could be obtained centrally from other regions of the USSR. Now the situation has changed radically, so it is necessary to pay special attention to the problem of expanding and strengthening our own mineral resource base.

The policy of resource conservation is becoming important in achieving greater raw material independence of the Republic of Belarus. Improving technologies, reducing the material and energy intensity of production can reduce the consumption of raw materials and fuel and energy resources by 20-25%. However, achieving this level is possible only within 15-20 years, which is due to serious organizational, legal and economic reasons (lack of necessary legislative acts, comprehensive government resource conservation programs, as well as the necessary financial and material resources).

The types and volumes of consumption of mineral raw materials in the national economic complex of the republic are determined by the needs of various sectors of industry and agriculture, satisfied through the use of local mineral resources and imports from neighboring countries.

Mineral resource potential of Belarus: forecast reserves, efficiency of use

The mineral resources potential of Belarus is the material basis of the country's economy and its national security.

More than 30 types of mineral raw materials have been identified in the depths of Belarus. According to the degree of readiness for use, deposits are distinguished: with detailed explored reserves of mineral raw materials, which are economically feasible and technically possible to develop at the present time (oil, peat, potassium and rock salts, dolomites, cement raw materials, sapropels, zeolite-containing silicites, molding and glass sands) ; not yet prepared for industrial development, the degree of knowledge of which does not yet allow planning their development and requires additional geological exploration and the development of new technological methods for the extraction and complex processing of raw materials (brown coals, oil shale, iron ores, kaolins, gypsum, phosphorites, rare metals and highly mineralized brines); promising areas for which there are scientifically proven prerequisites for the possibility of identifying industrial types of mineral raw materials among them after additional geological exploration work (glauconite, pyrophyllite, amber, diamonds, raw materials for the production of mineral fibers, dawsonite, rare, non-ferrous and precious metals).

Oil. As of January 1, 2008, 71 oil fields (including 2 oil and gas condensate fields) have been discovered in Belarus, 68 of which are located in the Gomel region and 3 in the Mogilev region. In 2007, the country produced 1.76 thousand tons of oil. The availability of its proven reserves at the 2007 production level is 34 years.

Gas. Currently, Belarus does not have commercial natural gas deposits. When developing oil fields, associated gas is produced in an amount of about 250 million m 3. Deposits of associated gas have been identified in the territory of the Pripyat trough, where prospecting for oil is underway (Borshchevskoye, Krasnoselskoye and Zapadno-Aleksandrovskoye fields). Its reserves are about 1 billion m 3 .

Peat. Geological reserves of peat (9192 deposits) as of January 1, 2008 amount to about 4 billion tons and are located in all regions of the country. According to the Scheme for the rational use and protection of peat resources of the Republic of Belarus for the period until 2010, a significant part of the peat fund consists of environmental and reserve funds. In 2007, 2.9 million tons of peat were extracted for fuel and agricultural needs. The expected significant increase in peat production by 2015 will require the allocation of additional areas for peat mining in all regions of the country.

Brown coals. In the Gomel region, 3 deposits of brown coal have been explored: Zhitkovichskoye, Brinevskoye and Tonezhskoye with geological reserves of about 150 million tons. The Brinevskoye deposit (30 million tons) and two deposits at the Zhitkovichskoye deposit are prepared for industrial development: Severnaya (23.5 million tons ) and Naydinskaya (23.1 million tons).

Oil shale. Two large oil shale deposits have been identified in Belarus: Lyubanskoye (Minsk region) and Turovskoye (Gomel and Brest regions) with total predicted resources of about 3.9 billion tons.

Potassium salts belong to the most valuable mineral resources of the subsoil of Belarus. The extraction and processing of potassium salts into high-quality mineral fertilizers provides the country with not only an increase in agricultural yields, but is also one of the sources of foreign exchange earnings through product exports. The state balance of potassium salts takes into account 3 deposits (Starobinskoye in the Minsk region, Petrikovskoye and Oktyabrskoye in the Gomel region). RUE "PA "Belaruskali" at the Starobinsky deposit annually produces 28–32 million tons of potassium ores, from which it produces about 4 million tons of potash fertilizers. The company fully satisfies the domestic market's demand for its products and carries out significant export deliveries to countries near and far abroad.

Rock salt. The explored reserves of rock salt in three deposits (Starobinskoye in the Minsk region, Davydovskoye and Mozyrskoye in the Gomel region) reach almost 22 billion tons. “Extra” salt production is currently carried out at the Mozyrskoye deposit and amounts to more than 360 thousand tons. In recent years, mining of rock salt (edible, feed and technical) has begun at the Starobinsky deposit. The existing reserves of rock salt will make it possible to meet the country's future needs for food and industrial salts and organize large-scale supplies of these products for export.

Dolomites. The large Ruba dolomite deposit in the Vitebsk region with proven reserves of over 900 million tons is being developed by Dolomite OJSC. The raw materials are used for the production of dolomite flour, crushed dolomite, asphalt concrete pavements and other materials. Belarus' demand for carbonate fertilizers has decreased to 2–3 million tons per year in recent years. The plant's capacity makes it possible to increase the production of dolomite flour to 6.5–7.0 million tons.

Sapropels. Sapropel resources are promising. Their reserves are estimated at 3.8 billion m3 (65% of them lie in reservoirs, the rest are under peat). As of January 1, 2008, the State Balance of Sapropel Reserves of the Republic of Belarus includes 85 deposits (sapropel-productive lakes and peatlands) with reserves of more than 75 million tons, located in all regions of the country.

Iron ores. Two iron ore deposits have been established on the territory of Belarus: the Okolovskoye deposit of ferruginous quartzites (Stolbtsovsky district of the Minsk region) and the Novoselkovskoye deposit of ilmenite-magnetite ores (Korelichsky district of the Grodno region). Detailed exploration is being completed at the Okolovskoye field. On the basis of the deposit, ore mining and enrichment capacity of 4 million tons can be created. The Novoselkovskoye deposit is at the preliminary exploration stage.

Phosphorites. Prospects for the development of phosphate raw material resources in Belarus are associated with the Mstislavskoye and Lobkovichskoye deposits (Mogilev region). According to preliminary exploration data, the ore reserves of the Mstislavskoe deposit amount to 68 million tons or about 15 million tons of P 2 O 5 . The Orekhovskoye deposit (Brest region) with preliminary estimated reserves of 76 million tons is also of interest.

The country has sufficient building materials resources to fully meet internal needs. These include: raw materials for the production of cement and lime, building and facing stones, construction sands, quartz (glass and molding), sand and gravel mixtures, ceramic clays, refractory clays and for the production of light aggregates, kaolins and other construction raw materials. Deposits of building materials are found in almost all regions of Belarus.

Gypsum-anhydrite stone. In Belarus, the Brinevskoye gypsum deposit was discovered (Gomel region). Preliminarily explored reserves of gypsum amount to more than 100 million tons of gypsum stone. However, detailed exploration of the deposit, preparation of a feasibility study for its development, and search for additional consumers and investors are required.

The raw material base of the cement industry includes 16 deposits marl-chalk rocks with industrial reserves of more than 700 million tons. The purest varieties of chalk are used in the chemical, pharmaceutical, food and other industries, as well as for feeding livestock. The main reserves of cement raw materials are located in the Mogilev, Gomel, Grodno and Brest regions.

3 deposits have been explored in Belarus building stone with industrial reserves of 561.5 million m 3, two of which are located in the Brest region and one in the Gomel region. On the basis of the deposit in Mikashevichi, the Granit non-metallic materials plant operates with a capacity of 7.8 million m 3 of crushed stone and 2.4 million m 3 of artificial sand per year. Raw material base construction sands includes 140 deposits with total reserves of more than 800 million m 3, sand and gravel material– 185 fields with reserves of more than 1 billion m3. There are also significant reserves glass sands in the Brest region, which are suitable in their natural form for the production of window and container glass.

Quite significant reserves clay raw materials for the production of bricks, facing stones, drainage pipes, porous aggregates, facade tiles, etc. The raw material base of clay raw materials includes 214 deposits of fusible clays for brick production, 6 refractory clays and 11 deposits for the production of agloporite and expanded clay with total reserves of 327 million m 3 . The main reserves of clay raw materials are concentrated in the Vitebsk region, with smaller quantities in the Gomel, Mogilev and Minsk regions.

Ore minerals. Discovered in 1965 in the Stolbtsovsky and Karelichi districts, they have no industrial significance yet. There are manifestations of gold and non-ferrous metal ores. Placers of amber were found in the western part of the Polesie lowland.

The country's land resources are the entire territory of Belarus, its land fund. The main ones are agricultural land (46% of the total territory). These include: arable lands (30%) and meadows (hayfields, pastures - 16%). The remaining land area is occupied by forests (32%), swamps, bushes (11%), other lands, settlements, roads, etc. (11%).

Part of the land was excluded from agricultural use after the Chernobyl accident.

Water resources of Belarus: waters of rivers, lakes, reservoirs, groundwater. Within the republic, water resources are distributed evenly, but the northern and northwestern regions are better provided with them. The largest consumer of water resources is housing and communal services, as well as industrial and agricultural enterprises. Currently, there are complications in the industrial water supply of Baranovichi, Lida, Soligorsk, Zhodino. To improve water supply, the Vileika-Minsk water system was built.

Groundwater reserves are located in the depths of Belarus; 17 sources of mineral water of different composition have been identified. In their locations there are the resorts “Naroch”, “Bobruisk”, “Letsy”, “Rogachev”, “Krinitsa”, “Berestye”.

Biological resources of Belarus include plant and animal resources.

Forest is the main raw material for the forest industry. It performs soil, climate and water protection functions, as well as sanitary, hygienic and health-improving functions. In addition, the forest is the main source of plant resources: mushrooms, berries, nuts, and medicinal herbs.

Animal resources: game animals and industrial fish.

All of the above resources are considered exhaustible, therefore their protection is associated with integrated use, more rational extraction and reduction of losses during transportation and processing. Moreover, many of them have recreational value (“recreation” means rest, restoration).

Recreational resources are a set of natural, cultural and historical complexes used for organizing recreation, treatment, and excursions. The most famous recreation areas are Braslav, “Lakes” in the west of the Grodno region, Stolbtsy; tourist centers "White Lake", "Neman"; historical and architectural complexes in Polotsk, Zaslavl, Nesvizh, Grodno.

Related information.

The Republic of Belarus does not have impressive mineral resource base, and in connection with this, a large number of fuels and raw materials necessary for its economy are imported into the country. But, nevertheless, geological exploration work carried out on the territory of the country constantly replenishes its reserves of mineral resources.

Currently, almost 5 thousand deposits have been identified and explored in the depths of Belarus, representing about 30 types of mineral raw materials. Strategically important resources from the point of view of the country's economy include potassium and rock salts, oil, peat, building materials and raw materials for their production, underground fresh and mineral waters.

Belarus' fuel mineral resources include oil, petroleum gases, peat, brown coal and oil shale. A total of 52 oil fields have been taken into account, of which about 30 are being exploited, and the rest are classified as being explored or mothballed. Despite the presence of reserves of oil, associated gas, peat, and brown coal, Belarus is not able to meet the needs for fuel resources using its own raw materials. The volume of oil production in the country is only 12-13% of demand and in the future this ratio will not change.

Mining chemical raw materials represented by potassium and rock salts, phosphorites, and mineralized brines. Potassium salts are among the most valuable minerals in the subsoil of Belarus, the country's industrial reserves are one of the first in Europe. The extraction and processing of potassium salts into high-quality mineral fertilizers provides the country with not only an increase in agricultural yields, but is also one of the sources of foreign exchange earnings through product exports. RUE PA Belaruskali annually produces 28-32 million tons of potash ores, from which it produces about 4 million tons of potash fertilizers. The company fully satisfies the domestic market's demand for its products and carries out significant export deliveries to countries near and far abroad.

Rock salt reserves are estimated to be practically inexhaustible. Only in three explored fields they exceed 22 billion tons.

Peat resources have been significantly depleted due to intensive use at previous stages of economic development of Belarus. If the total predicted peat resources are estimated at 3.0 billion tons, then only 240 million tons are suitable for industrial extraction. The remaining reserves are located within environmental protection zones or are part of the land fund.

Oil shale deposits in the south of Belarus they form a large shale basin with an area of ​​more than 20 thousand km2. Oil shale is considered as a potential raw material base for the development of energy, the chemical industry and the production of building materials.

The territory of Belarus is promising for ores of ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Two iron ore deposits have been discovered with total reserves in category A+B+C1 - 340 million tons and forecast - 1.5 billion tons, their use will largely be determined by the solution to the fuel and energy problem in the country.

Belarus has quite powerful mineral resources base for the production of building materials. The most significant reserves of cement raw materials, dolomite, chalk, building and facing stones, clays for the production of coarse ceramics and light aggregates, silicate and construction sands, sand-gravel and other materials. At the same time, there is a shortage of glass sands and clays for the production of high-quality bricks.

Research and involvement in the exploitation of mineral groundwater is expanding. 58 mineral water sources have been explored with total reserves of 14,320.8 m3 per day, and 50 sources are being developed. Mineral waters are used for the purposes of sanatorium-resort treatment, and are also sold through the retail chain as mineral medicinal and table waters.

On the possibilities of meeting the needs of the economy of the Republic of Belarus with its own mineral resources

[Information and analytical magazine " Science and technology news" / founder of the State Institution "BelISA". — Minsk: State Institution “BelISA”, 2010, No. 3(16)]

V. V. Karpuk,
Director of the Department of Geology of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection

A. M. Kovkhuto,
Deputy Director of the Department of Geology of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection

The sustainable socio-economic development of the country and its economic security are largely determined by the state of the mineral resource base, rational and comprehensive use of subsoil resources. On the basis of explored deposits, the mining and processing industries, energy, construction, agrochemical and other sectors of the economy are dynamically developing.

As a result of many years of work by geologists in the republic, numerous mineral deposits have been discovered, which have formed the mineral resource base for the development of the construction industry, the production of potash and carbonate fertilizers, the extraction of oil, peat, rock salt, fresh and mineral groundwater. On the territory of the Republic of Belarus, deposits of oil, rock and potassium salts, dolomites, cement raw materials, brown coals, oil shale, building stone, gypsum, clays, glass and construction sands, fresh and mineral groundwater and other types of minerals have been identified. There are prerequisites for the discovery of industrially significant deposits of phosphorites, graphite, pyrophyllite, non-ferrous and precious metals and other minerals.

However, not all the needs of the economy of the Republic of Belarus are satisfied by its own raw materials. The Republic imports oil, natural gas, coal, apatite concentrate, sulfur (for the production of phosphate fertilizers) and some other types of minerals. In addition, mineral deposits are being actively developed abroad, for example in Venezuela and Iran, with the resulting share of extracted mineral resources being delivered to the Belarusian market.

What is the current situation with meeting the needs of the economy of the Republic of Belarus with its own mineral resources and what are the prospects for import substitution of mineral resources purchased abroad?

Oil consumption in the national economy of the republic is determined by the volume of oil refining at the Mozyr and Novopolotsk oil refineries, as well as the volume of its use as fuel and raw material for the petrochemical industry. About 94% of the oil processed at the refinery comes from Russia and only 6% is oil produced in Belarus.

On the territory of the Republic of Belarus (Pripyat trough), 74 oil fields have been identified, including 2 oil and gas condensate fields. Since 1964, more than 120 million tons of oil have been produced (maximum production in 1975 was 7.952 million tons), or 69.2% of the recoverable reserves of exploited fields. The amount of oil produced is more than 36% of the total resources of the Pripyat Trough, estimated at 332 million tons. The exploration of potential oil resources in the Pripyat Trough is 53%. Residual recoverable industrial oil reserves amount to more than 56 million tons, of which 45% are highly viscous and difficult to recover oils. For the Pripyat trough, a long period of stable production levels began (2-1.7 million tons/year) with a downward trend of 10-20 thousand tons/year. The supply of oil reserves at the 2009 production level is about 33 years.

As a result of geological exploration work performed in 2006-2009. Five new oil fields were discovered. By the end of 2010, two more new oil deposits are expected to be discovered. Based on the results of work for 2006-2010. an increase in industrial oil reserves is expected in the amount of 7.4 million tons.

Thus, by 2021, the potential of hydrocarbon raw materials in this region will consist of oil fields under development and new fields under exploration, which will ensure oil production in the republic throughout the first half of the 21st century.

In 2010, it is planned to produce 1.7 million tons in Belarus, deliver oil from Venezuela and Iran, and import about 18 million tons of oil from Russia.

In 2011-2020 the demand for oil in the republic is planned to remain at the same level with annual consumption of 21.5-22.0 million tons, which will amount to 217.88 million tons. With annual imports of 21.0-21.5 million tons, the volume of supplies for this period will be 211 .0 million tons. It is planned to extract 15.9 million tons from our own deposits and export 6.5 million tons.

The oil transportation infrastructure in Russia is rapidly developing, which may lead to an increase in export volumes in directions other than today, and, as a result, will cause an increase in prices for hydrocarbon raw materials imported to Belarus. To solve this problem, the republic is taking measures to diversify the countries from which hydrocarbon raw materials are imported, and intensifying work to save traditional fuel and energy resources with the transition to the use of alternative sources of energy resources, such as subsoil energy, wind, water and solar energy, as well as others types of energy. As an example of the use of renewable energy sources, one should cite the launch of trial operation of the first geothermal station in Belarus, “Berestye” in the Brest region, which will allow saving up to 1 million m 3 of gas annually.

The Pripyat oil and gas region is promising in terms of the possibility of identifying deposits natural gas. This determines the feasibility of carrying out special gas exploration work in the Pripyat oil and gas region. Within its boundaries, two deposits of natural gas with reserves of 982 million m3 have already been identified at the Borshchevskoye oil and Krasnoselskoye oil and gas condensate fields. In addition, natural gas in Belarus is produced as a by-product during the exploitation of oil fields. As of the beginning of 2010, 8.3 billion m 3 of recoverable reserves of associated gas are located in the depths of 66 fields. Based on the explored reserves, the proposed option for developing the hydrocarbon potential of the subsoil of the Pripyat oil and gas region and the projected amount of oil produced (8.7 million tons), in 2005-2010. About 1 billion m 3 of associated gas will be produced from its own fields (220-205 million m 3 per year) in 2011-2020. - 1.88 billion m 3 (210-150 million m 3 per year).

In 2009, RUE PA Belorusneft produced 205 million m 3 of associated gas processed at the Belarusian Gas Processing Plant (BGPZ), which practically satisfied the republic’s needs for liquefied gas. According to the Beltopgaz concern, more than 170 thousand tons of liquefied gas were consumed in 2009 for the needs of the population and household consumers. In 2010, a slight increase in liquefied gas consumption is planned.

To fully utilize the BGPP, whose production capacity allows it to process 500 million m3 of gas per year, raw materials (broad fractions of light hydrocarbons) are purchased from the Russian Federation. Excess liquefied gas is exported.

Given the increase in liquefied gas consumption, our own raw materials will not be enough to meet the needs of the republic’s economy. It will be necessary to purchase a wide fraction of light hydrocarbons and liquefied gas outside the republic. Since natural gas supplies to European countries are carried out through the territory of Belarus and Beltransgaz OJSC has been incorporated with the participation of the Russian Gazprom, this company will remain a gas supplier for the near and long term. In order to ensure the country's energy security, alternative suppliers of natural and liquefied gas are being sought.

In recent years, annual production volumes peat decreased to 2-3 million tons and is determined mainly by the extraction of peat for fuel and energy needs by the enterprises of the Beltopgaz concern of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Belarus. The extraction of peat for agricultural use (for fertilizer) by enterprises of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food has practically ceased.

Peat industry enterprises are developing 46 peat deposits with operational reserves of about 100 million tons (as of January 1, 2010) at a conditional 40 percent humidity, of which 78.2 million tons are suitable for the production of peat fuel and 32.8 million tons for use in agriculture. farm. All developed peat deposits have been explored in detail and do not require additional geological exploration work, except for work on revaluation of deposit reserves.

The 11.2 thousand hectares of peat deposits allocated to the enterprises of the Beltopgaz concern contain about 32 million tons of peat, including about 22 million tons for the production of fuel briquettes and 10 million tons for agricultural use. Reserves in the remaining unallocated part of the raw material base (18.1 thousand hectares) for the production of briquettes amount to about 55 million tons. Available raw material resources provide the envisaged volumes of peat extraction and production of peat products until 2021. Residual proven peat reserves (as of 01/01/2021) at the raw material bases of fuel industry enterprises will amount to about 78.7 million tons, that is, with an annual peat demand of about 2 million tons, the republic is provided with peat reserves for another 40 years.

Currently coal imported from Russia, Ukraine, Poland and Kazakhstan in volumes of 250-300 thousand tons per year. At the same time, on the territory of the republic, at depths of 20-80 m, 3 brown coal deposits have been explored in the Pripyat trough: Zhitkovichskoye (reserves 70 million tons), Brinevskoye (30 million tons) and Tonezhskoye (42 million tons). Of these, the Zhitkovichi deposit is prepared for industrial development, which makes it possible to design the construction of a coal mine with a capacity of 2 million tons per year, and the Brinevskoe deposit with industrial reserves of 30 million tons, on the basis of which production facilities can be built for the extraction of brown coal as an energy and utility source. household fuel.

Belarus has prospects for creating its own coal raw material base with stable geological exploration within 7-10 years by preparing for the development of the Lelchitsky, Bukchansky and Pribolovichsky coal occurrences with total coal resources of about 450 million tons.

One of the sources of fuel and energy resources can be oil shale. Currently, two shale deposits have been identified in the Pripyat shale basin: Lyubanskoye and Turovskoye with total predicted resources of about 3.9 billion tons, of which reserves of 1.2 billion tons have been previously explored.

In terms of quality, oil shale is not an effective solid fuel due to its high ash content (75% or more), low calorific value (average 5.8 MJ/kg) and tar yield (within 7-8%). However, the liquid and gaseous components obtained during the heat treatment of shale (pyrogenetic water, primary gas, gas gasoline) are of interest as feedstock for obtaining a number of valuable products. For example, when purifying tar water, phenols, ketones, volatile bases and acids are extracted. By pyrolyzing primary gas, gas gasoline and light fraction products, heating gas, fuel oil, benzene, toluene and solvent can be obtained. Shale semi-coke can be used as a raw material for the production of mineral wool and agloporite. Oil shale ash can be used as a filler in dense and cellular concrete, suitable for the production of ceramic products (facing and refractory ceramics), for the production of binders, for example, as an additive to cement (20-30%), which significantly increases its hydraulic activity, as well as in agriculture for liming soils.

Thus, oil shale is a complex energy technology and promising raw material for the development of the domestic fuel, energy and chemical industries.

Another type of energy is geothermal resources of the subsoil. The main advantages of geothermal energy over other types of energy: a renewable type of energy, available everywhere, does not depend on the season of the year or time of day; significant potential resources in the bowels of the earth to a depth of 10 km, 50,000 times greater than the energy contained in all the world's gas and oil reserves taken together; the possibility of incidental extraction of useful elements dissolved in brines, such as bromine, iodine and others during the selection of geothermal energy.

The leading positions in the practical use of subsoil heat for electricity generation are occupied by the countries of the North American continent and Central America, Australia, Indonesia, Iceland, Turkey, Japan and even developing countries - Indonesia, the Philippines, New Zealand and Kenya. In Europe, the leaders in the use of underground heat in the generation of electrical energy are Iceland, Italy, Turkey, Russia, Portugal, France, Germany and Austria. By 2008, the installed capacity of geothermal plants and installations in the world reached 40 GW.

Geothermal waters in Belarus are low-enthalpy sources with low temperatures. In most of Belarus, the temperature of sedimentary rocks to a depth of 1 km varies from 6.5-7 to 20 °C. In deep sedimentary basins - the Podlassko-Brest and Orsha depressions - in some cases at a depth of 2 km it reaches 35-40 ° C, and only in the Pripyat trough at depths of more than 3 km do its values ​​sometimes exceed 100 ° C in highly mineralized waters (brines). The high salt content makes it difficult to use groundwater as a source of geothermal energy.

Sources with a temperature of more than 150 °C, allowing the generation of electrical energy, have not been identified on the territory of the Republic of Belarus. Despite this, modern heat pumps make it possible to extract geothermal energy when a primary coolant is supplied to their input with a temperature of only 5-10 ° C and at the same time provide an output temperature of 50-65 ° C, sufficient for heating buildings and structures.

At the beginning of 2010, 20 geothermal installations for production purposes with a total installed capacity of about 2 MW were in operation in the republic.

In addition, about 100 heat pump units operate at water intakes around Minsk, Brest, in the vicinity of Novopolotsk, at sewage pumping stations, and are also used for heating cottages. Heat pumps do not require separate buildings, occupy a small area and can be located near other process equipment. However, they require uninterrupted power supply to drive compressors and are equipped with automatic control devices. The total thermal power of the installations installed in Belarus is about 4.5 MW, which is negligible in comparison with our country’s annual consumption of about 35 million tons of equivalent fuel. t. for the production of energy resources.

Heat consumers can be enterprises and organizations involved in heating buildings and structures (including housing), drying wood, heating agricultural structures (machine yards, workshops, livestock farms, grain dryers, etc.), greenhouse farms. It is of practical interest to create heated swimming pools in populated areas, heated ponds for fish breeding, etc.

To intensify the use of geothermal energy, it is necessary to resolve the issue of reducing tariffs for electricity consumed by geothermal installations; make changes to regulatory legal acts regulating the procedure for the design and construction of buildings and structures with the possibility of using geothermal energy; to develop inhibitors that reduce the temperature and pressure for salt precipitation in order to develop technology for using geothermal energy from brines and to develop innovative designs of domestic heat pumps with thermal power from 5 to 100 kW.

The extraction of sylvinite ore and the production of potash fertilizers in the republic is carried out by the Republican Unitary Enterprise "PO Belaruskali" at the Starobinskoye deposit potassium salts, opened in 1949 and developed since 1963. In recent years, the association has been producing about 29-30 million tons of sylvinite ore per year, from which 3.7-4.2 million tons of potassium fertilizers are produced, meeting the needs of the domestic market and supplies to export. In 2008, the export of Belarusian potash fertilizers amounted to 6.5 million tons, in 2009 - 3 million tons, which fully meets the needs of the domestic market of the republic and allows for export deliveries (about 90% of production). Since the start of operation of the Starobinsky deposit, more than 1 billion tons of ore have been mined, including 907.1 million tons of minerals (without dilution rocks). During this period, 351 million tons of raw salts have been explored. According to the Belneftekhim concern, in 2009, about 32 million tons of potassium salts were produced at the Starobinsky deposit. In 2011-2020 The production of crude potassium salts is projected to be 300.0 million tons. Production is regulated by the internal needs of Belarus and export supplies.

Despite the significant reserves of potassium salts of the Starobinsky deposit (5.4 billion tons, including 2.4 billion tons in developed mine fields), the provision of reserves in individual mines and horizons is uneven. To compensate for the retiring capacity, in 2010 the Nezhinsky site with reserves of 200 million tons of K2O will be prepared for industrial development and additional exploration of the Northern site with reserves of 30 million tons of K2O of the Starobinskoye deposit will be completed. This will make it possible to provide RUE PA Belaruskali with raw materials for the long term with stable production of potassium salts of about 30 million tons, satisfy the needs of the domestic market of the republic and strengthen the export potential of the enterprise (about 90% of total production). It should be noted that in addition to the Starobinskoye deposit, the Oktyabrskoye and Petrikovskoye deposits and a number of areas of potassium salts have been explored in detail, but are not being developed, which could become a new raw material base for the development of the potash industry of the Republic of Belarus, possibly with the involvement of foreign investors.

Extraction of “Extra” salt is currently carried out at the Mozyr deposit and amounts to about 365 thousand tons per year. Mining of rock salt (edible, feed and technical) by mine method has begun at the Starobinsky deposit. Total salt production in 2009 was about 800 thousand tons.

In addition to the developed deposits, Shestovichsky, Skrygalovsky, Yuzhno-Kopatkevichsky, Komarovsky, Oktyabrsky and Omelkovshchinsky areas have been identified with favorable mining and technical conditions for the occurrence of rock salt layers and total reserves of more than 28 billion tons, which can become a new raw material base for the development of industry using rock salt as raw materials, possibly with the involvement of foreign investors.

Currently gypsum is imported into the republic as raw materials for the construction industry in volumes of more than 300 thousand tons per year. In connection with the commissioning of new capacities at cement plants, the need of the republic's enterprises for gypsum in 2011 will be about 0.6 million tons, by 2015 - about 1 million tons. At the same time, Belarus has discovered its own gypsum deposit - Brinevskoye ( Gomel region). Preliminarily explored gypsum reserves at this deposit are estimated at 182.5 million tons of gypsum stone. The raw materials from the Brinevskoe deposit are suitable for the production of construction and medical gypsum, cement additives, and the production of valuable fertilizers - ammonium sulfate, complex sulfate-potassium fertilizer. Based on mining and geological conditions, the deposit can be developed using the shaft method. At the Brinevskoye deposit there is a real opportunity to prepare a raw material base with a capacity of 1 million tons of gypsum per year. Preliminary calculations show that on the basis of these reserves it is possible to create a mining enterprise with an annual capacity of 1 million tons of gypsum stone and 10 thousand m 3 of saw blocks for the production of facing tiles, which will satisfy domestic needs and export supplies of products. To develop the deposit, it requires detailed exploration, a feasibility study for the development of gypsum, and a search for a customer for the development of the deposit, which must be determined by the Ministry of Architecture and Construction of the Republic of Belarus.

More than 25 deposits and occurrences have been identified and studied to one degree or another in the Vitebsk and Mogilev regions dolomite. The large Ruba dolomite deposit with proven reserves of over 930 million tons is being developed by Dolomit OJSC for the production of dolomite flour, crushed dolomite, mineral powders for roofing felt and asphalt concrete coatings, as well as other materials. The supply of proven reserves of the enterprise is about 100 years. The plant's capacity fully meets the needs of the republic, and also makes it possible to increase the production of dolomite flour to 6.5-7 million tons (with the republic's annual need for carbonate fertilizers being 2-3 million tons) and ensure the export of products in the event of organizing sales of finished products.

Sapropels widely developed in lakes of Belarus and under peat deposits. 85 deposits with operational reserves of quality raw materials of about 74 million m 3 out of 2.6 billion m 3 (according to preliminary estimates) located on the territory of Belarus have been explored in detail and are listed on the balance sheet, which guarantees the extraction of sapropels from lake and peat deposits for the long term. Sapropels are used in agriculture as organomineral fertilizers, mineral and vitamin nutrition for animals and birds, medicine - medicinal mud and medicinal preparations based on them, for the production of building materials (porous ceramic products, agloporite, thermal insulation materials), drilling fluids, etc. Currently, only 6 fields are being developed (Benin, Dikoe, Sergeevskoye, Subol, Ulla, Chervonoye), of which about 40 thousand tons were produced in 2009.

Glauconite is a raw material for producing mineral paints, sorption of radioisotopes, reducing water hardness, increasing crop yields due to the presence of potassium and microelements. Glauconite rocks are represented by glauconite-quartz sands; they are quite widespread in the south of Belarus and are available for open-pit mining. Currently, additional study of glauconite, development of technologies for its integrated use and search for consumers are being carried out.

Belarus traditionally covers the needs for phosphate fertilizers and production phosphoric acid partly through the import of finished products, partly through the import of raw materials. JSC Gomel Chemical Plant annually imports from Russia more than 200 thousand tons of apatite concentrate and more than 100 thousand tons of phosphate rock. For the smooth operation of the plant, a supply of apatite concentrate in the amount of about 40 thousand tons per month is required. Such a supply can be ensured only under the condition of uniform purchases of phosphate fertilizers by the agriculture of the republic and timely payments for them.

In the republic, 2 phosphorite deposits have been previously explored: Mstislavskoye, Lobkovichskoye (Mogilev region). The Orekhovskoye and Prigranichnoye deposits (Brest region) have been evaluated exploratory. The ores of the deposits are poor, low-iron nodule ores and are suitable for producing phosphate rock. Reserves of phosphorus pentoxide (P 2 O 5) in four deposits amount to about 50 million tons. In 2010, detailed exploration of the Mstislavskoye deposit will be completed and methods for the extraction and enrichment of phosphorites will be determined.

Zeolite-containing silicites, explored on the territory of the republic, are represented by tripoli, opoka and diatomites. In total, 6 silicite deposits are known in the republic: Stalnoye, Druzhba, Sovna, Murashkino (Krasovka), Perlovskoye and Ivanovskoye (Mogilev region). Silicites are used in the manufacture of cement additives, industrial sorbents, filters, additives in animal and poultry feed, means for reducing the degree of radioactivity of plants grown in contaminated areas, in the production of paints, fertilizers, and insulating materials.

Detailed exploration with the approval of industrial reserves in the amount of 30 million tons was carried out at the Stalnoye tripoli deposit, which can be developed by open pit mining. It is necessary to determine the development organization and sources of financing (with the possibility of attracting foreign investors) for the complex use of silicites.

Currently, additives for cement production in Belarus (Krasnoselskcement, Krichevtsementoshifer and Belarusian Cement Plant) are imported from the Fokinsky tripolite deposit in the Bryansk region. At the same time, the reserves of the Stalnoe deposit will make it possible to provide cement factories in Belarus with active mineral additives for a period of more than 60 years.

Belarus has a sufficiently powerful raw material base for production building materials. In 2009, mining enterprises produced:

• for the cement industry: marls - more than 2 million tons, chalk - more than 5 million tons, clays - about 1.4 million tons;
• for the ceramic industry: clays - more than 1 million m 3, refractory clays - more than 100 thousand tons;
• for the construction industry: building stone - about 6.3 million m 3, silicate sand - about 900 thousand m 3, construction sand - more than 1.5 million m 3, chalk for lime production - more than 1.3 million tons, sand gravel mixture - more than 4 million m3, clay and loam for the production of expanded clay and agloporite - more than 200 thousand m3, quartz sands (glass and molding) - more than 700 thousand tons.

At the same time, due to the lack of certain types of mineral raw materials, insufficient exploration of individual deposits or the lack of development of mineral deposits prepared for industrial development, Belarus imports bentonite clays, tripoli for cement production, cement, gypsum, kaolin, pebbles and crushed stone, soda ash, phosphorites , quartz sands, salt (including table salt), chalk, magnesite, lime and stone for monuments.

At the same time, for some types of mineral raw materials: tripoli, chalk, bentonite clays, quartz sands, gypsum - there are prepared facilities for industrial development and replacement of imported mineral raw materials for our own needs and the production of expert products.

As an example, we give a brief description of such objects.

Khotislavskoye field chalk And silicate sands(Maloritsky district, Brest region). The mineral is represented by silicate sands (located in the upper part of the deposit) and chalk (located under the sands). The balance reserves of sand available for open-pit mining are 26,281 thousand m3, and chalk reserves are 74,129 thousand tons.

The deposit has been explored in detail as a raw material base for the construction of a plant for the production of building materials with an annual productivity of: building lime - 300 thousand tons, cement - 1 million tons, sand-lime brick - 120 million pieces, thermal insulation panels - 120 thousand m 3, small wall blocks - 240 thousand m 3, silicate concrete panels and slabs - 50 thousand m 3. When organizing annual production: sand - 760 thousand m 3, chalk - 1030 thousand m 3 - the enterprise's supply of mineral reserves will be: for sand - 33 years, for chalk - 37 years. The approximate volume of capital investments required for the construction of the enterprise is USD 62 million. Currently, the deposit is practically not being developed, since due to its close location to the border with Ukraine, interstate environmental issues are being resolved, and continues to remain a promising raw material base for the construction of a large plant for the production of building materials and the cessation of imports of chalk, lime and cement to Belarus.

Ostrozhanskoye field bentonite clays(Lelchitsa district of the Gomel region) with industrial reserves of clays of 12.3 million tons. Clays are suitable as raw materials for molding sands in the manufacture of small cast iron castings and castings from non-ferrous metals, the production of clay powders for drilling fluids, and also as waterproofing materials in the construction industry . According to the developed option for creating, on the basis of deposit reserves, capacities with an annual production volume of bentonite clays of 110 thousand tons, production of lump clay - 85 thousand tons and activated powder - 20 thousand tons, the supply of reserves for such production will be more than 100 years.

Field quartz sands Gorodnoye (Stolinsky district of the Brest region) has reserves of industrial sands of more than 15 million tons, including more than 7 million tons for molding production. In their natural form, sands are suitable for the production of bottles, reinforced and patterned glass, household utensils, silicate blocks, facade tiles and as molding materials in the production of large, medium and small steel and cast iron castings. After enrichment, the sands are suitable for the production of highly transparent glass products. The deposit is not being developed, and quartz sands are imported into Belarus mainly from Ukraine. Currently, the issue of creating a mining enterprise on the basis of the Gorodnoye deposit for the production of not only unenriched, but also enriched quartz sands for the production of high-quality glass and its products is being resolved. If a mining enterprise with a production capacity of 200 thousand tons of raw sand per year is created on the basis of this deposit, the enterprise’s supply of reserves will be more than 70 years.

An analysis of the state of the mineral resource base shows that the building materials industry is provided with its own mineral resources for a long time, and for such minerals as facing stone, building stone, dolomite, marl, chalk, silicate sand, sand and gravel mixture, clay, enterprises industries are provided for more than 50 years.

However, individual enterprises have different periods of provision with reserves of mineral raw materials. For enterprises with a supply period of 5-10 years, geological exploration work is now required to search for and explore various types of minerals for their own needs and export.

Annual export supplies from Belarus of the main types of construction raw materials and commercial products obtained from them are: crushed stone - more than 2.5 million tons, cement - about 200 thousand tons, lime - more than 60 thousand tons, natural sands of all types - more than 35 thousand t, chalk, dolomite, etc. The main consumers of raw materials exported from the republic are Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland.

Given the constant increase in the volume of rolled metal and metal cord production, the republic imports scrap metal. In 2009, the need for it was more than 2 million tons. In this situation, it becomes urgent to create our own mineral resource base for metallurgical production through the implementation of a project for the development of the Okolovskoye or Novoselkovskoye deposits.

Reserves iron ores The Okolovskoye deposit (Stolbtsovsky district of the Minsk region) of industrial categories amounts to 145.4 million tons of ore, including 21.4 million tons of magnetite iron and 35.3 million tons of general iron, with an average content of magnetite iron in ore - 15.44%, total iron - 25.52%. According to technological assessment, ferruginous quartzites of the Okolovskoye deposit are classified as easily crushed and very easily enriched. On its basis, capacities for the production of magnetite concentrate - 789.2 thousand tons, metallized pellets - 572.3 thousand tons, meeting the technology requirements of the Republican Unitary Enterprise "Belarusian Metallurgical Plant" can be created.

Preliminarily explored reserves of the Novoselkovskoye deposit (Karelichsky district) to a depth of 700 m amount to 130 million tons with an average total iron content of 24.7%. They contain magnetite iron - 20 million tons, industrial levels of titanium and vanadium.

Mining conditions of the previously explored Diabazovoye rare metal deposits, reserves and quality of ores allow the feasibility of moving on to detailed exploration of this deposit in order to prepare it for industrial development as a raw material for the production of rare metals, as well as mineral fibers used as heat and sound insulating material, and crushed stone.

Aluminum is one of the most important metals in modern industry. In terms of scale of production and consumption, it ranks second after iron. It is used in transport mechanical engineering, electrical industry, as a protective agent against corrosion of steel and cast iron products, in the production of rocket fuel, packaging materials and other purposes.

Until recently, the only raw material for the aluminum industry was bauxite - ores consisting mainly of aluminum hydroxides, as well as oxides and hydroxides of iron and clay minerals. The limited reserves of bauxite have led to the need to use new deposits of non-traditional alumina raw materials: alunites, nephelines, and dawsonites to produce aluminum.

The Zaozernoe davsonite deposit in the Gomel region is at the stage of exploratory exploration. At depths from 400 to 1000 m, deposits with an average dawsonite content of 38 to 26% were identified. The reserves of dawsonite ore are sufficient for the construction of a mine with an annual ore productivity of 3 million tons.

In the current conditions, it is advisable to carry out a technical and economic assessment of the need to develop the Zaozernoye deposit, taking into account new market relations, and if there is a customer willing to finance this work, return to the issue of the potential possibility of organizing the production of alumina and soda in Belarus.

In recent years, the problem of gold in the republic has become increasingly important. Based on the results of the work performed, the presence of gold was established in the developed deposits of sand and gravel material and products of its processing, Paleogene deposits of the south of Belarus (up to 0.15 g/m 3), potash (up to 0.3 g/t), and iron (up to 4 .7 g/t) ores, as well as in a number of sulfide occurrences in crystalline basement rocks.

Based on the results of geological exploration work at the Okolovskoye deposit, direct prospecting signs were established in ferruginous quartzites and their host rocks noble metal mineralization (gold, platinum group metals), which made it possible to identify the Okolovskoye noble metal ore occurrence as an independent object, which can be classified as a promising ore field. It is necessary to continue the search for commercial deposits of precious metals in bedrock and redeposited form, as well as to evaluate the profitability of the associated extraction of gold, platinum and silver during the development of ore minerals.

Belarus has large fresh groundwater resources, the explored operational reserves of which amount to 6.4 million m 3 /day. Minsk, regional and industrial centers, large cities and urban settlements are provided with fresh groundwater reserves for the future. One of the priority tasks is to prepare fresh groundwater reserves for industrial development in the next 10-15 years in order to completely transfer the centralized household and drinking water supply to underground sources, excluding the use of surface water for these purposes.

The Republic has significant diversity mineral waters. Among them, the most common are chloride, sulfate, sulfate-chloride, chloride-sulfate, as well as hydrogen sulfide, ferruginous and radon mineral waters. On their basis, many health resorts, sanatoriums and dispensaries operate, and there are enterprises and workshops for bottling medicinal drinking and medicinal table mineral waters. However, this type of mineral resources is currently, unfortunately, not used as a source of export raw materials and foreign exchange earnings to the budget of the republic.

Potential raw materials for establishing Belarus’ own production of iodine, bromine and other rare elements are highly mineralized (300-450 g/l) underground chloride-type brines, identified within the Pripyat trough. To date, a technology for producing bromine and iodine by electrochemical methods has been developed and a pilot plant for extracting iodine and bromine from highly mineralized brines has been created.

Significant costs are required to develop prepared deposits. Essentially, the implementation of projects for iron, potassium, gypsum and, especially, dawsonite cannot be carried out only at the expense of public funds. Obviously, such projects should be carried out by joint ventures in the form of open joint-stock companies, the founders of which should be, on the one hand, the state, represented by one or more authorized representatives, and on the other, specialized mining enterprises, including foreign companies with stable financial and business reputation.

An additional source of mineral raw materials is the republic’s participation in the development of mineral deposits abroad. The greatest experience has been accumulated in the field of oil production. RUE PA Belorusneft produces oil in Venezuela and Iran. Unfortunately, the potential of mining in the Russian Federation is little used. Proposed projects with the possible participation of Belarus in the development of oil and gas fields together with Russian companies on the territory of the Russian Federation also turned out to be unprofitable for the Belarusian side due to the significant investments required to prepare for the development of oil fields located in remote areas with poorly developed infrastructure.

Geological enterprises of the republic are studying the possibilities of implementing projects for the exploration and development of gold deposits in the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Particular attention should be paid to the countries of the Caspian Sea basin, and, first of all, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, which have significant reserves of hydrocarbon raw materials and import them. Joint ventures for prospecting, exploration and production of mineral resources can be created with these countries, united with Belarus by the Mining Charter of the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States, and on their territories.

As for the participation of the Republic of Belarus in the development of mineral deposits already prepared for industrial development, in which the republic is interested, such participation is most acceptable in the form of the Belarusian side supplying, on contractual terms, machines, mechanisms and other products of Belarusian production in exchange for the supplied mineral raw materials or their products processing.