Iron ore mining sites in the Urals. Arkhipova n.p., Yastrebov e.v. how the Ural mountains were discovered

The Ural region covers an area of ​​more than 820 thousand km 2. Within its borders are Bashkortostan, the Chelyabinsk, Sverdlovsk, Orenburg and Kurgan regions, and the Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug. Yekaterinburg is considered the capital of the region.

Climate

The natural conditions of the Urals change from north to south. This is due to the significant length along the meridian (compared to the latitude). At the same time, the climatic zones of tundra and taiga, mixed forest, forest-steppe and steppe change. The Urals are divided into the Cis-Urals, Trans-Urals and the Ural Range itself. In the central part there are Northern, Southern and Middle regions. In general, the climate can be characterized as continental, however, characterized by diversity. The air temperature in winter from west to east varies from -15 to -20 degrees, and in summer - from 15 (in the north) to 22 (in the south). Autumn and spring are quite cool. Winter is long, snow remains for up to 140-250 days. The natural conditions of the territory are determined by its location relative to the plains of Eurasia, as well as the insignificant height and width of the ridges. Zonal changes are associated with a large extent from north to south. It has been established that the western slope receives 150-200 mm more precipitation than the eastern slope. The lack of moisture is acutely felt in the southern part of the region, where drought often occurs. Meanwhile, this is where the conditions for agricultural activities are most favorable. The southern part of the region is dominated by steppes and forest-steppes with a moderately warm climate. In the north, the soil cover needs high-quality reclamation work. In the Perm region there are about 800 swamps that require drainage. The main agricultural area is the river valley. Ural. In this part there are plowed black soil steppes.

Features of economic development

The Ural region is located between Siberia and Kazakhstan, on the border of the Asian and European parts of the country. This location has a very favorable effect on the economic development of the territory. The natural conditions and resources of the Urals make it possible to provide a connection between the eastern and western economic zones, which have different economic specializations. The region ranks second in Russia in terms of industrial production.

Natural resources of the Urals

The history of the Urals begins in the 18th century. At that time, the territory was not yet considered favorable. After some time, the EGP of the territory improved noticeably. This was facilitated by the development of the transport network and the construction of roads. Highways pass through the area that cross the entire territory of the country from the west to the Pacific Ocean. Fuel and raw materials are supplied to the Urals from the eastern regions. Western regions supply products from manufacturing enterprises. The natural resources of the Urals, the table of which will be given below, are very diverse. About 1000 types of mineral raw materials and about 12 thousand mineral basins have been discovered here. In the Urals, 48 ​​of the 55 elements from the periodic table are being mined, which are of great importance for the national economic complex. On the territory of the region there are deposits of oil, sodium chloride, limestone, and gas. Brown coal and other natural resources are mined here. The Ural Mountains are rich in reserves of precious stones, colored and

fuel and energy complex

Natural fuel resources of the Ural Federal District are presented in a wide variety. Oil fields are located mainly in the Orenburg region. and Perm region, Udmurtia and Bashkortostan. Gas was discovered relatively recently in the area. The Orenburg field became the base of the gas chemical complex. It is considered the largest in the European part of the Russian Federation. In some areas, open-pit coal mining is carried out because it is close enough to the surface. It should be said that the reserves of this raw material are relatively small - about 4 billion tons. Of these, about 75% is brown coal. Natural fuel complexes and natural resources of the Urals are of energy importance. This, in particular, applies to the Kizel and Chelyabinsk deposits of hard and brown coal. Meanwhile, as experts note, many basins today are largely exhausted, and most of the raw materials come from other areas.

Iron ores

These natural resources of the Urals are represented by titanomagnetites, magnetites, siderites, etc. In total, the region contains about 15 billion tons. In terms of production volume, the territory is second only to the Central Black Earth region. However, own production satisfies only 3/5 of the territory's needs. At present, rich ores of the Magnitogorsk, Tagil-Kushvim and other basins have already been mined. Today the Bakalskaya and Kachkanarskaya groups of fields are being developed. Titanium magnetites are considered the most promising raw materials for metallurgy. They occur in the Kachkanar group of basins. Siderites are present in the Bakal deposits. Unique chromium-nickel ores were found in the Orsko-Khalilovsky group of basins.

Non-ferrous metals

These natural resources of the Urals are presented in a huge variety. In terms of the volume of their production, the region is second only to Kazakhstan. The main deposits of copper ores are located in the Gaisky, Blavinsky, Degtyarsky, Kirovgradsky and other basins. Nickel reserves are present in the Rezhsky, Buruktalsky, Orsky, and Ufaleysky basins. The natural resources of the Urals include zinc (copper-zinc) ores. The Gai deposit was discovered relatively recently. Pyrite ores with a high copper content were discovered here. They also contain sulfur (up to 50%), zinc, silver, gold, and rare metals. All ores present in the Urals are, as a rule, multicomponent. Due to this, their extraction is very profitable.

Other metals

Large reserves of bauxite are concentrated in the North Ural basin (in the Sosvinskoye, Krasnaya Shapochka, etc. deposits). However, many reserves today are already on the verge of depletion. The Ural region contains 27% of the total explored deposits of copper and bauxite ore, 12% of nickel, 58% of zinc. Reserves of emeralds, alluvial diamonds, and rare metal ores have been discovered and are being developed.

Salts

Large reserves of this raw material have been discovered in the Urals. The region is home to one of the world's largest salt-bearing basins - Verkhnekamsk. The balance reserves of the deposit are estimated at 172 billion tons. Large salt-bearing basins are Iletskoye and Solikamskoye.

Construction and other materials

The natural resources of the Urals are also represented by large reserves of quartzite, clay, quartz sand, and magnesite. Here there are deposits of asbestos, cement marls, marble, graphite, etc. Reserves of ornamental, semi-precious and precious stones are widely known. Among them are garnet, alexandrite, aquamarine, ruby, topaz, jasper, lapis lazuli, smoky crystal, malachite, emerald. The main volume of diamond reserves in the Urals is concentrated in the Perm region in the Visherskoye deposit. The region is in second place in the country in terms of production after Yakutia.

Forest

It occupies about 30 million hectares (more than 40% of the territory). The share of coniferous forest is 14 million hectares. The main massifs are located in the northern part of the Urals. In the Perm region, forest covers about 68.9% of the territory. At the same time, in the Orenburg region. about 4.4% of tree plantations are present. The western slope of the ridge is covered mainly by spruce and fir, while the eastern slope is covered by pine trees. The total timber reserve is estimated at 4.1 billion tons. Species such as larch, fir, pine and spruce are of particular value. Forestry enterprises produce about 14% of commercial raw materials, 17% of lumber and about 16% of all paper in the country. Products are manufactured primarily for domestic needs. Enterprises are located in industrial areas.

Northern Territories

Natural resources are represented by minerals and iron ores. Corundum, turquoise, ferrimolybdite, clinozoisite, rhodochrosite, etc. were discovered here. The volumes of iron ores are estimated at millions of tons. There are deposits of manganese, bentonite, copper, chromium. The development of basins in the northern part of the Urals makes it possible to fill the shortage of raw materials in the region. In 2005-2006 studies were carried out during which predictive and promising basins were identified. The production of manganese and iron was planned. The projected volume of the latter is more than 300 million tons. It is expected to increase the production of hard coal by 50% by 2020. This will help improve the energy situation in the state. In addition, in the northern territories it is planned to mine such minerals as gold, tungsten, phosphorites, lead, zinc, uranium, molybdenum, bauxite, tantalum, niobium, and platinum group metals.

Natural resources of the Urals

The table below will help you better understand what wealth this region has. It contains the main categories of reserves located in the area.

	Major centers
	Solikamskoye, Iletskoye, Verkhnekamskoye fields
	Perm region
Copper ores	Gaiskoye, Blavinskoye, Degtyarskoye, Kirovgradskoye and other fields
	Vishera Pool
	Severouralskoye field
	Rezhsky, Buruktalsky, Orsky, Ufaleysky bass.
Pyrite ores	Gayskoye field
Hard and brown coal	Kizelsky and Chelyabinsk basins.
	Perm region and Orenburg region, Udmurtia, Bashkortostan

Water reserves

The river network of the region belongs to the basins of the Caspian (Ural and Kama rivers) and Kara (Tobol river) seas. Its total length is more than 260 thousand km. About 70 thousand rivers flow through the region. In the river basin Kama included 53.4 thousand, rub. Tobol - 10.86 thousand. As for groundwater, its specific value in terms of units. area - 115 m/day/km 2, per capita - 5 m/day/person. They are concentrated mainly in the mountainous regions of the Urals. They occupy more than 30% of the entire territory and include 39.1% of the total share of groundwater. The distribution of reserves is influenced by the dependence of runoff on structural, hydrogeological, and lithological factors. The Cis-Ural region is considered to be more endowed with water resources than the Trans-Ural region. This situation is determined by climatic conditions. Mountain ranges trap masses of moist air coming from the Atlantic. Accordingly, unfavorable conditions for the formation of underground runoff are formed in these areas.

The mineral resources of the Urals are represented by jewelry diamonds and other minerals, as well as various metals and non-metals.

The very first Urals that began to be mined, the history of their mining began about 4 thousand years ago.

Much later, approximately in the V-III centuries BC. e., began to mine iron ore. Gold began to be mined in the 1st millennium BC. Since the deposits reaching the surface, where the minerals of the Urals were located, quickly dried up, it was necessary to carry out deeper developments. But temporarily this type of human activity fell into decline, since in the first millennium BC. the entire Southern Urals are inhabited by nomads who were not involved in the mining and smelting of metals.

Only 1.5 thousand years later, people began to mine the minerals of the Urals again, and a new era of using these resources began.

Minerals of the southern Urals

Black metals

From the end of the 18th century to the present day, brown iron ores have been mined. At the beginning of the last century, iron ore deposits began to be developed at a rapid pace, and the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works was built, but today the ore reserves here are practically exhausted. Not far from Magnitogorsk, a deposit of magnetite and titanomagnetite ores is being developed, which is called Maly Kuybas.

The mineral resources of the Urals are represented not only by iron ores, but also by others such as titanium, chromium, vanadium, and manganese.

Currently, deposits of iron-titanium-vanadium ores are being developed, the reserves of which are very large. They have a high iron content - up to 57%, titanium - up to 6.5%, vanadium - up to 0.4%.

Non-ferrous metals

In the Southern Urals there are many ores of various non-ferrous metals. A large number of deposits of sulfide copper, as well as deposits of sulfide ores, have already been developed. Since they are located at a shallow depth, they are being mined open-pit. Not far from the Arkaim nature reserve, a zinc deposit was discovered at the end of the last century and is now being developed. The main difference between pyrite ores is that they always have several components. If the main ones are zinc and copper, then along with them there is a fairly high amount of gold, lead, silver, as well as such rare metals as gallium, indium, scandium, mercury and others. Sulfur is also obtained from these ores.

Along with pyrite ores, there are significant deposits of porphyry copper ores, which contain a significant amount of molybdenum.

The Ufaley nickel-cobalt ore deposits are known far beyond the country's borders. Some of them have already been worked out, but a constant search for new deposits of these ores is being carried out. There are deposits of bauxite, from which aluminum is smelted.

Noble metals

The Southern Urals are the main supplier of gold to the state treasury. It was in the Urals that a nugget of this metal weighing about 36 kilograms was found. carried out from mines whose depth reaches 700 m. Gold and silver are also mined by processing pyrite ores.

Rare metals

This includes tungsten, tin, tantalum, beryllium and others. Mining of such a rare mineral as columbite is underway. It is from it that niobium is extracted; zirconium ores are also mined, along with which ceramic feldspathic raw materials are mined. There are deposits of tungsten and beryllium ore.

A few kilometers from Satka there is a unique deposit of rare metal ores, namely zirconium, niobium, tantalum, molybdenum, which is called Simbirka. This ore has an unusual mineral composition and is very rich in tantalum and niobium, which is extremely rare.

To date, a map of the mineral resources of the Urals has been compiled, which is constantly updated as new searches and development of deposits are carried out.

More than 75 large and small iron ore deposits are known in the Urals, the total balance reserves of which as of 01/01/89 amounted to 14.8 billion tons, of which about 9.4 billion tons are proven reserves (according to categories A+B+C1) . Some of the discovered deposits of the Urals have not yet been sufficiently studied and are not included in the balance sheet.

The largest part of the explored reserves (7.1 billion tons) is represented by complex titanomagnetite ores, which are concentrated in 4 deposits, the largest of which are the deposits of the Kachkanar group with balance reserves of more than 11.5 billion tons. magnetite, martite and semi-martite ores in The Urals are concentrated in 19 deposits. Their balance reserves amount to 1.4 billion tons. About 48 deposits are represented by brown iron ores with total balance reserves of 0.4 billion tons. Seven of these deposits with reserves of 0.32 billion tons are represented by complex iron-chromium-nickel brown iron ores. Two small deposits are represented by magnetite ferruginous quartzites and two by siderites, of which the Bakalskoye deposit is the largest with reserves of more than 1 billion tons of siderite ores.

Most of the iron ore deposits of the Urals have been intensively exploited for a long time and have already been largely depleted. Their remaining reserves are very limited.

Let us consider in more detail the most important iron ore regions and deposits of the Urals.

In the northern Urals there is the North Ivdel iron ore region, which includes deposits of the Northern and Languro-Sam groups, as well as the Maslovskoye deposit. These deposits served as the ore base of the Serov Metallurgical Plant, some of them were developed by opencast mining by the Polunochny and Marsyatsky mine departments. The deposits are represented by magnetites, martites and brown iron ores. The iron content varies widely, amounting to 45-50% for magnetite and martite ores and 32-40% for brown iron ores. Magnetic iron ores contain a significant amount (up to 1.40%) of sulfur. The phosphorus content does not exceed 0.2%. Magnetite ores were subjected to magnetic separation, and brown iron ores were subjected to washing. Small fractions of the concentrate were sent to the sintering plant of the Serov Metallurgical Plant, and the lump concentrate was sent directly to the blast furnace. Currently, these deposits are not being developed.

There (in the Serovsky and Severouralsky districts of the Sverdlovsk region) the Bogoslovsky group of small deposits is located (it includes Auerbakhovsky, Vorontsovsky, Pokrovsky, Bayanovsky, Severo-Peschansky and other mines). deposits are also represented by magnetite ores, red and brown iron ores. The total reserves of these groups of deposits in the Northern Urals do not exceed 250 million tons.

The iron content in the ores of the Bogoslovskaya group deposits also varies widely from 40 to 58% for magnetic iron ores and hematite ores and 32-40% for brown iron ores. The ores have an increased content of copper, and the ore of the Auerbakhovsky deposit has an increased content of chromium. The phosphorus content usually does not exceed 0.1%, but some of the ores have a high sulfur content (up to 3.8%). The ores of the Bogoslovskaya group of deposits are mined mainly underground (95%), on their basis there are two mines: Peschanskaya and Pervomaiskaya. The Severo-Peschansky GOK was commissioned with a capacity of 3.0 million tons of concentrate per year with an iron content of 49-52%, which is supplied to the Nizhny Tagil Metallurgical Plant and the Serov Plant.

In the same region, a large Serovskoye deposit of complex brown iron ores containing chromium (1.5-2.0%) and nickel (about 0.5%) was discovered; cobalt is present in small quantities. Ore reserves in categories B+C1+C2 are estimated at 1 billion tons, including 940 million tons of legume-conglomerate ores and 60 million tons of ocher ores. Genetically, the deposit belongs to deposits of weathering crust. The cut-off iron content in bean-conglomerate ores is 24%, in ocher ores it is 45-47%, the waste rock is aluminous (the SiO2:Al2O3 ratio is about 1).

The deposit is still poorly explored and studied, especially in relation to the technology of preparing ores for smelting and the smelting itself. The most likely and effective way to enrich them is the pyrometallurgical method. This method consists in the fact that during the process of reduction roasting of ore, a significant part of the iron passes into the metallic state. Subsequent magnetic separation of the burned product makes it possible to obtain a concentrate containing 81.2-81.5% iron, including 77.3-79.7% metallic iron with a high degree of extraction. About 75% of the chromium ends up in tailings, from which it can be recovered by other methods. Nickel 77-82.5% goes into concentrate. However, this technology is relatively expensive. There is no final decision on the use of ores from this deposit yet.

In the north-eastern part of the Sverdlovsk region there is the Alapaevsk group of small deposits, representing the ore base of the Alapaevsky and Verkhne-Sinyachikhinsky metallurgical plants. The ores are represented by brown iron ores with an average iron content for various deposits in the range of 38-41%, pure in sulfur (on average 0.02%). The phosphorus content does not exceed 0.1%. The gangue rock is dominated by silica and alumina. The balance reserves of ores of this group amounted to about 58.6 million tons. Currently, ores are not mined.

The Tagilo-Kushvinsky iron ore region includes 11 relatively small deposits (Vysokogorskoye, Lebyazhinskoye, Goroblagodatskoye, etc.). The total balance reserves of ores in this area are about 1.09 billion tons. The deposits in this area are skarn-type deposits, represented mainly by magnetite and, to a lesser extent, semi-martite and martite ores. Brown iron ores are insignificantly widespread. The average iron content by ore type and deposit varies widely (from 32 to 55%).

Rich oxidized ores are used after crushing and screening, while clay and boulder ores are also washed. As a result of the enrichment of oxidized ores, lump open-hearth and blast furnace ore, as well as fines for sintering, are obtained. Poor magnetite ores, characterized by a high sulfur content (0.4-1.8%), are enriched by dry and wet magnetic separation. The resulting concentrates are sent to agglomeration. The chemical composition of ores and concentrates is presented in Appendix 1.

Both magnetite and high-grade martite ores are characterized by a high content of manganese (0.24-2.0%) and alumina (2.3-6.0%). The ratio of silica and alumina content is less than two. High mountain ores are characterized by a high copper content (0.08-0.12%). The development of ores in the deposits of this area is carried out by open and underground methods.

In the Tagil-Kushvinsky region there is also the Volkovskoye deposit of complex iron-nadium-copper and phosphorus ores. On average they contain (in%): Fe 18.0; Cu 0.8; P2O5 5.57; V 0.26; SiO2 35.4; CaO 12.8; Al2O3 12.4. The deposit has been developed by the Krasnouralsk copper smelter since the early 80s. The production volume in 1990 amounted to 1,428 thousand tons. The technological scheme for the enrichment of these ores at the plant's processing plant is direct selective flotation with the separation of first copper and then apatite concentrates. Iron vanadium concentrate is separated from apatite flotation tailings using magnetic separation.

Depending on the initial copper content and enrichment mode, the yield of copper flotation concentrate varies from 0.57 to 9.6% with a copper content from 5.05 to 20.83%. Copper recovery is 52.3-96.2%.

The P2O5 content in apatite concentrate varies within 30.6-37.6%, and its recovery is 59.8-73.4%. As a result of magnetic separation of apatite flotation tailings, a concentrate containing 59.0-61.6% iron is obtained, with its recovery being 55.1-75.4%. The V2O5 content in the concentrate is 1.0-1.12% with an extraction of 65.3-79.2%. The yield of iron-vanadium concentrate is 15.30-27.10%.

The Kachkanar iron ore region is represented by two large deposits of complex titanomagnetite ores: Gusevogorsky and Kachkanar proper. The balance ore reserves of these deposits amount to 11.54 billion tons, of which 6.85 billion tons are explored. According to their genesis, these deposits belong to the igneous type. The ores are poor, disseminated, the iron content in them is 16-17%. The main iron ore minerals in them are magnetite and ilmenite. Hematite is present in small quantities. Ilmenite forms the finest inclusions in magnetite. The titanium dioxide content in the ore is 1.0-1.3%. In addition to iron and titanium, the ores contain vanadium (about 0.14% V2O5). High basicity (up to 0.6-0.7) of waste rock is positive. The ores are pure in sulfur and phosphorus.

On the basis of the Gusevogorsk deposit, the Kachkanarsky mining and processing plant has been operating since 1963, with a raw ore capacity of 45 million tons. Ore is mined using an open pit method. The ore is easily enriched using the magnetic separation method to obtain a concentrate containing 62-63% iron and 0.60% V2O5. From the resulting concentrate, the plant produces sinter and pellets, which are sent to the Nizhny Tagil Metallurgical Plant for smelting vanadium cast iron. The slag generated during the oxygen-converter processing of this cast iron is used to produce ferrovanadium. According to this scheme, the integrated use of iron ore raw materials mined at this deposit is carried out. The extraction of iron into the concentrate is about 66%, vanadium 75.5%. However, the end-to-end recovery of vanadium into the final products – ferrovanadium and steel – is significantly lower (30-32%). Therefore, another technology for the complex processing of these ores is currently being proposed and developed, including the production of metallized pellets and the smelting of steel directly from them. In this case, vanadium losses will be reduced to 15-20%.

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In the Sverdlovsk region there is also the Pervouralsk titanomagnetite deposit with balance reserves of 126 million tons. Genetically, it also belongs to the magmatic type. The iron content in the original ore is 14-16%. The ore contains titanium and vanadium, pure phosphorus (0.22%) and sulfur (0.21%). The development of the deposit is carried out by the Pervouralsk Mining Administration, which produces 3.5 million tons of raw ore per year. After enrichment by dry magnetic separation, a lump concentrate is obtained containing 35.7% iron, 3.6% TiO2 and 0.49% V2O5. The concentrate is supplied to the Chusovsky Metallurgical Plant.

A group of deposits (Kusinsky, Kopansky, Medvedevsky) of titanomagnetite ores with total balance reserves of about 170 million tons is located in the Kusinsky district of the Chelyabinsk region. The ores contain 36-45% iron, they contain titanium and vanadium. These deposits were intended for the smelting of vanadium cast iron at the Chusovsky Metallurgical Plant. Until recently, the Kusinsky deposit was developed by the Zlatoust Mining Administration. The ore was enriched by wet magnetic separation. From the concentrate at the Kusa sintering plant, an agglomerate containing about 58% iron, 5.0% titanium dioxide and 0.84% ​​vanadium pentoxide was obtained.

In connection with the development of the production of vanadium-containing pellets and agglomerate at the Kachkanarsky GOK, which is supplied to NTMK and the Chusovsky Metallurgical Plant, the operation of the Kusinsky deposit has been discontinued, and the development of other deposits of this group is not envisaged in the foreseeable future.

The Bakal iron ore district is located 200 km from Chelyabinsk on the western slope of the southern Urals. In the Bakal ore field, up to 20 iron ore deposits have been explored with total balance reserves of about 1.06 billion tons, of which proven reserves amount to 669 million tons. These deposits are hydrothermal. Ore bodies of the Bakal deposits are in the form of sheet-like deposits of lens-shaped, nest-shaped and vein formations. The length of sheet-like deposits is up to 3 km, width up to 1 km, thickness up to 80 m. However, small ore bodies, confined to faults, predominate. The depth of the ore bodies is from 100 to 500 m. In the oxidation zone, which descends to a depth of 60-120 m from the surface of the ore body, siderites are transformed into brown iron ore. Semi-oxidized siderites occur between these horizons. The main iron-containing mineral of the siderite ores of the Bakal deposits is sideroplesite, which is an isomorphic mixture of carbon dioxide salts of iron, magnesium and manganese.

Bakal siderites are characterized by a relatively low iron content (30-35%), which, due to the removal of carbon dioxide during the dissociation of carbonates during their heating (during roasting or smelting), increases to 44-48%, with an increased content of magnesium oxide, phosphorus purity. The sulfur content in them is extremely variable, changing without any regularity (from 0.03 to 1.0% and higher). As a useful impurity, Bakal siderites contain from 1.0 to 2.0% manganese oxide. Brown iron ores contain about 50% iron, 0.1-0.2% sulfur, 0.02-0.03% phosphorus. The reserves of brown iron ore amounted to about 50 million tons and are now practically exhausted.

The Bakal deposits are the main ore base of the Chelyabinsk Metallurgical Plant, Satninsky and Ashinsky plants. The deposits are developed by open-pit and underground methods by the Bakal Mining Department. The bulk of the mined ore (about 4.5 million tons) is siderite. The mined ore is crushed and sorted to separate the lump fraction (60-10 mm) and fines (10-0 mm). The lump fraction of brown iron ore is sent to blast furnace smelting. Lump siderite is fired in shaft kilns. Burnt siderite, having magnetic properties, undergoes magnetic separation. The resulting concentrate is supplied to the indicated factories in the Urals, the Karaganda Metallurgical Plant and other enterprises. A mixture of small fractions of siderite and brown iron ores undergoes agglomeration at a local sinter plant. The sinter goes to the blast furnace shop of Mechel JSC. The chemical composition of ore from deposits in the Bakal region and the products of their preparation is presented in Appendix 1.

The Akhtenskoye deposit is located in the Kusinsky district of the Chelyabinsk region and is an additional base of the Chelyabinsk Metallurgical Plant. Its reserves amount to about 50 million tons. Ores are represented by brown iron ores and siderites. They are similar in quality to Bakal ores. Only brown iron ores with an iron content of about 43% with 0.07% sulfur and 0.06% phosphorus are mined.

The Techenskoye deposit of magnetite ores with proven reserves of about 60 million tons is located 60 km from the Chelyabinsk Metallurgical Plant and is its additional ore base. It belongs to the type of skarn deposits. The average iron content in the ore is 35.4%, sulfur – 1.17%, phosphorus – 0.07%. Enrichment of these ores by wet magnetic separation and grinding to 0.2-0 mm makes it possible to obtain a concentrate with an iron content of up to 55%. The field is currently not being developed.

The Magnitogorsk deposit belongs to the type of skarn deposits. The ores of Magnitogorsk Mountain are the ore base of the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works. They are represented by two main varieties: sulfide (or primary) and oxidized. In addition to these two types of bedrock ores, the deposit contained a small amount of placer ores and brown iron ores. In sulfide ores, the main iron ore minerals are magnetite and pyrite (their sulfur content is up to 4%). Oxidized and placer ores are represented by martite, and brown iron ores are represented by limonite. The iron content in ores varies widely: 38-60% for magnetite (sulfide) and 52-58% for martite ores. The phosphorus content in Magnitogorsk ores does not exceed 0.1%, averaging 0.04-0.05%. The gangue of these ores is characterized by increased basicity, amounting to about 0.3 for oxidized ores and 0.5 for sulfide ores.

High-grade oxidized ores (with an iron content above 48%) are crushed and sorted. Low-grade oxidized and placer ores are enriched using the gravity method (washing, jigging) using magnetic separation. For rich sulfide ores, dry magnetic separation is used; for low-grade sulfide ores - dry and wet magnetic separation. The chemical composition of the original ores and concentrates is presented in Appendix 1. Fines of oxidized and placer ore concentrates and all sulfide ore concentrates are subjected to agglomeration at 4 MMK sinter plants.

Currently, the balance reserves of the ore of Mount Magnitnaya, intensively mined since 1932, have been largely exhausted and as of 01/01/89 amounted to 85 million tons, which leads to a gradual reduction in production volume. To compensate for this reduction, development of the small Maly Kuibas deposit, located in close proximity to Magnitogorsk, began. magnetite and hematite ores containing 40-60% iron and 0.03-0.06% phosphorus. Magnetite ores contain 1.8-2.0% sulfur, and hematite ores contain 0.07%. During enrichment, a concentrate containing 65% iron is obtained. Development is carried out in an open way. The total balance reserves of the deposits of the Magnitogorsk iron ore region at the beginning of development were about 0.45 billion tons.

The Zigazino-Komarovsky iron ore district is located in the Beloretsky region of Bashkortostan and is a group of 19 small deposits of brown iron ores (dense brown, ocher-brown and ocher-clayey) and, partly, siderite ores of sedimentary origin. The total balance reserves of ores of these deposits, which are the iron ore base of the Beloretsk Metallurgical Plant, amount (as of January 1, 1989) to 80.2 million tons. Part of the deposits (Tukanskoye and Zapadno-Maigashlinskoye) is developed by open-pit mining. The production volume is about 0.5 million tons of ore per year. The average iron content in mined ore is 41-43%. The ores are pure in terms of sulfur content (0.03%) and phosphorus (0.06-0.07%). Lump brown iron ores are mainly mined; in order to prepare for smelting, they are crushed, washed and sorted at the Tukan and West Maigashlinsk crushing and processing plants. The iron content in washed ore is 47.0-47.5%.

The Orsko-Khalilovsky iron ore district includes 6 deposits of brown iron ores of sedimentary origin containing nickel (0.4-0.7%) and chromium (1.60-2.5%). The total balance reserves of ores in the region's deposits amounted to 312.2 million tons as of January 1, 1989, the largest of which are the Akkermanovskoye and Novo-Kievskoye deposits. The average iron content for deposits varies between 31.5-39.5%. The ores contain 0.03-0.06% sulfur and 0.15-0.26% phosphorus.

The ores of this area are the raw material base of Nosta JSC (Orsko-Khalilovsky Metallurgical Plant), which was designed to produce natural alloy metal. According to the initial project, Novo-Kiev ore with an iron content of 38-39%, mined by open-pit mining, should be crushed and sorted to separate lump blast furnace ore with a particle size of 120-6 mm and fines 6-0 mm for agglomeration. Akkerman ore, also mined by open-pit mining, the iron content of which is 31.5-32.5%, must be prepared according to a more complex scheme, including crushing it to a particle size of 75-0 mm and screening into classes 75-10 and 10-0 mm. The first class (with an iron content of 38%) is a finished product for blast furnace smelting, and the 10-0 mm fines were intended for roasting and magnetic enrichment to produce a concentrate (45.5% iron). The resulting concentrate, together with fines from Novo-Kyiv ore, must undergo agglomeration at the plant’s sinter plant.

However, this scheme was not implemented. Currently, only the Novo-Kievskoye deposit is being exploited, the lump ore of which is supplied for the smelting of natural alloyed cast iron at one of the OKMK blast furnaces. The rest of the iron production at the plant is based on imported raw materials.

Having examined the characteristics of the main deposits of the Urals, we note that for the development of ferrous metallurgy in this region, in addition to local iron ores, iron ore materials imported from other regions of the country are used, in particular from the mining and processing plants of the KMA, the north-west of the country and Kazakhstan.

Metallic minerals of the Urals (ferrous metal ores)

The Middle Urals are a whole storehouse of various minerals. The amazing combination of minerals is explained by the complex geological history that the Urals has experienced.
During the intrusion of igneous rocks, sedimentary strata changed under the influence of high temperatures and pressures.

This is how various minerals and many ores arose, which, due to erosion and weathering of the mountains, ended up close to the surface or were exposed.

The basis of Ural metallurgy is ferrous metal ores.
The most valuable of them are magnetic iron ores (magnetites). In the Middle Urals, there are deposits of magnetic iron ores in the area of ​​Kushva, Nizhny Tagil, Pervouralsk, and Kachkanar.

Metallic minerals of the Urals (non-ferrous metal ores)

The Middle Urals are rich in ores of non-ferrous, noble and rare metals. Copper pyrite ore deposits are located in Krasnouralsk, Kirovograd, and Degtyarsk.

Copper ores formed during the introduction of granites are developed in Nizhny Tagil (Mednorudnyanskoye deposit), near Polevskoye (Gumeshevskoye deposit).

Complex copper ores are mined in Verkhnyaya Pyshma. There are many deposits of rare metals in the Middle Urals: gold (Berezovskoye deposit, valleys of the Tura, Salda, Tagil rivers), platinum (valleys of the Lobva, Kosya, Tagil rivers).

Platinum nuggets weighing more than 10 kg were found in the Urals. In Soviet times, aluminum ores - bauxite - were discovered in the Urals.

Non-metallic minerals of the Urals

The non-metallic mineral resources of the Urals are also diverse. Deposits of fire-resistant minerals - asbestos and talc - are especially large. The Bazhenov asbestos deposit is one of the largest in the world. Acid-resistant asbestos, valuable for the chemical industry, is being mined near Sysert. To the south of Sverdlovsk there is the country's largest Shabrovskoye talc deposit. An important group of industrial minerals in the Urals consists of refractory materials: talc, magnesite, dolomite, mica, the reserves of which rank first in the world. Particularly interesting is asbestos, or, as it is called, “mountain flax”, “stone kudelka”. This stone can be used to make fireproof yarn, fireproof ropes and fabrics, cardboard, bearing gaskets, insulating fireproof tiles, and cladding products. The world's largest deposit of this mineral is located in the city of Asbest, Sverdlovsk region.
A special group of minerals in the Urals consists of precious and colored stones of the Urals. Bright green emeralds, soft lilac amethysts, sparkling diamonds, golden topazes and changeable red-green alexandrites have long been the pride of the Urals. Valuable artistic stones are also famous - variegated jasper, various marbles, green malachite, pink eagle, greenish-blue amazonite.
Stone products made by the hands of skilled Ural lapidaries are world famous. Famous are the gem mines near the village of Murzinka, near the villages of Lipovka, Adui, in the Novoasbest area. On the dumps you can collect samples of rock crystal, amethyst, and morion. There are also alexandrite - a transparent stone of a dark green color, and chrysolite of a golden-greenish color. You can also find bluish or pink topazes and tourmalines of various colors.

Minerals of the Urals (Non-metallic minerals)

Combustible minerals of the Urals

Oil and gas fields of the Timan-Pechora oil and gas province and the Volga-Ural oil and gas province, incl. gas condensate Orenburg field, located on the western slope and in the Urals, concentrating mainly in the Pechora, Perm-Bashkir and Tatar arches. Oil and gas potential is established in a wide stratigraphic range - from the Riphean to the Triassic inclusive, industrial accumulations are concentrated in the Eifelian-Triassic structural stage and are confined to several regional gas and oil bearing, mainly carbonate, less often terrigenous strata of Devonian, Carboniferous and Permian age.
Hard and brown coals are widespread. Industrial coal content is associated with the Tournaisian-Early Visean (Kizelovsky coal basin, Egorshino-Kamensky, Poltavo-Bredinsky coal-bearing areas), Permian (Pechora coal basin), Upper Triassic-Lower Jurassic (Chelyabinsk brown coal basin, Serovsky, Bulanash-Elkinsky coal-bearing areas), Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous (Sosva-Salekhard brown coal basins) and with Paleogene - Neogene (South Ural coal basin) deposits.