Objective method for analysis of mineral resources supply on the example of Russia

A forecast of nonfuel mineral production in Russia is considered, based on the integration of the expected life of specific deposits currently exploited and developed. It is shown that mineral safety is fully ensured for copper, nickel, lead, tungsten and tin, whose reserves are sufficient for their extraction, at least at the current level, for 40–50 years and there are real prospects for its significant growth. The sufficiency of other minerals is much lower: for molybdenum and chromium, it is limited to about 30 years, and the extraction of zinc and uranium in Russia may significantly decrease in 20 years. The situation is more difficult with the most liquid solid minerals, like gold and diamonds. The commissioning of mining enterprises at the developed gold deposits can ensure a rapid growth in the production of the precious metal in the coming years. However, at the beginning of the next decade, the resource base depletion of the Olimpiada field and a number of other exploited deposits is predicted. The projects currently implemented for the development of new fields do not compensate for the lost capacity. This may account for a long-term (until the beginning of the 2050s) decline in the Russian gold production, which may be halved against the current level by the end of this period. Such a scenario can only be avoided with the intensification of geological exploration in the coming years. The earlier decrease in the number of diamonds mined in Russia, associated with the depletion of reserves of exploited pipes, is predicted (since 2025). Unless new deposits are discovered and developed, the domestic production of precious stones will steadily decline and, in the 2040s, may be reduced fourfold.

Uranium Exploration, Deposit and Resources: The Key of Nuclear Power Plant Development Program in Indonesia

Uranium deposit in Indonesia was found in almost all Indonesian Archipelago, mainly in Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Papua, Bangka Belitung and Riau islands. Uranium exploration activities started in the 1960s to recent, conducted in many exploration stages. The exploration in prospects area are completed with drilling activities to delineate the mineralization zone and continued to resources estimation. In Kalan Area, the research had been completed with underground/tunneling mining. The uranium resources are classified into discovered or undiscovered based on exploration stages, and conventional or unconventional based on sources of primary/secondary/by-product mineral production. The resources are calculated from Kalan Area and its surroundings (Kalimantan) with addition of Mamuju Area (West Sulawesi) and Sibolga Area (North Sumatera). Uranium identified resource in Indonesia is 13,503 tU while the undiscovered is 62,330 tU. Meanwhile, categorized by uranium source, the conventional and unconventional resources are 48,388 tU and 27,445 tU respectively. The uranium resources categories should be increased and completed with feasibility study to increase the resources to reserve classification. The exploration, deposit, and resources are the key to ensure the readiness of developing nuclear power plants in Indonesia, where one of them is Experimental Power Reactor (EPR) or Reaktor Daya Eksperimental (RDE) with domestic uranium fuel.

New system of higher engineering education in Germany

Introduction. The paper registers some significant changes that higher mining education has undergone over the past decades, including the ones that occurred in Germany. Mineral production on the Eurasian continent has been decreasing gradually and resulted in the declining demand for mining specialists. It is in German that the tendency was the most pronounced. Reduced number of students and the subsequent reduction in the number of mining and geological departments concerned all leading centers of mining education. Relevance. Higher educational institutions in Germany are looking for a way out of the crisis reorienting their teaching and scientific activity to the allied sciences, in particular oil and gas production, underground engineering structures construction, production and processing of unconventional natural resources, subsea production, environment-related activities, and spoil disposal. Colleges also train specialists for other countries and international mining corporations. Methods of research. The paper provides examples and analysis of new curricula in the universities of Freiberg, Aachen, Clausthal, etc. These mining schools have accumulated considerable experience in reforming and developing mining education. Current state. The mining field of vocational training in German colleges has acquired an integrated name which can be translated as the “technology of mineral raw materials”. Traditional mining specialisms are being combined and consolidated. New methodological approaches are being extensively introduced. These steps are to improve the appeal of the mining education for the youth and arouse employers interest in the specialists of a new specialism.

Production Support in the Arctic: a Strategic Approach

The Arctic reserves of hydrocarbons play an important geostrategic and economic role for many states, whose energy security will rely on this region in the nearest decades. The development of hydrocarbon deposits in extreme conditions requires unique scientific and industrial solutions, as well as new sourcing strategies for attracting vehicles that can operate at low temperatures. Mineral production in the Polar regions is a complex technological, transport, and logistical task. As a result, each industrial production project needs a highly efficient and complex system of supporting projects, which involve naval aviation, marine fleet, integrated support bases, etc. In addition to solving technical problems, this production support system should comply with the highest standards of environmental and industrial safety, generating no adverse impact on the sensitive ecosystem of the Russian Arctic and adjacent marine territories.

Data Analytics Approach for Understanding the Relationship Between the Thermal and Energy Performance in Ferronickel Large Industrial Rotary Kilns

The ferronickel production process closely resembles that of cement and steel. Published studies typically take the developments of the latter and adapt them to ferronickel. However, few open publications allow for a proper understanding of the calcination and reduction of lateritic nickel minerals. This research analyzes the operation of a rotary kiln calciner of 135 m length, a diameter of 6 m, and a mass flow rate between 170 and 180 t/h of partially dry mineral. The calciner uses coal as a reducing agent and natural gas as a thermal energy source. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used in a large industrial dataset to determine the variables with a greater influence on the process performance. Also, k-means clustering is used to locate operation points favorable to calcined mineral production. Results show that the most relevant variables are mineral and gas temperatures and the mass flow rates of air, mineral, natural gas, and coal.