Russia's mineral reserves face depletion, warns minister
The Minister of Natural Resources of Russia, Aleksandr Kozlov, warns that large and easily accessible deposits in Russia are running out. These concerns key minerals such as uranium, chromium, manganese, titanium, fluorite, tungsten, and aluminium. Their deposits are forecasted to last 5 to 15 years.
During a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, Russia's Minister of Natural Resources, Aleksandr Kozlov, warned that the resources of key minerals, such as uranium, chromium, manganese, titanium, fluorite, tungsten, and aluminium in the current mining areas, may only last for the next 5-15 years - reports "The Moscow Times".
Most of the current exploitations date back to the Soviet Union era.
He emphasised that a small number of new geological surveys could significantly decline extraction across the country.
They need to find new deposits
Minister Kozlov argued that Russian geologists must explore remote areas of the Arctic and hard-to-reach regions of the Far East and Siberia to ensure Russia's continued access to key deposits.
He stressed that only a small part of these areas (35 percent of the Far East and 45 percent of Siberia) had been explored so far. Still, he highlighted that these territories have the potential for future mining explorations.
Environmentalists alarmed
Environmental protection experts have expressed concern that future searches for mineral resources in ecologically sensitive areas, such as the Russian Arctic, may proceed without adequate environmental safeguards, according to "The Moscow Times".
They believe the lack of appropriate precautions could lead to severe ecological damage.
