TsNIGRI experts announced the exhaustion of the licensing fund for large deposits and proposed concrete steps to solve this problem that is critical for the country’s economy.
Deputy General Director of the Federal State Budgetary Institution “TSNIGRI” Bulat Damdinov made an alarming statement at the All-Russian Forum of Subsoil Users in Moscow. He said that Russia’s mineral resource base is under threat due to the depletion of the fund for licensing significant deposits.
Statistics confirm the seriousness of the situation. At the beginning of 2025, the share of balance reserves of deposits discovered after 1993 is only 20% for lead, 14% for zinc, 32% for copper, 20% for nickel and 35% for gold. The main increase in gold reserves from 2006 to 2024 was provided by deposits of the Soviet period – Sukhoi Log, Olimpiada and Natalkinskoye.
Experts identify several key problems. Promising sites are often located in protected areas or areas with poorly developed infrastructure. The proportion of deposits with the least reliable P₃ category is also growing, which reduces the likelihood of discovering new significant objects.
To solve these problems, TsNIGRI offers a set of measures. First of all, the widespread introduction of remote reconnaissance technologies and modern geophysical methods. It is also necessary to carry out regional forecasting and mineragenic work to identify promising areas with resources of the P₂ and P₃ categories.
The implementation of these proposals will ensure the sustainable development of Russia’s mineral resources complex and maintain the country’s position in the global minerals market.
The material was prepared with the support of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science as part of the Decade of Science and Technology.
Source: @nedradvnews
