High mountain Dagestan: nature, relief, environmental problems. High mountain Dagestan: geographical location, relief, climate, interesting facts Geographical location of Dagestan
The territory of the Republic is located within the North Caucasus oil and gas province and has significant hydrocarbon resources. The state balance takes into account 37 oil fields, of which 36 are on land (being developed) and one is on the adjacent shelf of the Caspian Sea. The volume of recoverable oil reserves in Dagestan is only 0.066% of the country's reserves, and production is 0.124% of the all-Russian total (364 thousand tons)
Mineral resources:
Of the mineral resources that the republic has, deposits of oil, flammable gases, sulfur, marls, quartz sands, and mineral springs are of industrial importance. The most famous fields: oil and gas - the coast of the Caspian Sea; quartz sands - Karabudakhkent; mineral springs - Talgi, Rychalsu, Asta, Makhachkala.
The structure of reserves in terms of readiness for industrial development is favorable; only a very small part of explored fields (except for oil and gas) is involved in industrial development. The availability of proven reserves is quite high given the current production levels, which have decreased compared to 1990. However, some of the reserves, especially non-metallic raw materials, are located at a considerable distance from existing enterprises or on agricultural lands.
Deficient types of mineral raw materials in Dagestan are construction sands, bentonite clays, phosphorites, dolomites for glass production, for the identification of which prospecting work is underway.
The territory of the Republic is located within the North Caucasus oil and gas province and has significant hydrocarbon resources. The state balance takes into account 37 oil fields, of which 36 are on land (being developed) and one is on the adjacent shelf of the Caspian Sea. The volume of recoverable oil reserves in Dagestan is only 0.066% of the country's reserves, and production is 0.124% of the all-Russian total (364 thousand tons).
For natural gas (free and dissolved in oil), 43 fields are taken into account in the Republic (42 on land, 1 on the shelf), 40 fields are being developed. The annual production volume is approximately 0.11% of the all-Russian total; mainly free gas is produced (642 million m3).
There are forecast oil and gas resources in 19 and 16 promising areas, respectively, prepared for deep drilling.
Of the metallic minerals in the Republic, one complex copper pyrite deposit, Kizil-Dere, which contains, in addition to copper, also zinc and gold, is taken into account by the State Balance Sheet. The deposit is not being developed (reserve). There are common mineral resources - building stone (three deposits), limestone with reserves of 6.7 million tons, expanded clay raw materials (two deposits), etc. Production from them is insignificant.
The main problem of the mineral resource base, as well as mining enterprises, is the fall in production at existing deposits and a sharp slowdown in the pace of industrial development of new deposits. Long time The oil and gas deposits of the Inchkhe Sea, the Kizil-Dere copper deposit, strontium - Blue Stones, molding sands - Ekibulak, seashells, brick clays, thermal, mineral and fresh underground waters are not being developed.
In general, the potential of the republic's subsoil is used ineffectively, especially in terms of very promising raw materials - oil, gas, thermal and mineral waters and etc.
Geological natural monuments:
The Sary-Kum dune (geomorphological type of federal rank) is part of the Kumtorkala sands near the city of Makhachkala. This is a whole system of ridges of sand, mounds and dunes, which have an ash-accumulative genesis. The emergence and preservation of such a gigantic unique sand structure is associated with the special wind regime of the area, the terrain, and the composition of the rocks that make up the nearest mountain structures.
Land resources:
The total area of land used by landowners and land users for all categories of farms is 5182.4 thousand hectares. Distribution of land fund by land (thousand hectares): agricultural land, total - 3401.0; land under surface waters- 177.2; swamps - 20.6; land under forests and trees and shrubs - 525.7; other lands - 902.5.
Due to the sharp rise in mineralized groundwater, in connection with the rise in the level of the Caspian Sea, everywhere in the flat zone (I and II Caspian terraces) the depressed state of perennial plantings and their mass death are observed. The areas of saline lands and salt marshes are increasing rapidly. About 560 thousand hectares of land in Dagestan fall within the forecast zone of influence of the sea, of which 64% is farmland.
About 60% of the territory of the republic is represented by slope lands, which significantly influences erosion processes, which are spread over an area of more than 3,650 thousand hectares (72%), including 2,750 thousand hectares subject to water erosion, and 900 thousand hectares subject to wind erosion. Due to the intensive development of erosion processes in some areas, up to 10 cm of the fertile soil layer is washed away by wind erosion. The most significant damage from wind erosion is caused to Kizlyar pastures.
Due to the lack of funds to carry out work on radical and surface improvement of land, last years pasture and hayfields are overgrown with shrubs. The area of irrigated agricultural land decreased by 7.2 thousand hectares in the Kizlyar and Tarumovsky districts due to the return of these lands to the Chechen Republic, as well as their write-off by decisions of the heads of district administrations due to salinization, flooding and lack of an irrigation source.
Favorable natural conditions determined the priority development Agriculture with specialization in viticulture, horticulture, vegetable growing. Sheep breeding for meat and wool and goat breeding are developed.
One of the most pressing issues is the restoration of ecological balance in the Black Lands and Kizlyar pastures, which occupy 1/3 of the republic’s area and are a transhumance zone for 17 regions of the republic. 79 thousand hectares here have been converted into open sand, 33% of the lands are classified as lands of moderate desertification; 41% is subject to severe desertification; 8% - very strong. Up to 60% of pastures are moderately, severely and very severely damaged, more than 70% are susceptible to erosion. There is a haphazard use of pastures with heavy livestock overload.
Based on aerospace surveys, it has been established that the movement of sand from neighboring regions is directed to the republic (Sukhokumsk, Terekli-Mekteb). The area of open sand, according to experts, increases annually in the Caspian region by 40-50 thousand hectares.
The Republic of Dagestan occupies the area of the eastern Ciscaucasia and the south - west of the Caspian Lowland and is located in the north - eastern slope of the Greater Caucasus.
Its territory is limited by latitudes 42'11 and 44'59 north, longitudes 45'07' and 48'35' east.
The southern point of the Republic of Dagestan is located at an altitude of 3500m above sea level, on the top of a mountain range with coordinates 41’11’ north latitude, 47’47’ east longitude, which is located 25 km southeast of Mount Ragdan (4020m) near the village. Miskindzha, in the north the most remote point is the village. Mussa - mosque on the river. Kuma and in the east - the mouth of the river. Samur, the westernmost point is located 60 km west of the village. Terekli - Mekteb.
The area of Dagestan is 50.3 thousand km. This is the largest of all the republics of the northern Caucasus. In terms of area, Dagestan exceeds such European countries as Albania, the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland. If the continent of Europe is divided into two parts, then the Caucasus is more correctly classified as Asia; the Caucasus is part of Western or Anterior Asia. According to their own natural features The Caucasus as a whole is closer to Asia than to Europe.
Its coastline is 530 km long. From the mouth of the Kuma River in the north to the mouth of the Samur River in the south. From the East, Dagestan is washed by the waters of the Caspian Sea.
The length of the territory of Dagestan from West to East is 216 km. And from North to South 420 km. The highest point of Mount Bazar-Dyuzy (4466m), the lowest point (-26m) is located within the Terek-Kum lowland. The average altitude above sea level is 1000m.
In the North-East of Dagestan, the Agrakhan and Kizlyar bays, the Agrakhan Peninsula and the islands of Chechen, Tyuleniy, Bizar, etc. stand out.
The total length of Dagestan's land borders reaches 1181 km. The structure of the surface of Dagestan is characterized by vertical zoning, which is divided into 4 main orizo-geographical areas:
Predgorny
Lowly
Intramountain
High mountain Dagestan.
The last two regions are united under the common name Mountain Dagestan.
Foothill Dagestan consists of separate ridges from 150 to 700-1200m. North-Western and South-Eastern strike, separated by wide valleys and basins.
Lowland Dagestan is represented by the southwestern end of the Caspian lowland, most of which lies below the level of the World Ocean, (part of) and consists of the Terek-Kuma and Terek-Sulak lowlands, between the spurs of the Caucasus Mountains and the coast Caspian Sea The Caspian lowland stretches in a narrow strip.
Intramountain Dagestan (altitude from 1200 to 2500 m) in the geological literature is called the famous Dagestan, composed mainly of carbonate rocks. Intramountain Dagestan is characterized by a combination of wide plateaus (Khunzakh, Gunib, etc.) and narrow monoclinal deep valleys.
High-mountainous Dagestan consists of two main mountain ranges - the main ridge of the Greater Caucasus (northern slope and side ridge). The rocks composing them are mainly represented by clayey shales, which is why in the geological literature this territory is called shale Dagestan. Dagestan is characterized by a complex geological structure and the following main tectonic elements are distinguished on its territory:
The subsoil of Dagestan is rich in a variety of minerals. The eastern part of the Scythian plate of the epi-Hercynian platform, the Terek-Caspian trough and the northeastern part of the meganticlinorium of the Greater Caucasus. Numerous deposits and manifestations of combustible, metallic, non-metallic minerals, groundwater, artesian thermal and mineral waters have been identified.
Dagestan is located in the temperate climate zone, being located at a greater distance from the oceans, it has a continental climate. Significantly colder and drier compared to the climate of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. The warmest month in the lowlands and low mountains is July. August (from +17 to +24’s), and in the mid-mountain and high-mountain parts – August (from +8 to +16”).
The average annual precipitation is 200-300mm in Lowland, 400-600mm in Inner and 600-1000mm or more in highland Dagestan.
The population of the Republic of Dagestan is 2 million 687 tons. people
Oil and coal mining
Deposits of oil and gas, sulfur, marls, and quartz sands are of industrial importance.
The minerals (raw materials) of Dagestan have not yet been fully studied. The mountainous and, above all, high-mountainous zones of the republic have been especially insufficiently studied. However, existing data suggests significant reserves of a number of minerals. Oil and gas deposits are of primary industrial importance. According to current estimates, the total recoverable resources of oil and gas condensate amount to 161 million tons, free and associated gas - 255 billion m³. Of these, proven reserves of industrial categories are: for oil and gas condensate - 10.4 million tons, for gas - 44 billion m³ Maximum level oil and condensate production was achieved in 1970 (more than 2 million tons), but subsequently, due to the depletion of the fields of the South Sukhokum zone, its production is constantly falling, reaching the level of 400 thousand tons in 1993.
Oil production is carried out in the Makhachkala region, the Yuzhno-Sukhokumskoye, Izerbash fields, gas production - Dagestan Lights, Dzulak. Oil refining Makhachkala Oil Refinery. Development of the Dimitrovskoye field (gas production will be 950 million m³ and oil 55 thousand tons per year) and the Agachbulak gas-condensate area are underway. In gas production, another trend is visible: the level of production is growing and, due to the development of the large Dimitrovskoye field, has reached 890 million m³. Gas production growth is also predicted for the future. The republic associates special prospects in the development of the oil and gas industry with the development of the Inchkhe Sea offshore oil and gas field, located near the city of Izberbash with preliminary estimated oil reserves of 4.9 million tons and gas reserves of 15.7 billion m³. But estimates of recoverable oil reserves vary from 2.1 to 3.0 million tons. The oil produced in the republic is of very high quality: low sulfur content (maximum up to 0.1%), high, up to 90%, low-boiling content (up to 350° ) fractions, which makes it possible to obtain a maximum of high-quality gasoline, kerosene and diesel fuel through simple distillation.
There are deposits in the Khiva region coal. Previously, in the 40-50s, mining was carried out at the Arkhitskoye deposit, which was then curtailed; at present, its use is possible to meet republican needs. The thickness of the layers is 0.6-1.5 m, the depth of occurrence is insignificant.
Extraction of ferrous and non-ferrous metals
In the Republic of Dagestan there are deposits of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, non-metals and building materials. Ferrous metals are represented by siderite iron ore deposits, of which the largest are Prisamurskoye and Prisulakskoye. The iron content ranges from 5 to 15%. An important feature of the siderite ores of Dagestan is the absence of such harmful impurities as sulfur, phosphorus, as well as easy enrichment and fusibility, which is important for obtaining metal by a blast-furnace method. In addition, they can be used to produce weighting agents for clay solutions used in drilling wells. The ores that occur in the north-west of the republic also contain about 3% manganese.
Among the deposits of non-ferrous metals, the largest copper-pyrite deposit in the North Caucasus, Kizil-Dere, may be of greatest interest. This underground deposit contains four types of ore: chalcocite, copper pyrite, zinc pyrite, and sulfur pyrite. Balance sheet ore reserves are estimated for the first three types of ore (48.6 million tons), off-balance sheet reserves only for copper and sulfur pyrite ores (9.6 million tons). The ore contains, in addition to copper, zinc and sulfur, many associated elements: cobalt, arsenic, selenium, cadmium, silver, gold, indium, bismuth, tellurium, apatite, rutile and occasionally beryllium. The deposit is located in the valley of the Kizil-Dere River (water flow is 0.6 cubic meters per second), which, together with the Akhtychay River, will be able to provide the required amount of water if mining production is organized.
In addition to copper, a number of polymetallic (lead-zinc-copper) deposits have been discovered in the mountains of Southern Dagestan, but they are located in remote areas and have not yet been sufficiently studied. There are a number of mercury ore deposits in the shale and sandstone strata of the Suleiman-Stal, Magaramkent and Kurakh regions. The most promising of them is considered to be Khpekskoe.
In the central part of foothill Dagestan there are deposits of strontium ores “Blue Stones”, the reserves of which are estimated at 94 thousand tons of strontium oxide. The ore, although relatively poor, is easily processed, with a very low content harmful impurities, the enrichment technology has already been studied in laboratory conditions. This deposit has not yet been fully studied, but we can already talk about a project for the construction of a mining enterprise that would produce either celestine concentrate, or strontium carbonate and technical strontium for domestic use and the world market. Among the metal resources of the republic, it is impossible not to mention the rare metal underground industrial waters already mentioned above.
Mining of non-metallic ores
Of the non-metallic ores, there are sulfur deposits in the Republic of Dagestan, but the most promising of them are located in mountainous areas that are difficult to access for development. In the Akushinsky, Tabasaransky, Levashinsky and Suleiman-Stalsky districts, deposits of phosphorites and nitrate are often found. In the high mountainous part of Dagestan, deposits of rock crystal are noted. In the Lower Cretaceous deposits of Dagestan, stretching in a strip from the Sulak River to the Chirakhchay River, sands, clays and limestones containing glauconite (sedimentary rock containing potassium) are widespread. In some places, in individual sandstone layers 3–5 m thick, the content of glauconite reaches 40–50% of the total mass of the rock. Reserves of glauconitic sands in individual deposits of Dagestan amount to tens of millions of tons. The most promising for industrial development are the glauconite sandstones located in the Tabasaran region. Proximity to the road, fairly large grains of glauconite itself, which can be easily enriched - all this creates good prerequisites for organizing the extraction of glauconite concentrate.
In the south of Dagestan there are basins of the Arablyar salt mines, there are about three hundred of them. Each contains a layer of salt, topped with mother brine. The salt in the pool is white, but it can be pink and even yellow. In terms of general mineralization, the water belongs to highly concentrated brines of the sodium chloride-magnesium type. Not far from the village of Rukel there are two salt mines. Salt was extracted here by natural settling on the bottom of the pool in the summer from saturated solutions. The bulk of salts is sodium chloride. Experts believe that associated production of bromine, boron and magnesium salts is possible. On the Caspian coast there are a number of salt lakes, the water of which is saturated mainly with sodium chloride and sodium sulfate. The largest and most salt-rich lakes include, first of all, Adzhi, Bolshoye and Maloye Turali. The waters of the Caspian Sea in their own way chemical composition can serve as a basis for the development of the sulfate industry.
Construction Materials
High quality quartz sands occur almost on the surface at the Severnoye deposit. The reserves of sand on it are so large that they are able to provide glass raw materials not only for the republic, but also for the entire North Caucasus. In addition to it, there are four more smaller deposits. The Republic has practically unlimited reserves of sawn limestone (the main deposits are in the Levashinsky, Akushinsky, Khunzakh and Derbent regions), rubble stone, gravel (lower reaches of the Sulak, Samur rivers, etc.), molding sands, dolomites, and cement raw materials. Limestone reserves (for lime) can fully meet the needs of large chemical and construction industries for many years. The republic has very significant reserves of gypsum (Gunibsky, Khiva, Untsukulsky, Gergebilsky and other areas), and at the Gimrinsky deposit there are reserves of building gypsum - alabaster. Construction sands are available along the entire coast of the Caspian Sea. Large reserves of clay and loam can be used for the production of brick, expanded clay, and ceramic products. In the south there are also coloring and heat-resistant clays, as well as raw materials for the production of porcelain.
- 11.11.2017
A large gold deposit was discovered in the Dokuzparinsky district in the south of Dagestan. During research conducted in the mountains in the south of the republic, geologists found rocks containing minerals - satellites of the precious metal. Selected samples have already been sent for chemical analysis to confirm the presence of gold and silver. The exact reserves of the explored area are not yet known - according to experts, they could amount to more than one hundred tons of precious metal. - 11.01.2017
In the end of January current year An exhibition will open in Makhachkala, showcasing the best jewelry works of Dagestan craftsmen. The event, which will feature silver weapons, jewelry, dishes, and souvenirs, will help revive the traditional folk crafts and jewelry techniques of Dagestan. - 27.05.2014
A tender has been announced in Dagestan for prospecting for ore gold within the Kurush-Mazinsky ore field
Department for Subsoil Use of the North Caucasus federal district announced a tender to carry out work to search for ore gold within the Kurush-Mazinsky ore field in the Republic of Dagestan. The initial contract price is one hundred fifty million rubles - 28.03.2014
A state oil and gas company will be created in Dagestan
The administration of Dagestan announced the creation of OJSC State Oil and Gas Company of the Republic of Dagestan. The corresponding decree was signed recently by Ramazan Abdulatipov - 20.02.2006
Mineral resource base of Dagestan
All these stones, collected as a result of various kinds of expeditions, are the pride of the Institute of Geology of the Dagestan Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
General information
It is located in the northeastern part of the Caucasus, in the northern part of the republic there is a lowland, in the southern part there are the foothills and mountains of the Greater Caucasus. The length of the territory from north to south is on average about 400 km, from west to east - about 200 km.
Hydrography
From the east, the territory of Dagestan is washed by the waters of the Caspian Sea. The south of the republic is occupied by the mountains and foothills of the Greater Caucasus, in the north the Caspian Lowland begins.
Rivers
The Terek and Sulak rivers flow through the central part of the republic. There are 6,255 rivers flowing in Dagestan (including 100 main rivers, with a length of more than 25 km and a drainage area of more than 100 km, 185 small and more than 5,900 smallest ones), the largest of which are Terek, Sulak, Samur, Rubas with tributaries. All rivers belong to the Caspian Sea basin, but only 20 of them flow into the sea.
Due to the dry climate, the north of Dagestan is poor in rivers. The existing rivers are used for irrigation in the summer and do not reach the sea.
The most abundant rivers are mountain rivers, which, thanks to their fast flow, do not freeze even in winter; they are characterized by comparative abundance of water and significant slopes.
Sulak is formed at the confluence of the Avar Koysu and Andean Koysu rivers, which originate in the Greater Caucasus Mountains. The area of its basin is 15.2 thousand km². Sulak accounts for half of all hydropower resources in Dagestan; the Chiryurt and Chirkey hydroelectric power stations are located here.
Samur is the second largest river in Dagestan. The area of its basin is 7.3 thousand km². When it flows into the Caspian Sea, the Samur splits into branches and forms a delta. It is planned to build three hydroelectric power stations on the river and its main tributaries. The waters of Samur are also used for irrigation purposes: irrigation canals have been drawn from the river to irrigate Southern Dagestan and neighboring Azerbaijan.
Relief
Salta Gorge (Salty), Dagestan, April 1906.
Nature of Dagestan
The orography of Dagestan is unique: a 245-kilometer strip of foothills abuts transverse ridges that border Inner Dagestan in a huge arc. Two main rivers emerge from the mountains - Sulak in the north and Samur in the south. The natural boundaries of mountainous Dagestan are: the Snow and Andean ridges - up to the giant Sulak canyon, Gimrinsky, Les, Kokma, Dzhufudag and Yarudag - between Sulak and the Samur basin, the Main Caucasus ridge - in the southwest of both basins.
Inner Dagestan, in turn, is divided into a mid-mountain, plateau-like region and an alpine, high-mountain region.
We want to move away from the model in which the republic needs to be constantly fed; we want to move to a new model - a development model.
Ramazan Abdulatipov
The Republic of Dagestan is rich in mineral resources: oil and gas, coal and oil shale. According to geological exploration data and expert assessments, recoverable reserves of oil and condensate amount to about 14 million tons. In Southern Dagestan there is the largest copper-pyrite deposit in the North Caucasus. Mineral exploration in Dagestan, which was systematically carried out during the years of Soviet power and almost completely ceased after the collapse of the USSR, showed the presence in the depths of the republic of other deposits, including precious metals. Today, the new leadership of Dagestan considers it necessary to invest in the exploration and development of new deposits of oil and other minerals, which will serve as the basis for the growth of the economic well-being of the republic.
Oil of the Mountain Country
The first information that oil deposits could be discovered in Dagestan appeared in the second half of the 19th century. Geologists have repeatedly reported the presence of oil in four places in the coastal zone of Dagestan. But only in 1936 in Izberbash one of the drilled wells produced a gush of oil. And from this year, exploration and subsequent oil production in the republic have intensified. A total of 52 were opened oil fields. They, in turn, brought new cities to life - Yuzhno-Sukhokumsk, Dagestan Lights, and the city of Izberbash began to actively grow. The number of oil wells has reached 220. Residents of Makhachkala remember several wells in which oil was produced within the city.
In total, about 40 million tons of oil were produced in Dagestan. Thanks to the oil and gas industry, existing industries in Dagestan developed and new ones were created, and social infrastructure expanded. Oil production grew until 1970, when 2.2 million tons of oil were produced, and the maximum volume of gas production was 1.6 billion cubic meters. Old wells began to deplete, and funding for exploration of new fields was frozen. And oil production began to decrease annually. By the end of the 90s, about 360 thousand tons per year were produced in Dagestan, and in 2013 - only 149 thousand tons of oil and 27.5 million cubic meters. m of gas, with the republic's need for 500 thousand tons of petroleum products, which corresponds to 4 million tons of oil.
Today, 38 oil fields are watered by 70-90%, that is, they are practically depleted. Without integrated approach Before the exploration and development of new fields, the oil and gas industry in the republic may disappear. Today, 76 oil wells are in operation, gas wells No. It is impossible to increase oil production due to the high degree of depletion of fields, the high accident rate in the operating stock, and the high water cut of wells. Drilling rigs for well workover are worn out. Since 1984, no new wells have been put into operation.
The division of the Dagneft association into OAO Dagneft and OAO Dagneftegaz, with the subsequent transformation of the former into OAO Rosneft-Dagneft, did not produce any economic effect either for the association or for the republic. In 2012, the Institute of Geology of the Dagestan Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, together with employees of OJSC Rosneft-Dagneft, developed a strategy for the development of the energy sector in Dagestan until 2035. But without funding from a major oil company and without government support, these plans are impossible to implement. And the implementation of the strategy will allow increasing hydrocarbon production to 15 million tons per year, as well as creating up to 5,000 jobs.
Oil reserves and
industry development prospects
Potential oil reserves in Dagestan are about 280 million tons, which is close to the volumes of reserves in Syria and the Republic of Congo. These are data with a very low degree of exploration of initial potential resources: on land - 30%, and at sea - less than 1%. In the waters of the Dagestan shelf of the Caspian Sea, according to forecasts, there are 450-500 million tons of standard fuel. The most promising is the Inchkhe Sea offshore oil and gas field on the Caspian Sea shelf near the city of Izberbash. According to geological exploration, oil reserves there amount to 4.9 million tons, gas reserves - 15.7 billion cubic meters. m.
Attempts to begin full-scale exploration and development of the Dagestan sector of the Caspian Sea shelf were made at the end of the 2000s. The then President of the Republic of Dagestan, Mukhu Aliyev, signed agreements with the oil company Lukoil and OJSC Gazprom, and even a large oil and gas field was discovered in the Caspian Sea at the Tsentralnaya structure, 150 km east of Makhachkala, but things did not go further than exploration. And there low-sulfur oil was discovered, the reserves of which are estimated to be more than 500 million tons and about 92 billion cubic meters. m of gas.
In order to start work on oil exploration and production from scratch, in the Republic of Dagestan a decision was made to create OJSC State Oil and Gas Company of the Republic of Dagestan with a 100% share of the republic in the authorized capital in the amount of 10 million rubles. The head of Dagestan, Ramazan Abdulatipov, making the decision to create a new enterprise, identified the main directions for him as attracting investments in the exploration, development and production of oil and gas in the republic, as well as organizing the sale of petroleum products.
In May 2014, within the framework of the XVII International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, Ramazan Abdulatipov and the President of the open joint-stock company Oil Company Rosneft, Igor Sechin, signed a Cooperation Agreement between the republic and OJSC NK Rosneft for 2014-2018. The main directions of the agreement are in the field of exploration and production of oil on the territory of Dagestan and the Dagestan sector of the Caspian shelf, the implementation of the program for the supply of petroleum products to the republic and the development of the social infrastructure of Dagestan, including the construction kindergarten in Yuzhno-Sukhokumsk.
In order to implement the shelf development program, a working group was created, including representatives of OJSC NK Rosneft, the Institute of Geology of the Dagestan Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Ministry of Industry of Dagestan, which identified the most promising areas of the Dagestan sector of the Caspian shelf for the purpose of further geological study.
Minerals
Mineral exploration was carried out in Dagestan many times, but for some reason it was carried out haphazardly and selectively. Some high mountain areas of the republic have been studied quite well, while others have not been explored at all. This is due to the fact that since the middle of the 20th century, the emphasis has been on searching for ore raw materials, and raw materials containing metals are usually located in the mountains, where the searches were carried out. There is an urgent need to conduct reconnaissance in the foothills of Dagestan.
Employees of the Institute of Geology of the Dagestan Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences discovered the prospects of quartz sandstones over an area of more than 500 square kilometers for titanium, zircon and precious metals - gold, platinum and silver. Enriched quartz sand can serve as a raw material for the glass industry, including the newly created Caspian Sheet Glass Plant OJSC.
The development of the largest copper deposit in the North Caucasus, Kizil-Dere in the Akhtynsky district, was among the five priority projects selected by the Development Corporation North Caucasus. CJSC Russian Copper Company won the auction to develop the deposit back in 2006, but has not yet taken any steps. The start of work will require significant costs for supplying electricity, creating infrastructure and ensuring environmental safety.
Gold reserves of about 300 tons have also been explored in the area of the village of Kurush, Dokuzparinsky district of Dagestan. To clarify the boundaries of the deposit and the volumes of precious metal contained in it, 150 million rubles were allocated from the federal budget in 2014. Before starting the development of a field, it is necessary to conduct a geological and industrial assessment of the subsoil, and then allocate a site for licensing.
Thermal waters
In Dagestan, work has long been carried out to study geothermy - thermal waters and the possibilities of their use in the energy sector, in heating greenhouses and residential buildings. These issues are dealt with by specialists from JSC Dagburgeothermia and the Institute of Geothermal Problems of the Dagestan Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
First use geothermal waters– use in residential buildings for heating and as hot water. Even when the first oil wells were installed in the 30s of the last century in the Izberbash area, instead of oil, some wells began to produce hot water, which, according to the conclusion of specialists from the Kislovodsk Research Institute of Balneology, in its parameters turned out to be mineral medicinal water. With the expansion of the city, this water began to be used for the domestic needs of citizens, primarily supplied to taps as hot water and for heating, without building expensive boiler houses for heating cold water, and this saved a lot of money and resources.
Oil workers managed the wells, and water flowed into the city steadily until a crisis began in the oil industry of Dagestan. Oil wells began to be plugged, and Dagneft transferred wells with thermal water to the Dagburgeothermiya management, and then to a branch of Geoekoprom LLC. Today, out of 11 wells, only three are working, but the water supplied to the city is already of poor quality, muddy, with admixtures of sand and silt, since the wells are in disrepair. Repair work to reconstruct the well and replace worn pipes requires funding, which is not available today. The problem increases with the growing population of Izberbash.
An important task is the extraction of valuable components from mineral thermal water brines. Specialists from the Institute of Geothermal Problems of the Dagestan Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences have developed a project for organizing the extraction of rare components from hydromineral thermal brines. Lithium, burnt magnesia, table salt and other minerals can be extracted from brine. Geothermal heat can be used for greenhouses, as well as creating a mini-factory for the production of lithium batteries and accumulators.
Construction of a pilot industrial module with a capacity of 1500 cubic meters. m/day and the extraction of valuable metals and mineral salts from solution will make it possible to obtain marketable products worth 160 million rubles per year. The cost of the module is about 90 million rubles. The reserves of the geothermal deposit in Dagestan make it possible to build 10 similar modules and increase the volume of marketable products to 1.5 billion rubles per year with a corresponding economic effect.
Exploration and production of mineral resources - oil and gas, ore and minerals, thermal water and shale sand - are known to bring good profits and stimulate the development of related sectors of the economy. The main thing is to start this work!
Said Ninalalov
