RESOURCE BASIS OF NON-ORE RAW MATERIAL FOR METALLURGY IN UKRAINE: THE MODERN STATE, PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

Problem Statement and Purpose . Approved in 2012, the National Program for the Development of the Ukrainian Mineral Resources Base for the period up to 2030 now needs to be adjusted due to a number of adverse factors, such as: reduction of the volume of budget financing of exploration works, exclusion from the territory of Ukraine of certain commodity regions (occupied regions of the Donbas, Crimea), the creation of these causes imbalances in the development of the country’s raw materials base, etc. Proceeding from the above, the purpose of the article is to estimate the current state of supply of the metallurgical industry with non-metallic raw materials, to characterize its main bases, their geological confinement, stocks and resources, mining enterprises that develop them, prospects for expanding the existing raw material base of metallurgical enterprises, the need for import of certain types of raw materials. The object of the study in the article is non-metallic raw material for metallurgy in Ukraine. The subject of the study is the territorial location of the raw materials bases of the main kinds of nonmetallic raw materials for metallurgy, their reserves and resources, proximity to consumers, the current state of exploitation, prospects for increasing reserves of raw materials of explored deposits, and ensuring the availability of metallurgical enterprises with the existing raw material base. Data & Methods . The basis for writing the article was the materials of the State Research and Production Enterprise «State Geoinformation Fund of Ukraine», analysis of subsoil use in the state, literary publications, information on geological study, mineral extraction, annual reports of SSPE «Geoinform of Ukraine», which are accessible to the general public, literary publications, etc. The analysis of primary materials used general scientific methods of research – cartographic, comparativegeographical, system analysis, classifications, and others. Results . Flux raw materials in Ukraine are represented by limestone, dolomite and fluoric spar; refractory raw materials – refractory clay, magnesite, quartzite and high alumina minerals (silimanite, diston, andalusite). Forming raw materials are sand forming and bentonite clay. The article analyzes their current state: balance reserves, annual extraction, provision of extractive enterprises with explored reserves, prospects of providing non-ferrous raw materials of ferrous and nonferrous metallurgy enterprises. The conclusions are made in particular: 1) about the need to replace flux raw materials from the occupied regions of the Donetsk region by limestones and dolphins of Podillya, which were explored for the needs of the construction industry; 2) the possibility of replacing scarce fluoride (fluorite) with staurolite; 3) it was stated that sufficient metallurgical enterprises were provided with explored reserves of quartzite and molding sand, characterized areas of their extraction, prospects for increasing stocks and resources; 4) it is noted that the volumes of extraction in Ukraine of bentonite clays make up about 5% of the real needs of metallurgical enterprises, etc.