Mineral resources of the Timan-North Urals region and prospects of their development

The Timan-North Urals region including the Republic of Komi and the Nenets Autonomous Area is of great interest concerning many minerals. Within this region, including the Arctic zone, there are oil, gas, coal fields which development has been carried out already throughout many decades. Besides, deposits and occurrences of titanium ores, bauxites, manganese, chromitite and copper ores, precious metals and other minerals are known. The mining operations play the major role in social and economic development of the region. There are preconditions for discovery of deposits and further development of the mineral resources. New exploratory strategies and works on the remote areas, including the geologically complex ones, that is, of course, connected with additional expenses, geological and financial risks, are necessary. The problem of development of already explored deposits, their involving in industrial production is rather actual. The oil and gas fields refer to the most demanded. The demand in deposits of other minerals is more low. The available resources allow to appreciably increase the volumes of coal mining, extraction of bauxites, high-quality vein quartz. The development of deposits of gold, manganese, chromitite, copper ores, barite, fluorite, sodium and potassium-magnesium salts is in perspective possible. The organization in the region of the enterprises for processing of minerals is extremely important. The development of the coal fuel chemistry, realization of plans on construction of the Yarega titanium industrial complex, the enterprises for alumina and aluminium production on the base of the Timan deposits is necessary. The development of deposits should be carried out rationally with extraction of all associated components and observance of the established ecological standards. At execution of the large-scale projects directed at development of the mining industry, formation of the transport infrastructure and making the northern and especially Arctic territories habitable the active state participation and goal-oriented state investments are necessary.The work is supported by the Program of Presidium of the Russian Academy ofSciences "Exploratory fundamental scientific researches in the interests of development of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation (project № 45 "Oil andgas and mineral resources of the Arctic territories of the Republic of Komi and the Nenets Autonomous Area, prospects of their development ").