«ROSNEFT - Severnaya neft» LLC (Usinsk, Russia):

Gerasimov N. N., Regional Work Officer, Candidate of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences, e-mail: gernika56@gmail.com

«Kozhim Exploration and Extraction Enterprise» LLC (Inta, Russia):

Krivoshein A. A., Chief Geologist

In the middle of the XX century, Soviet geologists created the mineral resource base of quartz and piesooptic raw materials, which could answer the needs of internal and world markets. However, for the last 20 years, Russian positions in this segment of economics have been completely lost:
- geological prospecting works on quartz were stopped;
- the most operating mines and combines in Russia were closed because of unprofitability;
- leading scientific and research institute of synthesis of mineral resources was closed;
- the range of operating companies had to use the Madagascar and Brazilian raw materials.
Zhelannoe deposit of Komi Republic has the largest amount of transparent vein quartz reserves in Russia. This deposit could become one of the points of renewal of quartz industry in Russia. Liscense for the Zhelannoe deposit is the property of «Kozhim Exploration and Extraction Enterprise» LLC. During the last 15 years, the annual amount of vein quartz extraction at the deposit is from 600 to 1200 t (depending on the demand of consumers). To the present date, modernization of mine for extraction of 6 th. t of quartz per year is finished. The mine reconstruction project for development of the central part of Zhelannoe deposit is prepared and passed all types of expertises. Realization of this project foresees the increasing of quartz extraction to 20 th. t per year. The German company Dorfner Anzaplan confirmed the high quality of quartz of the deposit. This company also proved that, according to the standard concentration scheme, it is economically reasonable to manufacture the concentrate, which purity meets the IOTA 4 standard. At the same time, it is economically reasonable to manufacture the concentrate, which purity meets the IOTA 6 standard (and higher) with application of innovation technologies.

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2. Kozlov A. V., Korago A. A. Struktury i tekstury zhilnogo kvartsa khrustalenosnykh oblastey (Structures and textures of vein quartz of crystal-bearing areas). Leningrad : Nedra, 1988.
3. Kuznetsov S. K., Bukanov V. V., Yukhtanov P. P. Topomineralogicheskie zakonomernosti khrustaleobrazovaniya (Pripolyarnouralskaya provintsiya) (Toponymic and mineralogical reguliarities of crystals formation (Nether-Polar Urals province)). Responsible editor: N. P. Yushkin. Leningrad : Nauka, 1988, 142 p.
4. Repina S. A. Geologicheskoe stroenie i mineralogiya seritsitolitovykh tel na mestorozhdenii zhilnogo kvartsa i gornogo khrustalya Zhelannoe (Pripolyarnyy Ural) : avtoreferat dissertatsii…. kandidata geologo-mineralogicheskikh nauk (Geological structure and mineralogy of sericite bodies on the Zhelannoe vein quartz and rock crystal deposit (Nether-Polar Ural) : thesis of inauguration of Dissertation … of Candidate of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences). Ekaterinburg, 2000, 25 p.