For most Russian residents, the Krasnodar Territory is associated with the beaches of the Black Sea coast. Some may still recall the coast of the Sea of Azov and mineral waters. But most non-native residents will find it difficult to remember what mineral resources of the Krasnodar Territory are known to them. Although they were found in local bowels for more than sixty.
Geological structure
Krasnodar Territory as a territorial unit of the Russian Federation was formed in 1937. It is located in the southern part of the country. More than two thirds of the territory - the northern part - is occupied by flat terrain. One third - the southern - is occupied by the foothills and mountains of the Greater Caucasus. This diversity of the relief was the reason that more than two hundred mineral deposits are known in the territory of the region. The map of minerals of the Krasnodar Territory shows the location of the main deposits.
Brief description of resources
As can be seen from the map above, the flat part is rich in deposits of blue fuel. There are also some ore deposits. But the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains, their western part, is the main place where minerals of the Krasnodar Territory are located (oil and deposits of various building materials - limestone, gypsum, marl, sand and gravel). In addition, this is the main occurrence of mercury ores. Rock salt and the most famous minerals of the Krasnodar Territory - mineral waters are mined here.
Hydrocarbons
This territory is the first in Russia where an oil well was drilled. It happened in the middle of the nineteenth century. Since then, other regions have taken the palm of the championship in oil production, but oil is being produced in the local area and at the present time, new wells are regularly commissioned.
Currently, over one hundred and fifty oil and gas fields are known. The main deposits of natural gas are in the Azov-Kuban Depression.
Oil fields stretched along the foothills of the Greater Caucasus. The largest oil reserves were discovered in the Novodmitrovskoye field. In addition to production, oil is refined in the region at the respective refineries in Tuapse and Krasnodar.
Construction Materials
Various materials for the construction industry are the most diverse minerals of the Krasnodar Territory. The photo below shows how marble looks when it is mined.
Indeed, not far from Sochi there are its deposits. Almost all of them lie along the foothill line. Mergel deposits near Sochi are rich in cement raw materials. Granite and gravel are mined near the Gulkevichs and Kropotkin. Limestone harvesting is carried out near the
village of Varenikovskaya. Quartz sand is still being mined in the Krasnodar Territory for use in construction and molding for metallurgy.
Healing springs
Minerals of the Krasnodar Territory in terms of mineralization of waters are enormous. By the presence of healing mineral waters, this territory surpasses any European analogues. Here are concentrated numerous sources rich in mineral water. Salted or bitter-salted (iodine-bromine) waters are intended for the treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and musculoskeletal system. Sources are located along the Black Sea coast, as well as in the Caucasus foothills. The Slavic-Troitsk deposit contains about thirty percent of all Russian reserves. In addition to conventional mineral springs, there are also thermal springs.
Ore minerals
Ore minerals of the Krasnodar Territory do not look so bright against the rest of the background. The Taman Peninsula is represented by ferromanganese ores. Iron ore (Malobambak) and manganese ore (Labinsk) deposits have been discovered along the river banks. The Labinsky deposit in the foothills of the Caucasus turned out to be the richest copper. Here, in the foothills, but more eastern, quite rare mercury ores are mined in four known deposits. Gold is also mined here, however, in very small quantities.
Colored stones and stuff
The Krasnodar Territory has deposits of colored stones - a material for decoration. Two jasper sites and one source of jadeite are processed. In addition to colored ones, two places of deposits of facing stones are also known. The strata of the only known, but very rich rock salt deposit reach a total capacity of almost five hundred meters. Salt is not edible, but is used for the extraction of chlorine by electrolysis and the production of evaporated edible salt. More than thirty seashell deposits are also known, but only six of them are processed. This material is used as feed meal.