Search for Siberian minerals

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32803, 31 December 1971, Page 11

Search for Siberian minerals

Today, almost 200 geological expeditions are prospecting for natural wealth in the taiga, the tundra and the mountains of the East Siberian republic of Yakutia.

This autonomous republic, occupying nearly one and a half million square miles, is difficult to develop as enormous areas consist of impassable-bogs and swamps. There are few good roads and the temperature drops to 50 to 60 degrees C. belowzero. Nevertheless, geologists are persistent as the Yakut republic is rich in the most diverse mineral deposits. Yakutia is famous for a rich variety of precious natural resources. The progress of the republic’s economy has been considerably influenced by the discovery of primary deposits of diamonds: the Mir, Aikhal and Udachnaya pipes. Gold-bearing regions, with primary deposits and placers, as well as "basins holding many trillions of tons of coal and large gas deposits, have been prospected and surveyed. Tin, tungsten, mercury, antimony, lead, copper, polymetallic ores, rare and trace elements and hundreds of non-metalliferous ores, are all present, and prospects are also extremely favourable for oil, bauxites, molybdenum, and other mineral resources.

In the last five years, Yakut geologists have discovered about 200 deposits suitable for industrial development. Exploration is now going on for diamonds in the area of the Arctic Circle, where plans are being made to build a city (Udachny) and an oredressing combine. It is planned to open a big tin mine at Verkhoyanye, and gas deposits are being pros-

pected which will help to meet the requirements of the city of Yakutsk. Geologists are keeping an eye on the south of Yakutia, where deposits of highquality coking coal estimated at 40,000 million tons lie next to some 8000 million tons of iron ore.

A floating ore-dressing factory is being built at the Chokurdakh tin deposit on the coast of the Laptev Sea. Yakut geologists are intensifying their efforts to explore the shelf zone of the Arctic Ocean, which is believed to hold more tin, gold and diamonds.

Despite the considerable climatic difficulties, there is every ground to expect that the near-coastal deposits will soon be put to use. perhaps by floating factories which, according to economic estimates, would be a highly profitable proposition. Novosti.

will combine two roles fruitfully and usefully. One former member, now dead, was the co-founder of a large firm manufacturing printing ink and allied equipment which is still trading in Christchurch. Others have entered roles ranging from law to land agency, and from school teaching to plant nursuries. Others again have taken on work ranging from deep-sea trawling to journalism. One local member is now. a skilled florist. Another is head orderly in a large Christchurch hospital. Others have gone into commerce—some very successfully. Mr R. A. Owens, Mayor of both Tauranga and Mount Maunganui, is a qualified master mariner and manag-ing-director of R. A. O. Holdings. He is very prominent in shipping and business affairs.

Sir James Doig, chairman of the . giant U.E.B. Industries is not a master mariner but he holds a first mate’s foreign-going certificate and like Mr Owens started in a very small way ashore when he left the sea. These men, however, are exceptional, although there are a few others who have also risen to high positions in this country. It is usually only one thing which brings men ashore—marriage and the desire for home life. Where this is stronger than the Jove for the sea, then the woman wins. One rarely hears of a bachelor coming ashore.