Natural+Resources

__**Overview**__ · Russia has huge reserves of mineral resources. It is especially rich in fossil fuels. The country holds large petroleum deposits, and sixteen percent of the world’s coal reserves. Unfortunately, the biggest coal fields are found in remote areas of eastern Siberia. Russia is also the leading producer of natural gas, but again, this is found in northern Siberia. It also leads the world in nickel production, and is one of the top three producers in the world of aluminum, gemstones, and platinum-group metals. On top of that, Russia is a leading producer of hydroelectric power.
 * __ Natural Resources of Russia __**  **__ By, __**   **__ Ethan Paulson __**

· **__Fossil Fuels/Natural Resources__ -** The Russian Economic Resurgence has been mainly due to the appreciation of the prices of oil and gas, billions of dollars which are exported to Europe. Fossil fuels are non-renewable resources because they take millions of years to form, and reserves are being depleted much faster than new ones are being formed. Fossil fuels or mineral fuels are fossil source fuels, that is, hydrocarbons found within the top layer of the earth's crust. Fossil fuels come in three different forms; coal, oil, and natural gas. It is generally accepted that they formed from the fossilized remains of dead plants and animals by exposure to heat and pressure in the Earth's crust over hundreds of millions of years. This is known as the biogenic theory and was first introduced by Mikhail Lomonosov in 1757. Unfortunately for Russia, most of these fossil fuels are found in remote areas of Siberia.

o **__Coal__ -** Electric utilities consume about 87 percent of the total coal produced. In the United States, coalis used to generate more than half of all the electricity produced. It is also used as a basic energy source in many industries, and as a heating fuel. The largest and most important coal-producing region in the Russian Federation, the Kuzbass, located in the south-central part of the country, has coal reserves estimated to be on the order of 14.5 billion tonnes.

o **__Oil__ –** Russia is ranked eighth largest oil reserves in the world. Oil comes from crude oil, which is a mix of hydrocarbons with some oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur impurities.

o **__Natural Gas__ -** Natural gas is the gas component of coal and oil formation. It is used in industrial and commercial heating and cooking, and, increasingly, to fuel electricity generation. In a compressed form, natural gas can also be used as a transportation fuel. Natural gas is either found mixed in oil or is released from coal. Russia is the leading producer of natural gas.

__**References:**__
 * 1) U.S. Department of State
 * 2) CountryStudies.us
 * 3) U.S. Enegery Information Administration
 * 4) Solocomhouse
 * 5) Green World Investors
 * 6) Coalmining in Russia
 * 7) World Geography Text Book