Prospects of the Bug mining district as an agglomeration of ore and non-ore mineral deposits for the reconstruction of the national economy of Ukraine in the post-war period

Abstract

The role and capabilities of Ukrainian geological science, production and investment capital in the reconstruction of the national economy of Ukraine during the war and post-war period are considered here using the example of the Bug mining district (BMD) of the Ukrainian Shield (USh). BMD is characterized by an extremely wide range of deposits and ore of minerals relatively close to the surface, among which the most important ones are graphite, iron ore and iron-manganese, nickel-chromium-cobalt deposits, deposits and ore occurrences of gold discovered by geologists and geophysicists for many years. Numerous deposits of building materials and kaolin are also known here. There are prospects for obtaining local agrochemical raw materials based on the development of apatite-containing ores and calcifers. The article lists and shows the location of mineral deposits and ore occurrences which arethe most well-prepared for industrial development and investments. The composition of ores and the content of useful substances are given for some of them. Two powerful industrial enterprises are located on the BMD square, i.e., the Zavallye graphite factory and the Bug ferronickel plant (currently repurposed for other products). They can be used to process the above-mentioned ore raw materials, with some improvement of technological processes. In this regard, the possibility and practicality of creating two centers (clusters) of integrated mining and industrial development of these useful resources were considered. One of them can be created on the basis of nickel-cobalt and iron ore deposits of BMD with an orientation towards the Bug ferronickel plant. The second center can be created based on the enrichment of iron-manganese oxide ores using the technical capabilities of the Zavallye graphite plant. In case of realization of the entire economic potential of the industrial development of graphite ores of the region, Ukraine could become a world leader in this field and receive significant funds to reconstruct the industry disrupted by the war. The BMD also meets all the geological and economic prerequisites to become the first region on the Ukrainian Shield for industrial gold mining.