For the economy, the fuel and energy complex is one of the most important complexes in which a huge number of people and resources are concentrated. In Russia, this is one of the main factors in the well-being of the population.
Energy value
So what is a fuel and energy complex? It includes industry that provides modern society with oil, gas, coal, etc. Without these important resources, it is impossible to imagine the work of enterprises and even the lives of ordinary people. Thus, the fuel and energy complex is a vital section of the economy.
Many countries use the products obtained through this complex, not only for domestic consumption, but also for export. Among these states, of course, is Russia. Most of its revenue comes from the sale of oil and gas, two of the most important products of the fuel and energy complex. These are not just resources raised from the bowels. Oil and gas production spawned a huge industry. Thanks to her, whole cities and agglomerations appeared on the site of Siberian deposits.
Oil industry
The modern fuel and energy complex can be divided into several large parts. First of all, it is the oil industry. The importance of this resource is difficult to overestimate. No wonder oil is called "black gold." Its extraction and processing is a complex process. It also includes transportation, storage, and, finally, sale. Crude oil is unsuitable for use, so it is processed in special plants.
Special enterprises receive different types of fuel (aviation, automobile, boiler, etc.). Depending on the chemical composition, kerosene, gasoline or diesel is obtained. At the refinery (refinery), the various components are mixed, after which the fuel production finally ends.
Oil factor in the Russian economy
The modern fuel and energy complex of Russia mainly consists precisely of the oil industry. The first field used in the tsarist era was Baku. Local oil was in high demand in the late XIX - early XX centuries. It was used as fuel for kerosene lamps.
The fuel and energy complex of Russia in its current form was formed in the 60s of the XX century. The Soviet authorities paid much attention to building up the mining industry. Colossal deposits were discovered and developed in the USSR in Western Siberia and the Volga region.
In the 90s, during privatization and devastation, mining and oil refining decreased several times. The fuel and energy complex is an interconnected complex in which the shutdown of one enterprise leads to the bankruptcy of another. Therefore, the industry had to be lifted literally from the ruins. Domestic and foreign investment in this sector has increased. Today, despite the last drop in oil prices, it remains the main export raw material in Russia. The main state-owned company for the extraction and processing of this resource is Rosneft. Its main private competitor is Lukoil.
Coal sector of the fuel and energy complex
Another industry sector is coal industry. This sector is no less important than oil. Coal is mined in two ways - open and in mines. The choice of method depends on the depth of the resource. If coal is located at a distance of up to 100 meters from the surface, then it is mined in an open way. At greater depths, mines are used.
Russian fuel and energy resources are distributed in such a way that coal production is about 18% of the total domestic fuel and energy complex. At the same time, the average indicator in the rest of the world is twice as high (39%).
The fuel and energy economy of Russia in the coal industry is a complex and heterogeneous complex. The deepest domestic mines are located at a depth of 1200 meters. They produce not only coal, but also various raw materials for the construction industry, methane, and metals.
Coal mining
There are several generally accepted methods for coal mining. The most common is the hydraulic method. With this technology, coal is transported and rises to the surface of the earth through the use of groundwater. For the first time, a hydraulic mining method was applied in the USSR in the 30s. Due to World War II, the introduction of promising technology was suspended. Only in 1952 it began to be used everywhere.
Using underground water and using jets for thirty years, miners in the largest basins (Donetsk, Kuznetsk and Karaganda) extracted 150 million tons of high-quality coal. During this period, the industry of the USSR was the leader in this sector of the world economy. The modern fuel and energy complex has a different international ratio. According to recent estimates, China is the world leader in coal mining. Almost half of all enterprises associated with this natural resource are now located in China.
On the other hand, Chinese proven reserves are 38 years away. At the same time, in Russia the bowels are so rich that raw materials will be enough for about another five centuries. As in the case of oil, the indicators of domestic production steadily declined in the 90s, and came out in plus only in 2001.
Gas
Compared to other resources important to the fuel and energy complex, gas is the cheapest in terms of production. In addition, it is the most efficiently used fuel. There is no ash left from it after combustion, it is easy to ignite it, and the combustion process can be adjusted.
Gas fuel and energy facilities are also important because gas is used in various fields of human activity. The increase in its consumption and stocks is at the highest rate. Gas is important to National economy, industry and life. It is extracted not only in individual fields, but also in oil production. The most significant consumer of gas resources is ferrous metallurgy. They are needed in order to process ore.
World Gas Reserves
The largest gas deposits are possessed by Russia, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, the USA, Iran, Norway, and the Netherlands. At the same time, about a third of world production falls on the CIS countries. About a quarter of the reserves are in the United States. Countries with large fields tend to export gas to neighboring countries. The fuel and energy industry associated with the transportation of this raw material is much cheaper than oil, and the availability and ease of operation of gas pipelines make this liquefied resource a welcome acquisition in any market.
Russia is the largest exporter of blue fuel. Many European countries receive gas directly from Siberian fields. Today, more than a million kilometers of communication has been carried out all over the world to transport this important and cheap resource.
History of the Russian gas industry
The first Soviet gas fields began to be developed in the 40s of the last century. They were located in eastern Ukraine, in the Volga and Transcaucasia. The then gas pipelines existed separately from each other. As a rule, one field was associated with a specific region of consumption. A single transportation system did not yet exist. But just then, domestic experts from scratch learned to use the country's fuel and energy resources.
At the second stage of development of the gas segment of the fuel and energy complex, the development of large deposits in Central Asia and the Komi Republic began. Then the first communication nodes appeared (in Ukraine and Moscow).
The accelerated development of the gas industry took place in the 70s, when the entire Soviet fuel and industrial complex was generally becoming more complicated and expanded at an accelerated pace. The discoveries of geologists showed that in Western Siberia there are huge and unique deposits. Dozens of expeditions went to this region, the participants of which built not only strategically important enterprises, but also new cities.
Prospects for the Fuel and Energy Complex
Petrochemicals and other industries The fuel and energy complex continues to develop. There are two main directions along this path. Firstly, it is the discovery of new gas, oil, etc. deposits. Secondly, modern technologies allow updating refineries. For example, in Russia there is still a large share of old Soviet equipment, the life of which is already expiring.
The fuel and energy complex is developing in such a way that in the future it is supposed to improve the efficiency of raw material extraction. It is not enough to simply raise a resource from the bowels of the earth. It is also important to get it so that most of the received was not lost during processing.
Today, the Power of Siberia gas pipeline is under construction. Through it, blue fuel will go to China, with which the Russian leadership signed a long-term supply contract. Construction is scheduled to be completed in 2017. Deliveries will begin in 2019.
