The purpose of the study is identification of locations promising for geothermal resource exploration based on the joint analysis of sections of petro- and thermophysical properties of rocks. Having conducted magnetotelluric sounding in the geothermal area under investigation and having built 2-D models of electrical resistivity, porosity, permeability, temperature, thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity, the authors performed a joint cluster analysis of sections of enumerated parameters. A cluster cross-section is constructed taking into account all the discussed parameters, which is essentially a petro- and thermophysical “passport” of the site under examination. Each cluster of the latter is characterized by its own set of property ranges. Two promising locations for drilling exploratory boreholes have been identified in the Soultz-sous-Forêts (France) geothermal area. One of them corresponds to the already developed reservoir of petrothermal energy, while another is located at the depths of 2–3 km in another part of the section and has a potential for future exploration works. The information base created on this basis is a convenient tool for interactive selection of sites promising for exploration of different deposits and building of a “prospectivity map” of surface sites for drilling exploration boreholes.

The Noyabrsky site is used for the injection of highly mineralized drainage waters formed during the development of the Aikhal kimberlite pipe (Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Russia). The water injected into the wells of the site since 2013 has formed a localized intrapermafrost technogenic aquifer. Taking into account the porosity parameters of the formed permafrost reservoirs, as well as the confirmed useful capacity of the site, its operation is planned to continue until 2044 at the very least. Despite relatively small injection volumes (up to 430 m3/day), forecasting dynamical changes in the hydrodynamic regime of the technogenic water horizon is a challenging task, which is of significant practical importance for the provision of environmental and industrial safety. The assessment of the anthropogenic impact, as well as the subsequent forecasting of the hydrodynamic regime dynamics within the Noyabrsky site, were carried out by modeling methods in the Modflow software. The brine lens formed today is characterized by uneven porosity parameters, which is due to the peculiarities of heat and mass transfer when using permafrost for drainage water injection. Based on the results of predictive modeling a conclusion can be derived that the use of the method of Aikhal mine drainage water injection into the permafrost strata at the Noyabrsky site allows to reduce the influence degree of mining and production operations on the geological environment of the studied area through its localization on an intentionally limited, relatively small area, where injection is carried out, as well as on the environment, by preventing drainage brines from entering surface waters until 2044.

The article deals with the characteristics of the ores of an ore occurrence of the Munginsky cluster located on the western flank of one of the commercial fields of Eastern Transbaikalia. The ores of this promising ore occurrence are underexplored, especially in the technological aspect, which served the basis for studying their composition and characterizing native gold as their main commercial component. The composition of ores and altered rocks was studied by the following methods: atomic emission spectral quantitative analysis, X-ray fluorescence, as well as phase atomic absorption and atomic emission analysis with inductively coupled plasma ICP-AES. The mass fraction of total and organic carbon was determined in the Central Fire Assay Laboratory of JSC Pokrovsky Rudnik, Blagoveshchensk. The proportion of carbonate carbon dioxide was determined by the method of titrimetric determination of carbon dioxide. The content of gold was given according to the data of assay melting, the content of silver – according to the data of atomic absorption analysis. Petrographic and mineragraphic studies were carried out using an optical microscope Olympus BX-51. The mineral composition of the ore sample was also estimated based on the results of X-ray diffraction analysis. The quantitative mineral composition was studied on the crushed material of the original ore with a particle size of -2 mm using the microscopic study data of transparent and polished thin sections on a microscope Nikon Eclipse LV 100 POL. The content of iron hydroxides was determined from the weight difference after the sample was treated with a 10 % oxalic acid solution in a water bath. Comparison of the results obtained on the ore occurrence with the materials on the ore composition of the closest deposit located in 30 km demonstrates that on the one hand they are similar and uniform, and on the other hand they feature some differences. Their common parameters include a rather high degree of sulfide content of ores and similar chemical and mineral composition with the predominance of arsenopyrite, an increased role of bismuth as well as the predominance of fine gold and its similar morphological characteristics. This fact allows to consider the ore occurrence under investigation as an integral part of a single ore system of the closest deposit.

The study is aimed at a more detailed determination of the thermal properties of Baikal region sands and establishment of their dependence on geological and mineralogical characteristics in order to assess the possibility of using this raw material in the food industry. The objects of the study are sands sampled on the southwestern coast of Lake Baikal. The subject of the study is the mineralogical composition of sand, its grain size composition and heat capacity. The mineral composition of sand samples and their crystal structure were studied using the method of X-ray phase analysis. A standard sieve analysis method was used for granulometric estimation of sands. The average heat capacity of sand samples was determined by the mixing method. Based on the analysis of the obtained X-ray diffraction patterns, the mineralogical composition of the studied samples was determined. It was found that quartz predominates in their composition since its percentage in samples amounts to 40–60 %. The proportion of such minerals as albite and anorthoclase is 15–30 % in different samples. Less than 5 % in each sample accounts for dickite and indialite. The presence of the mineral of anthophyllite has been found only in one sample in the amount of about 9 %. The results of granulometric composition determination show that a fraction, which accounts for 70–90 %, can be isolated in most samples. The sample from the town of Slyudyanka was the only one where the fractions of different sizes were present in approximately equal amounts. For this sample, the dependence of heat capacity on the grain size was determined. In other samples, the difference in certain heat capacity values correlated well with their mineralogical composition. The results of the conducted studies and their analysis  allow to conclude that Slyudyanka and Baikalsk sands are the most attractive sands in terms of high heat capacity. The sand with the grain size from 0.125 to 0.25 mm is found to be the most suitable for the use as a thermal storage medium. This fraction is predominant in the sand of the town of Baikalsk.

Today energy supply and energy efficiency are still the most important and relevant issues of lively international discussions. The purpose of this paper is to study the current state of the natural gas market. The primary types of transported hydrocarbon fuels currently presented on the trading floor include natural gas predominantly transported through trunk pipelines, and liquefied natural gas competing with it. The study of this problem involved a comparative analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of liquefied natural gas and pipeline gas transportation for the case of commercial gas shipment from the Russian Federation to the European Union and liquefied natural gas shipment from the United States of America to the European Union. It is important to note that natural gas shipments through the Nord Stream gas pipeline have been completely suspended since September 2022 for an indefinite period of time. As a consequence, it is the American liquefied natural gas that is becoming the main alternative to the pipeline gas from Russia today. An agreement has been formed between the United States and the European Union to supply 15 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas in the past 2022. However, the inescapable fact is that daily guaranteed shipment of natural gas is a timely and economically feasible source of energy fuel. Using the rule of guaranteed advantages and disadvantages, the authors identified the most rational and profitable aspects of light hydrocarbon fuel transportation. The conducted study resulted in the analysis of the following indicators: the cost of shipped raw materials, the transportation cost of compared options, and amount of hydrocarbon gas losses during the main technological operations. In addition, the issue of environmental safety of operated facilities was considered.

Residual stresses in metal structures of mining machinery caused by welding occur due to simultaneous uneven heating and cooling of local sections of structures, variable cooling rates in the different areas of the weld and deformations caused by metallurgical phase transformations. Residual stress in the welded joint can significantly increase the external load that can lead to structural failure. Research on the calculation, measurement and relief of residual stresses under welding is an important issue when predicting the service life of metal structure units of mining machinery and equipment. An accurate quantitative estimation of residual stresses in welded products, repair welds included, as well as the search for the fundamental principles of the elimination methods of residual deformations are of considerable practical interest, which is relevant for the authors of this paper. The study involved a general review of the latest researches in the field of estimation and measurement of residual stresses caused by electrogas welding. It has been proposed to use various techniques and analytical methods for quantitative estimation of welded joint residual stresses on the basis of fracture mechanics, which enabled to take preventative measures at early stages to reduce the cost of repair and maintenance of welded metal structures of mining excavators. The conducted study resulted in formulating the proposals on relief of residual welding stresses in the metal structures of mining excavators.

The purpose of the present research is the inventory of the sources of accumulated contaminants at the former Vostsibelement industrial site located within the municipality of the town of Svirsk of the Irkutsk region (Russia) as well as the analysis of their impact on the environmental conditions. The conducted study included the calculation of the numerical assessment criterion of the overall impact of the accumulated environmental damage site on the state of environmental safety. On the basis of the results obtained, it was concluded that the industrial site of the former Vostsiblement factory is a source of accumulated harm, as well as an extremely environmentally hazardous site posing a potential threat to the entire upper territory of the Bratsk reservoir due to its location within the boundaries of the municipality of the town of Svirsk and the water protection zone of the Angara river. Based on the monitoring data, a geostatistical dispersion model of mobile lead in soil was constructed and anomalous contamination zones were identified. Three areas with an anomalously high content of mobile forms of lead (more than 6000 mg/kg) were identified in the soil on the territory of the industrial site of the former Vostsibelement battery factory. The content of mobile lead in the surface layer (0–20 cm) throughout the industrial site is not less than 100 mg/kg, which is 17 times higher than the maximum allowable concentration. The established excess of lead content in silverweed cinquefoil (Potentilla anserina) amounted to 10 background readings. A single point sample of bottom sediments of the Angara river at the entry of the industrial site, four meters from the water edge demonstrates an excess of the background content for lead, copper, zinc by 59, 12 and 4.7 times, respectively. The conducted research, analysis of the data obtained and review of the best available technologies allowed to introduce a concept for an environmentally friendly recuperative technology for the reclamation of the former Vostsibelement factory industrial site, which is very effective both from the technical and economic, and from the legal and social-ecological point of view. It also can be considered as an option to eliminate the accumulated harm of an extremely hazardous site.

The purpose of the study is refining of the proposed earlier unified three-dimensional model for the positioning of chemical elements, minerals, and rocks in the earth's crust, as well as working out its description terminology and model system properties specification. The research methods included the logical and mathematical analysis of the model based on atomic weights of chemical elements, their valences and electronegativity, as well as on the atomic weights of chemical elements present in the composition of minerals and calculation of multidimensional proportionality indexes for each of given characteristics. The methods were used for further development of the previously introduced assumption that within the three-dimensional model minerals are arranged in the ascending order of the index of multidimensional proportionality of atomic weights of chemical elements in their composition, similarly to the way the chemical elements are positioned in the model according to the increase of their atomic weights. Both rocks and minerals are arranged in the ascending order of this index, whereas rocks correspond to a certain mineral in terms of the multidimensional proportionality index. As a result of the study, a general analysis of the system properties of vertical spatial groups of chemical elements of the model was carried out with groups being divided into two types depending on the presence of a gas or a solid chemical element in the first position. The variation patterns of chemical element valencies and electronegativity were studied in these spatial groups. Also, the analyses of multidimensional data were performed for the elements of these groups. The values of the multidimensional index were calculated for the first 760 minerals using the Agemarker open source program. The analysis of multivariate data confirmed the division of groups into two types. Having analyzed their mutual arrangement, the authors suggested the existence of gas channels of chemical element migration and determined possible migration paths of chemical elements in the three-dimensional model under the formation of some minerals. The relative position of some fields was considered in order to confirm the spatial characteristics of the three-dimensional model. The authors have introduced a new paradigm of geological research positioning minerals and rocks in a three-dimensional model and determining possible migration paths of chemical elements when minerals and rocks are formed.

The article celebrates the 115th anniversary of the Irkutsk heavy engineering plant (IHEP) and describes its operation experience. During this time, IHEP worked its way up from a workshop supplying the army, an agricultural and mechanical plant to one of the largest Russian machine-building plants with a full production cycle in the Commonwealth of Independent States. The scientific base developed at the enterprise makes it possible to automate the same type tasks, as well as to upgrade equipment in order to improve its technological performance. The article analyzes the operation results of the enterprise. A consideration is given to the line of manufactured equipment, its improvement and modernization methods. A distinctive feature of IHEP is the availability of foundry facilities, which carry out melting, molding and heat treatment of products. A key element contributing to the development of the enterprise is the design office, which is constantly in search of new solutions that best meet the needs of customers in terms of industrial and economic efficiency, safety, reliability and service life of the designed equipment. The IHEP Design Bureau uses modern tools for equipment design and flow processes modeling for subsequent calculation of the technical and design parameters of thickening equipment, which ensures high performance, as well as safe and efficient operation. Today, the enterprise has launched a serial production of mining and processing equipment, as well as mine machinery and metallurgical equipment. IHEP equipment is supplied to more than 20 countries around the world. The plant's customers are the largest companies of the Russian Federation, which operate in the field of mining, metallurgy and oil production.