Global Sustainability

The International Competence Center for Mining Engineering Education under the auspices of UNESCO, in partnership with the National Association of Mining Engineers and Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University, has developed the International Standard for the Training of Mining Industry Engineers (ISREE).

Educational and scientific ties of the oldest technical university in Russia with universities, government authorities, and industrial circles of the African continent, as a rule, lead to joint projects in business. An example of this is the agreement to create a joint venture for the extraction of mineral resources, IMMA (Infinity Morion Mountainous Area), between the Morion Group of Companies and the Egyptian company Infinity Magic Group Integrated Solutions.

The research results have been published in the Journal of Mining Institute (Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University). On March 10, 1906, one of the most tragic accidents in the history of the mining industry occurred at the Courrières coal mine in France. An explosion of firedamp (mine gas) led to the detonation of coal dust. Mine supports were destroyed, and a fire broke out, claiming the lives of 1,099 miners.

The technology involves the disposal of environmentally hazardous phosphogypsum dumps with the extraction of valuable products for the chemical and metallurgical industries, as well as agriculture, along with the simultaneous extraction of rare earth metals (REMs).

LNG production in Russia in 2024 amounted to 34.7 million tons. By 2035, it is expected to triple. While pipeline gas remains significantly cheaper, well-known political issues in recent years have reduced deliveries through this distribution channel. Additionally, LNG trade reduces dependency on a single supplier, which is particularly important under current conditions.

Is it possible to increase gold production? Or are we facing a metal shortage and, consequently, a rapid rise in its value?

In my view, it is insufficient to simply liken the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) to groundbreaking technologies of the past (from the printing press to nuclear energy), which significantly impacted global development and international relations. Due to the very nature of this technology, future qualitative progress in AI development will signify the potential for transformative breakthroughs across all fields of scientific knowledge and technology, unparalleled in human history and fraught with serious geopolitical consequences.

The Chilean Copper Commission (Cochilco) has announced that demand for raw materials used in metal production is projected to grow by 10.5% in 2025, while supply is expected to decline by 3.4%. Chile, a global leader in the copper market, could significantly benefit from this rising demand. However, Cochilco estimates that non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises will operate with minimal profits. The issue lies in the rapid decline in ore quality, which consequently increases production costs.

Since the beginning of the second half of 2024, the global methanol market has shown a steady rise in prices. In the Asia-Pacific region, prices increased by 18% in the third quarter compared to the same period last year. This change in economic conditions has sparked renewed interest in a resource-saving reactor developed by scientists from St. Petersburg Mining University of Empress Catherine II. The reactor produces syngas, which can subsequently be processed into methanol.

The Federal Agency for Subsoil Use held an auction for licenses to conduct geological exploration, prospecting, and extraction of mineral resources at three sites—Vostochny-Vorgamusyursky, Adaksky, and Povarnitsky—located in the Timan-Pechora oil and gas province.