The following article is re -printed with permission from ConversationAn online post covering the latest research.
The mineral wealth was in Ukraine The main factor in its negotiations With the United States providing details about the ceasefire agreement with the Ukraine war with Russia.
After a A rock start of these negotiationsOfficials from the United States and Ukraine An agreement announced On March 11, 2025. The United States will resume support and intelligence participation with Ukraine, With some circumstancesBoth agreed to work on “a comprehensive agreement to develop critical mineral resources in Ukraine to expand Ukraine’s economy and ensure Ukraine’s long -term prosperity.”
To support the scientific press
If you enjoy this article, think about supporting the award -winning press Subscribe. By buying a subscription, it helps ensure the future of influencing stories about the discoveries and ideas that make up our world today.
The initial announcement issued by the Ukraine government stated that critical minerals “will also do the cost of American assistance”, but this line was removed from the joint statement. Receive Russia to agree to the ceasefire will be the next step.
There is no doubt that Ukraine has an abundance of critical minerals, or that these resources will be necessary to rebuild post -war. But what exactly do these resources, how abundant and accessible extent?
The war has greatly limited its access to data about natural resources in Ukraine. However, as Geology With experience in assessing resources, I was reading technical reports, many of which are behind Paywalls, to understand what is at stake. This is what we know.
Ukraine fuel minerals industries and armies
The mineral resources in Ukraine are concentrated in Two geological provinces. The biggest of these, known as the Ukrainian shield, is a wide belt that passes through the center of the country, from the northwest to the southeast. It consists of old rocks, transformation and granite.
He created a history of rift and billions of two years and the volcano activity is a variety of minerals concentrated in local sites and across some of the largest areas.
The second boycott, near Ukraine’s borders with Russia in the East, includes a rift basin known as DNIPro-Donets. It is full of sedimentary rocks that contain charcoal, oil and natural gas.
Graphite samples at the Zapalevsky Graphite mine Ltd. in the Kirovorad region, Zaphalia, Ukraine, on February 28, 2025. Ukraine President Volodimir Zellinski hopes to use the monument agreement as a starting point for the broader discussions on US security guarantees, according to Kyiv officials.
Olena Koloda/Bloomberg via Getty Images
before Ukraine independence In 1991, both fields provided the Soviet Union with materials for its manufacture and the army. A huge industrial area has grown focused on the steel industry in the southeast, where iron, manganese and coal are especially abundant.
By the first decade of the twentieth century, Ukraine was An important product The source of these and other minerals. also Uranium minesIt is used for nuclear energy.
In addition, Soviet and Ukrainian geology scientists have identified lithium deposits Rare Earth metalsThat remains developed.
However, technical reports indicate that these assessments and some other critical minerals are based on them The geological data that is outdatedWhich – which A large number of mines are inactive Because of the war, which many use Old technology, ineffective.
This indicates that critical mineral production can be increased by foreign investment at the time of peace, and that these minerals can provide more value than they do today for those who control it.
Why is the United States very interested
Critical minerals Specific As necessary resources for economic or national security and are subject to supply risks. It includes minerals used in military equipment, computers, batteries and many other products.
A A list of 50 critical mineralsThe American Geological Survey was established, showing that more than ten depends on the United States abundant in Ukraine.
The majority of these are in the Ukrainian shield, and about 20 % of the total potential reserves of Ukraine in the areas currently occupied by the Russian military forces.
Critical metals are currently Ukraine
Three critical minerals are particularly abundant in Ukraine are manganese, titanium and graphite. Between 80 % and 100 % of the United States, each of these currently requests It comes from foreign imports..
Mangity is an essential element in the steel and batteries industry. It is estimated that Ukraine has the largest total reserves in the world 2.4 billion tons. However, the deposits of somewhat low – only about 11 % to 35 % of the canceled rocks are manganese. So it tends to require a lot of expensive materials and processing, which adds to the total cost.
The air mine show shows open in the Zhytomyr region, on February 28, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Roman Bilby/AFP via Getty Images
This also applies to graphite, and is used in battery poles A variety of industrial applications. Graphite occurs in ore bodies in the southern south and northwest of the Ukrainian shield. At least six deposits there have been determined, with a total of 343 million tons of crude – 18.6 million tons of actual graphite. It is the largest source in Europe and The fifth world.
Titanium, the main metal of Aerospace and Ship and Missile Technology, is located in up to 28 locations in Ukraine, whether in solid rock deposits, sand or gravel. The total reserve size is a secret, but estimates are Commonly in hundreds of millions of tons.
A number of other important minerals that are used in semiconductor techniques and batteries are less abundant in Ukraine but also of value. Zinc occurs in deposits with other minerals such as lead, gold, silver and copper. Galium and germanium are secondary products from other materials – zinc for glyium, and coal for germanium. Nickel and cobalt can be found in high rock music, with nickel more abundant.
No numbers were available on Ukraine’s reserves for these elements in early 2025, with the exception of zinc, whose reserves were estimated at about 6.1 million tons, which put Ukraine among the 10 best countries for zinc.
Critical minerals that are not extracted – yet
Geologists have identified possible possible sizes in Ukraine of three other types of critical minerals that are important to energy, military uses, etc.: lithium, rare ground minerals and scandium.
None of these were extracted from early 2025, despite the deposit of lithium Be licensed For commercial extraction.
There are the largest potential lithium reserves in three locations in the southern central shield and southeast Ukrainian, where raw degree is moderate to good. The amount of lithium that these reserves maintains is still secret, but technical reports indicate that they ranged between 160 million tons of crude and 1.6 million to 3 million tons of lithium oxide. If most of this can be recovered in a profitable way, then Ukraine will put the first five countries of lehium.
Volumes smaller than Tantalum and NiobiumAlso used in steel and technology alloys, they were also identified in these reserves. Most lithium occurs in Ukraine as a hill, which, unlike other major lithium minerals, spodumene, requires more expensive treatment.
It is known that there are rare ground elements in Ukraine In several locations Of volcanic origin and in cooperation with uranium in the southern southern part of the Ukrainian shield. This has not been developed, although samples have indicated commercial capabilities in some sites, while other sites seem less applicant.
The rare ground elements in high demand for magnets and superior electronics – nodimum, paseodymium, turbium and dysprosium – are all present in varying quantities in these areas. Other critical minerals are associated with these sediments, especially zirconium, tantalum and niobium, in unlimited but possible quantities.
Finally, Scandium, used in aluminum alloys for the components of the air, was recognized as a secondary product for treating titanium materials. It does not seem that the Ukraine has been studied in a sufficient detail to evaluate its commercial capabilities. However, global production, about 30 to 40 tons per year, is Expect it to grow quickly.
The metal future in Ukraine
It is clear that Ukraine has valuable resources. However, its extraction will require road roads and railways to reach, infrastructure such as electricity, mining, processing, investment, technical expertise, environmental considerations, and above all, to stop the military conflict.
These are the real determinants of the future of Ukraine mining.
This article was originally published on Conversation. Read The original article.
adxpro.online