Fuel and energy complex: composition, importance in the economy, development problems. Fuel and Energy Complex and the Environment

The oil industry is a branch of the economy that is responsible for the extraction, processing, transportation, storage and sale of oil and petroleum products.

The process of oil production includes geological exploration, drilling of oil wells, as well as their repair, purification of produced oil from water impurities and various chemicals.

One of the branches of the fuel industry is gas. The main functions of the gas industry are: search for gas fields, production natural gas, gas supply and production of artificial gas using coal and shale. The main task of the gas industry is the transportation and accounting of gas.

Development of the fuel industry

(The first oil rigs)

Fuel industry originated in 1859. Then an oil well was accidentally drilled in Pennsylvania, after which the development of the entire region began.

In Russia, oil has been extracted since the 8th century, using the wells of the Apsheron Peninsula. Later, oil began to be produced on the Ukhta River, on the Cheleken Peninsula, in the Kuban. At first, oil was extracted using cylindrical buckets. In 1865, the United States began to use a mechanical method of oil production - with the help of deep-pump operation.

(Oil then, indeed, was in full swing)

In 1901, pre-revolutionary Russia ranked first in oil production. In 1913 oil in large quantities mined in the Baku region, Grozny and Maikop. There were oil monopolies developing new oil deposits. However, this led to a rapid drop in reservoir pressure. Cooperation with foreign companies led the Russian oil industry into decline. Therefore, in 1918 V.I. Lenin signed decrees on the nationalization of the oil industry. From that moment, the process of restoring this link began. Percussion drilling was replaced by rotary mining, and a period of deep-well pumps and gas lift began.

By 1929, the reconstruction was completed. Thanks to innovations, by 1940 Russia again reached the highest level in oil production.

Despite the fact that during the years of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, many oil fields were disabled, pre-revolutionary Russia continued to extract natural resource in large enough quantities. The search for new deposits continued, which made it possible to ensure an increase in oil production in each five-year period - more than 100 million tons.

(Discovery of oil fields in Siberia 1953)

The discovery of deposits in Western Siberia in 1953 brought even more positive results to the USSR. Both oil and gas were produced here. During this period, inclined drilling was widely used, which made it possible to extract the fossil in a shorter time.

And by 1980, the USSR had become a major oil power. The use of new industrial methods of oil production begins, and automation of industry is being carried out.

The emergence of oil transport leads to the emergence of a network of main oil pipelines connecting oil refineries with each other.

In 1878, the first oil pipeline appeared at the Baku oil fields, and by 1917 the length of Soviet oil pipelines was more than 600 km.

(Oil rigs in Texas, USA, XX century)

In Europe, the oil industry began to develop rapidly in the 1950s. During this period, the richest oil countries were Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia.

The capitalist countries also had oil reserves, most of which were in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Mexico. The US, Venezuela, Libya, Iraq and Iran also had large oil reserves.

Branches of the fuel industry

The fuel industry consists of three main branches - oil, coal and gas.

coal industry

The coal industry is a fairly old and well-studied industry, especially for Russia. If until the 19th century people used firewood, then in times Russian Empire coal mining began. It is used in transport, for heating residential premises. With the help of coal, electricity is produced, it is used in the iron and steel industry and the chemical industry.

If we compare coal and brown coal, then it should be noted that coal has a rather high calorific value and the quality is much better. That is why it is easy to transport it over long distances. Brown coal is used in mining areas.

Coal mining is carried out in two ways - open and closed. The latter method is effective when the coal deposit is deep underground. Then it is mined from the mines. The open way is career.

Oil industry

The oil industry is the base of the modern economy. The clearest example of the need for oil in modern world is gasoline. Without gasoline, there would be no cars, planes, sea and river vessels.

Oil is extracted from oil wells or mines. And the well fluid itself is also distributed according to the method of extraction into: fountain, gas lift and pump-compressor production.

Despite the fact that the gas industry is a fairly young industry, it is developing very rapidly. The first gas fields were discovered during the Great Patriotic War. Comparing gas and oil production, it is worth noting that gas production is much cheaper for the state. When it is burned, less harmful substances are produced than from burning oil or coal. Natural gas can be used as a chemical raw material, as well as for the production of mineral fertilizers.

Oil and gas industry in Russia

To date, Russia is not a leader in terms of oil reserves. The reason for this is both the political situation and the process of development of the oil industry in various states.

Today at Russian Federation the development and expansion of oil territories in many parts of the country is also underway. Zapadnaya Siberia remains the largest entity in the extraction of oil resources, there are about 300 oil and gas fields, the main of which are: Samotlor, Ust-Balyk, Megionskoye, Fedorovskoye and Surgutskoye. In second place after Siberian territories occupies the Volga-Ural basin. The oil here is not as clean as in Siberia - it contains about 3% sulfur, which is neutralized during the processing of raw materials. The main regions for oil production also include: Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Udmurtia, Samara, Perm, Saratov and Volgograd regions. In addition to the main oil regions, the Far East can be distinguished, North Caucasus, Stavropol and Krasnodar region, on the territory of which a considerable amount of "black resource" is also extracted.

Today, there is a clear trend towards a decrease in exports and an increase in imports of oil products. 95% of all oil products are transported through oil pipelines, which are displayed on the map of the Russian oil industry and geographical atlases.

The Russian gas industry is one of the budget-forming branches of the state. It is responsible for the extraction, processing, storage and distribution of gas resources for their use. Most of Russia's energy consumption comes from the gas industry.

The gas industry is almost 3 times cheaper than the oil industry and 15 times cheaper than other industrial sectors associated with the extraction of hydrocarbons.

More than a third of the world's gas reserves are located on the territory of the Russian state and they are located in Western Siberia.

Fuel industry of the countries of the world

(US shale oil production)

The basis of the fuel industry is the extraction and processing of fuel - oil, gas and coal. Abroad, oil production is controlled by TNCs from the United States and Western European countries. And only in some countries oil production is fully controlled by the state. The opponents of the US TNC system are exporting countries. They created the OPEC system, which defends the interests of the state in favor of oil self-sufficiency and independence.

World War II brought about changes in the oil positions of the mills. If before it the leading role was occupied by the United States and Venezuela, then after that the USSR, the Middle and North East joined the battle for the oil championship.

(Oil production in Saudi Arabia)

The oil industry remains the leader in terms of global consumption today. But which country this moment is the leader in oil production, it is impossible to say for sure. According to OPEC indicators in 2015, the top five were: Saudi Arabia, Russia, the United States, China and Iraq.

Natural gas production is growing every year. Today, gas sources are almost equal in quantity to oil fields. In 1990, Eastern Europe and the USSR were the leaders in the extraction of this resource, later the countries of Western Europe and Asia began to produce gas. Today, Russia continues to lead the gas race and is the world's main gas exporter.

The coal industry is inherent in many countries of the world - 60. But only a few countries are the main coal miners - China, the USA, Russia, Germany, Poland, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Coal exports are: USA, Australia and South Africa. And import - Japan and Western Europe.

FUEL industry- a set of mining industries engaged in the extraction and processing of various types of fuel and energy raw materials. Includes oil refining, gas, coal, shale, peat and mining industries

The fuel industry is one of the most important industries heavy industry . The role of fuel increases with the development of technical progress and the mechanization, automation, electrification and heating of production, which are inextricably linked with it, causing an intensive increase in energy consumption in national economy. Combustible matter, especially oil and gas, are also used as raw materials for the chemical industry.

In pre-revolutionary Russia (1913), the total production of fuel (in terms of conditional) was 48.2 million tons. T, including firewood more than 20%.

In the USSR, as a result of the successful implementation of the first five-year plans (1929-40), the total annual production in 1940 reached 238 million tons. T conditional fuel. The structure of the fuel industry has changed radically. A new industry has emerged - gas industry . During the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45, the Nazi invaders inflicted enormous damage on the fuel industry. During the years of the 4th Five-Year Plan (1946-50), enterprises of the fuel industry were restored; in 1950, fuel production in the USSR exceeded the 1940 level by 31%. In subsequent years, the leading branches of the fuel industry, oil and gas, grew at a faster pace. Fuel production in 1975 increased by 5 times compared to 1950.

The fuel and energy industry is a combination of the fuel industry, electric power industry, fuel and energy delivery vehicles. Over the past two centuries, the world fuel and energy industry has gone through two main stages in its development. The first stage (XIX - the first half of the XX century) was coal-fired, when coal fuel sharply prevailed in the structure of the world fuel and energy balance. The second stage was the oil and gas. Oil and gas have proven to be more efficient energy carriers than solid fuels. In the 80s. The world energy industry has entered the third (transitional) stage of its development, where there is a transition from the use of predominantly exhaustible mineral fuel resources to inexhaustible resources. The oil, gas, and coal industries are the backbone of the world's energy industry. Oil is produced in 80 countries around the world, but leading role Saudi Arabia, USA, Russia, Iran, Mexico, China, Venezuela, United Arab Emirates, Norway, Canada, Great Britain, Nigeria play. 40% of all oil produced goes into international trade. In the world economy, a huge territorial gap has formed between the areas of its production and consumption, which contributed to the emergence of powerful cargo flows. The main areas of oil production are the basins of the Persian Gulf, West Siberian, caribbean, Gulf of Mexico. Natural gas is the cheapest and most environmentally friendly fuel. The leader in world gas production is Russia, where a huge basin is located - Western Siberia. The largest gas-producing country is the United States, followed by Canada, Turkmenistan, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Unlike oil-producing countries, the main gas-producing countries are the developed countries Europe and North America. In terms of natural gas reserves, two regions are distinguished: the CIS (Western Siberia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan) and the Middle East (Iran). The main gas exporters are Russia, which supplies gas to Eastern and Western Europe; Canada and Mexico supplying gas to the US; the Netherlands and Norway, supplying gas to Western Europe; Algeria, which provides gas to Western Europe and the United States; Indonesia, Middle East countries, Australia exporting gas to Japan. Gas transportation is provided in two ways: by main gas pipelines and with the help of gas tankers when transporting liquefied gas.

The development of the coal industry in the era of cheap oil slowed down, but after the crisis of the 70s. accelerated again. The main coal-producing countries are developed countries: China, USA, Germany, Russia, Poland, Australia, India, South Africa. In Russia in last years coal production is falling sharply, while in China and the United States, the coal industry is developing dynamically. In terms of explored coal reserves, developed countries are also leading: the USA, the CIS (Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan), then China, Germany, Great Britain, Australia, and South Africa. Most of the coal is consumed in the same countries where it is mined, so only 8% enters the world market. But there have been changes in the structure of trade - the demand for coking coal is falling due to the slowdown in the development of metallurgy, and the demand for thermal coal is growing. The main exporters of coal are the USA, Australia, and to a lesser extent South Africa, Russia, Poland, and Canada. The main importers of coal are Japan, the Republic of Korea and a number of European countries.

Metallurgical complex- a set of industries that produce a variety of metals. It is divided into ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy. 90 percent of the metals used in modern production are ferrous; iron and alloys derived from it.

The industries of the metallurgical complex are characterized by a high level of concentration, monopolization and combination of production.

The main factors for the location of the complex are raw materials, energy, consumer, water, environmental, and labor resources.

Ferrous metallurgy is the basis for the development of mechanical engineering. It includes the extraction and enrichment of iron, manganese and chromite ores, the smelting of iron and steel, and the production of rolled ferroalloys. Therefore, in ferrous metallurgy, combination is widely developed - the combination at one enterprise of several industries of various industries, interconnected.

Mining, preparation of ores and fuel, production of metal and auxiliary materials are concentrated within one metallurgical base. Most of the enterprises in this industry are combines.

The production of pig iron requires a large amount of raw materials - iron ore, coke (in blast furnace production) or electricity, manganese ore, etc. Our country is provided with raw materials for ferrous metallurgy almost completely. On the smelting of iron and steel in the 80-90s. The USSR, and then Russia, held the world leadership; it now ranks fourth in the world.

The largest metallurgical base of the country is the Urals. It produces almost 1/2 of the pig iron, steel and rolled products in Russia. Imported coal (from Kuzbass and Karaganda) and ore from Kazakhstan, KMA and Magnitogorsk are used as raw materials. Most of the metal is smelted at giant enterprises in Magnitogorsk. Nizhny Tagil, Chelyabinsk, Novotroitsk.

The second most important metallurgical base was the Center, which uses its own ores (KMA) and imported coke (Kuzbass, Vorkuta). The main centers are Lipetsk, Stary Oskol, Tula, Volgograd, Elektrostal, Kolpino, St. Petersburg.

The metallurgical base of Siberia and the Far East is still in the process of formation. Modern full-cycle plants operate in Novokuznetsk, Novosibirsk, Guryevsk, Krasnoyarsk, Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Iron ores come from Gornaya Shorni, Khakassia, the Angara-Ilinsk basin. The coals of Kuzbass and the South Yakutsk basin are used.

In connection with the creation of the Cherepovets full-cycle plant, the Northern Metallurgical Base began to form.

Non-ferrous metallurgy includes the extraction, enrichment and metallurgical processing of ores of non-ferrous, precious and rare metals. The industry includes lead-zinc, titanium-magnesium, tungsten-molybdenum industry and production of noble and rare metals.

Non-ferrous metals are classified according to physical properties and appointment for heavy (copper (Cu), tin (Sn), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni)), light (aluminum (A1), titanium (Ti), magnesium (Md) .precious ( gold (Au), silver (Hell), platinum (Ft) and rare (zirconium (Zr), indium (In), tungsten (W), molybdenum (Mo), etc.

Non-ferrous metallurgy is a very material-intensive production, since the content of non-ferrous metals in ore is extremely low, so non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises are mainly focused on raw materials.

Ores of non-ferrous metals are usually multicomponent, so the importance of the integrated use of raw materials is great. An important factor in the location of enterprises for the smelting of non-ferrous metals is the energy one, since this is an energy-intensive production. But the production of light non-ferrous metals requires a lot of energy.

aluminum industry. It develops on the basis of its own (deposits in the Urals, in the North-West region, in Siberia) and imported raw materials. Almost all factories are more or less remote from raw materials, but are located either near hydroelectric power stations or large thermal power plants.

More than 3/4 of aluminum output is now accounted for by four large aluminum plants; Bratsk, Krasnoyarsk, Sayan and Novokuenetsk. The first two of them are the largest in the world.

In terms of aluminum production, our country is in the group of world leaders, but up to 80% of aluminum produced in Russia is now exported.

copper industry. The main bases of the copper industry of our country are located in the Urals (Gaiskoye, Krasnouralskoye, Revdinskoye, Sibayskoye deposits). Here are located, mainly, conversion enterprises. The production of refined copper is located both in the Ural region and in the Center (Moscow, St. Petersburg).

Lead-zinc industry. It mainly gravitates towards the areas of extraction of polymetallic ores (Kuzbass, Transbaikalia, the North Caucasus, Primorye).

Nickel industry. It develops in the Northern economic region on the basis of deposits of the Kola Peninsula and copper-nickel concentrates of Norilsk, in the Urals - on local and imported raw materials, in Eastern Siberia - on copper-nickel ores of the Taimyr Autonomous District.

Fuel and energy industry() is a combination of the fuel industry, electric power industry, fuel and energy delivery vehicles.

Energy- the basis for the development of productive forces and the very existence of human society. It ensures the operation of power devices in industry, agriculture, transport and at home. This is the most material-intensive branch of the world industry. The majority is also related to energy.
Primary energy carriers (oil, natural gas, coal) are at the same time an extremely important raw material base for the petrochemical, gas chemical, and chemical industries. The products of their processing form the basis for obtaining all polymer materials, nitrogen fertilizers and many other valuables.

There are three main stages in the development of the fuel and energy industry of the world: coal, oil and gas, modern.

At the end of XIX and beginning of XX century. industrial energy and the international fuel trade were dominated by coal. Back in 1948, the share of coal in the total consumption of the main energy sources was 60%. But in the 50s and 60s. The structure of energy consumption has changed significantly, with oil taking the first place - 51%, the share of coal has decreased to 23%, natural gas - 21.5%, hydropower - 3%, nuclear energy - 1.5%.

Such changes in the structure of energy consumption were due to the widespread development of new large sources of oil and natural gas; a number of advantages of these fuels over solid fuels (high efficiency of extraction, transportation, consumption); the use of oil and natural gas has increased not only as a fuel, but also as an industrial raw material.

But in the 70s there was a global energy crisis, which affected primarily the oil industry. As a result, the share of oil in the total consumption and production of energy resources began to decline.
During this period, a course was taken to use nuclear energy. But the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 hit hard on this area of energy as well. Some countries after the disaster either dismantled their nuclear power plants or decided to gradually close them ( , ). In some countries (, the Netherlands,) programs for the construction of nuclear power plants were frozen. Most other countries of foreign Europe, as well as, although they did not dismantle their nuclear power plants, they stopped building new ones.

Since the 80s. as a priority, a direction is put forward that provides for the transition from the use of predominantly exhaustible resources to the use of inexhaustible energy (wind, solar, tidal energy, geothermal sources, hydro resources, etc.).
Thus, the current stage of the use of energy resources is of a transitional nature. It can last several decades until there is a gradual transition from the use of mineral fuels to the predominant use of inexhaustible energy resources.

The structure of world consumption of primary energy sources today is as follows: oil - 34.1%; coal - 29.6%; gas - 26.5%; hydropower - 5.2%; nuclear energy - 4.6%.

World production and consumption of fuel and energy has pronounced and regional differences. Oil today is the leader in the structure of energy consumption in most regions of the world, but in Australia, for example, coal is in the lead, and in the CIS - gas.

60% of world energy consumption is in economically developed countries (North countries), and 40% in developing countries (South countries), although their share has been steadily increasing in recent years. According to scientists, by 2010 this ratio will be: 55% / 45%. This is due to the relocation of production to developing countries, as well as the implementation of energy saving policies by developed countries.

The first place in terms of energy consumption today is occupied by foreign Asia, pushing North America to the second place. Foreign Europe ranks third - 24%, and the CIS fourth. Among the countries, the United States is in the lead (3100 million tons of fuel equivalent), followed by: China (1250), Russia (900), Japan (670), (460), (425), Canada (340), (335), ( 330), Italy (240).

To characterize the level of development of the country's economy, an important indicator is the per capita consumption of energy resources.

Oil exporters dominate among fuel and energy exporting countries, while developed Western countries dominate among importers.

Fuel industry is a complex of industries engaged in the extraction and processing of fuel and energy raw materials. Its significance lies in providing fuel and raw materials to other industries - thermal power engineering, petrochemistry, metallurgy, etc. In the conditions of the scientific and technological revolution, the role of the fuel industry is increasing due to the development of electrification and heating of industries, which cause an intensive increase in energy consumption.

The fuel industry includes the following industries:

coal;
oil;
gas;
peat;
slate;
uranium mining.

coal industry very promising in the global energy supply (coal resources have not yet been truly explored, their general geological reserves significantly exceed those of oil and natural gas). World coal production is constantly growing, while the growth rate has slightly decreased in recent years. Modern world coal production is at the level of 4.5-5 billion tons. Among the regions, coal production is distributed as follows. Among the main coal-producing countries are representatives of almost all regions of the world. The exception is the coal-poor countries of Latin America, whose share in world coal production is extremely small. China (1,170 million tons), USA (970), India (330), Australia (305), Russia (270), (220), Germany (200), Poland (160), ( 90), Ukraine (80), (75), Canada (70), Indonesia (70), (35), UK (30).

Given the wide distribution of coal deposits, it is mined mainly in those countries where they feel the need for it, i.e. Most of the coal is consumed where it is mined. Therefore, only a tenth of the world's coal production, and high-quality (mainly coking) coal, is annually exported. The largest exporters of coal are Australia, USA, South Africa, Canada, Poland, Russia. The main importers are Japan, South Korea, Italy, Germany, Great Britain. Australia supplies coal mainly to and. The USA and South Africa work for the European and Latin American markets. The distribution of Russian coal (Pechora and Kuznetsk basins) abroad is limited by its weak competitiveness (due to the high cost of production, remoteness from the main consumers, etc.) with local and imported fuel from other countries.

The main cargo flows of coal (“coal bridges”) have the following directions:

Australia - Japan, South Korea;
Australia - Western Europe;
USA - Western Europe;
USA - Japan;
South Africa - Japan;
Canada - USA.

Oil industry. In the modern economy, petroleum products are widely used both for energy purposes and as chemical raw materials. The average annual volume of oil production reaches 3.6 billion tons.

Oil is produced in more than 90 countries, with 40% of production coming from economically developed countries (“Countries of the North”), and 60% from developing countries (“Countries of the South”). Among the regions, oil production is distributed as follows:

Region	Production in billion tons	Share in world production in %
Overseas Asia	1455	40,7
Latin America	520	14,5
North America	480	13,4
CIS	395
Africa	375	10,4
Foreign Europe	330
Australia and Oceania

The top ten countries - the largest oil producers are formed by (440 million tons), the USA (355), Russia (350), Iran (180), Mexico (170), (165), China (160), Norway (160), Iraq (130 ), Canada (125), UK (125), (115), (105), (105), (70), (65), Indonesia (65), (65), (45), (40), Columbia (35), Kazakhstan (35), (35), India (35), (35), Australia (35).

About half of all oil produced is exported. In addition to OPEC member countries, whose share in world oil exports is 65%, its largest suppliers to the world market are also Russia, Mexico, and the UK.

The United States (up to 550 million tons), Japan (260), Germany (110) and other countries import large quantities of oil.

As a result, a huge territorial gap has formed between the main areas of oil production and areas of its consumption.

Main export areas Near and Middle East (950 million tons per year), Russia (210), West Africa(160), Caribbean (150), (140), Canada (100), Europe (Norway, UK) (100).
The main import areas are the USA (550 million tons per year), Foreign Europe (500), Japan (260), China (90), South America (55).

Therefore, the main export cargo flows of oil (“oil bridges”) have the following directions:

Persian Gulf - Japan, South Korea;
Persian Gulf - Western Europe;
Persian Gulf - USA;
Southeast Asia - Japan;
Caribbean - USA;
North Africa - Western Europe;
West Africa - Western Europe;
West Africa - USA;
Russia - Western Europe and the CIS.

The oil refining industry of the world is largely focused on the main consumers of oil and oil products - developed countries (concentrate more than 60% of its capacity). Particularly large is the share of the United States (21% of the world's refinery capacities), Western Europe (20%), Russia (17%), and Japan (6%).

Gas industry. Natural gas, like oil, is used as a fuel and as a raw material for. Among the types of natural gas, the most important is associated petroleum gas extracted in the process of oil production. The presence of significant explored reserves of natural gas, the low cost of its production, transportation and use contribute to the development of the industry.

World natural gas production is constantly growing and in 2000 amounted to approximately 2.5 trillion cubic meters. m. Among the regions in terms of natural gas production, the places are distributed as follows: North America (715 billion m3), CIS (690), foreign Asia (450), foreign Europe (285), Africa (130), Latin America (100), Australia and Oceania (50).

Among the countries stand out: Russia (585 billion m3), USA (540) and Canada (170), which account for more than half of its world total. Next come the UK (110), Algeria (85), Indonesia (65), the Netherlands (60), Iran (60), Saudi Arabia (55), (55), Norway (55), Turkmenistan (50), Malaysia (45). ), UAE (40), Australia (35).

The world's largest producers of natural gas - Russia, the USA, Canada, the Netherlands, Great Britain, etc. simultaneously consume natural gas in large quantities, therefore, in comparison with oil, the share of natural gas supplies for export is relatively small - only about 20-25% of the produced natural gas. Its largest exporters are Russia (about 30% of world exports), Canada, Algeria, Norway, and the Netherlands. The United States, being one of the largest consumers of natural gas, uses not only its own, but also gas from other countries - Canada, Algeria, etc. Along with the United States, Japan and most European countries import gas (especially in large quantities - Germany, France, Italy) . Natural gas is supplied for export via gas pipelines (from Canada to the USA, from Russia to and Europe, from and to Europe) or by sea in liquefied form (from Japan, from Algeria to the USA).

Thus, the main directions of natural gas transportation (“gas bridges”) are:

Russia - Europe and the CIS;
Canada - USA;
Mexico - USA;
Netherlands, Norway - Western Europe;
Algeria - USA;
Algeria - Western Europe;
Indonesia, Middle East, Australia - Japan.

Electric power industry of the world. The electric power industry is one of the leading industries. Its development largely determines the level of development of the economy as a whole. World electricity production is approximately 15.5 trillion kWh. Electricity is produced in all countries, but only 11 countries have an annual production of more than 200 billion kWh.

USA (3980 billion kWh), China (1325), Japan (1080), Russia (875), Canada (585), Germany (565), India (550), France (540), UK (370), Brazil (340). The gap in electricity production between developed and developing countries is large: developed countries account for about 65% of all generation, developing countries - 22%, countries with economies in transition - 13%.

An important indicator of a country's supply of electricity is the value of its production per capita. This figure is highest in countries such as Norway (26 thousand kWh), Sweden (26 thousand), Canada (18 thousand), USA (14 thousand), France (9 thousand), Japan (8.5 thousand).

Leading in the structure of electricity generation thermal power engineering. More than 60% of all electricity is generated at thermal power plants (TPPs), about 18% - at hydroelectric power plants (HPPs), about 17% - at nuclear power plants (NPPs) and about 1% - at geothermal, tidal, solar, wind power plants.

Thermal power engineering has the following advantages:

relatively short construction time;
work stability.

However, thermal power engineering also has a number of disadvantages, primarily related to. Thermal energy ranks first in terms of pollutant emissions in. Emissions include particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides. "Acid rain", formed by the dissolution of sulfur dioxide released into the atmosphere, causes significant damage to forests, rivers, lakes, soil, as well as buildings (residential and administrative buildings, and especially architectural monuments, which have been rapidly destroyed in recent years). In addition, thermal energy also leads to thermal pollution (unused heat emission).

Of the three main sources of thermal energy, most of the pollution and "greenhouse gases" are produced and released into the environment as a result of burning coal, to a lesser extent oil, and the least - natural gas.

Thermal power engineering is most developed in countries with large fuel reserves (coal, oil, gas). Poland, the Netherlands, and South Africa have the largest share of thermal energy in the energy mix.

hydropower causes less damage to the environment. Its main advantages:

low cost;
environmental cleanliness of production;
renewability of the resources used.

But this type of energy also has its drawbacks. So during the construction of hydroelectric power plants are flooded fertile lands, which could be used in agriculture, people have to be relocated from flood zones (residents of villages, towns, cities living in the zone of construction of hydroelectric power stations and future reservoirs), water and terrestrial ecosystems and their fertility are changing, etc. In addition, construction, Switzerland, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, etc.). Nuclear power plants operate in more than 30 countries around the world. The USA (98.5 mln kW), France (63.2), Japan (44.3), Germany (21.3), Russia (20.8), Republic of Korea (13, 0), UK (12.4), Ukraine (11.2), Canada (10.0), Sweden (9.4). In terms of the share of nuclear power plants in the total electricity generation, countries with this share of more than 50% are distinguished - (82%), France (77%), Belgium (55%) Sweden (53%). A high proportion is also found in such countries as Ukraine, the Republic of Korea (45-47% each), Switzerland (42-43%), Germany and Japan (33-36%).

Thus, the main NPP capacities are concentrated in Western and Eastern Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region.

The development of the nuclear power industry in many countries of the world is held back by the fear of possible nuclear catastrophes and the lack of capital (construction of a nuclear power plant is a very capital-intensive business).

The problems of storage and processing of waste from nuclear power plants, as well as issues of conservation remain unresolved in the nuclear power industry. nuclear power plants after their expiration date. These are the problems of the entire world community. One can have different attitudes towards the construction of nuclear power plants, however, their existence and use in the coming years is an objective reality. At the end of the 90s, more than 420 power units at nuclear power plants were in operation in the world, and several dozen more were under construction. If (hypothetically) all nuclear power plants in the world were replaced with coal-fired thermal power plants, then, firstly, it would be necessary to additionally extract a huge amount of coal, and secondly, as a result of its combustion, additional billions of tons would be released into the environment carbon dioxide, millions of tons of nitrogen oxides, sulfur, fly ash, i.e. the amount of hazardous waste would increase many times over. According to other calculations, the operation of nuclear power plants makes it possible to save (not to produce or use for other purposes) about 400 million tons of oil. This is a considerable amount. In addition, according to experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), thermonuclear fusion is a way to generate energy that is potentially acceptable from the point of view of ecology and safety can be provided by the whole world in the future. necessary quantity. Therefore, a number of countries (France, Japan, South Korea, China) continue to develop long-term nuclear energy projects. Russia is also ready to resume its programs in this area in the near future.

To a lesser extent, alternative energy sources have an impact on the environment. However, their role in the energy sector of individual countries is still insignificant. Moreover, there are practically no absolutely harmless productions. Thus, the use of geothermal energy entails significant pollution of water, air and land. Wind farms cause unacceptable noise effects and should be located away from populated areas, etc.

Using alternative sources energy allocated to the following countries:

GeoTPP -, countries of Central America;
Tidal power plants - France, Great Britain, Canada, Russia, India, China;
Wind power plants - Germany, Denmark, Great Britain, the Netherlands, USA, India, China.

One of the most important ways to solve the energy problem is to save energy and increase the efficiency of its use, measures to reduce energy costs per unit of product produced, to use the latest technologies (low-waste, waste-free) and, as a result, use less fuel resources and reduce production waste.

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin said that "... Coal is the real bread of industry..." * that "... only on mineral fuel can large-scale industry be firmly established, capable of serving as the basis for a socialist society" **.

* (V. I. Lenin, Works, ed. 4, vol. 30, p. 461.)

** (V. I. Lenin, Works, ed. 4, vol. 33, p. 141.)

Based on this, the party and the government have always taken all necessary measures to rapid development coal industry in our country. The Donetsk coal basin is being industrialized and developed. New coal deposits are emerging and rapidly developing. In the east there is a huge Ural-Kuznetsk plant. The Caucasus, the Moscow region, the Urals, Karaganda, Siberia, the Far East, and later the Pechora coal basin provide for a rapid increase in the production of coal, provided for by the five-year plans for the national economic development of the country. If during the recovery period coal production increased from 29.1 million tons in 1913 to 35.5 million tons in 1928, then the subsequent development according to the first, second and third five-year plans interrupted by the war raised coal production before the war to 166 million tons, having increased it in comparison with 1913 by more than 5.5 times!

A developed fuel processing industry was established. In tsarist Russia, the coking industry, which supplied fuel for metallurgy, was dependent on foreign industry and was poorly developed, based only on coking coal from the Donets Basin.

From 1928 to 1932, new, highly efficient, state-of-the-art and widely mechanized coke plants were launched in the Donbass, the Dnieper region, the Urals and Siberia, fully providing the growing metallurgical plants with high-quality fuel.

It has been newly developed and widely used new technology capturing and processing a number of the most valuable chemical products coking. The yield of coal tar, which is the starting product for aniline, pharmaceutical and other industries, was significantly increased. Improved the process of extracting crude benzene from gases, developed new technology its further chemical processing.

Before the revolution, fuel gasification was poorly developed, although it was the Russian scientists D. I. Mendeleev and M. A. Pavlov who did a lot to develop the theory of gasification. The Soviet period regenerated the gas industry. Instead of 4-5 types of fuel, about 50 types of fuel began to be gasified, mainly local, low-grade fuel: peat, various brown coals, oil shale.

Significant achievements were made in the branch of the fuel industry, which did not exist at all in pre-revolutionary Russia - the industry of artificial liquid fuel obtained from solid fuel in the process of hydrogenation.

Our country has the largest peat reserves in the world. In the USSR, a large peat extraction industry developed using highly efficient methods of peat extraction (hydropeat, milled peat), but peat was no longer used only as fuel for boilers at large regional power plants. Soviet scientists have developed methods for obtaining peat coke, which is used for carburizing steel, making activated carbon and calcium carbide. From peat tar obtained by coking peat, compounds are produced for the manufacture of plastics.

Much has been done in the field of industrial combustion, processing of oil shale and the use of chemical products obtained from them. Academician IM Gubkin figuratively called combustible shale "oil ore", since it is possible to obtain artificial liquid fuel from them during thermochemical processing. Having researched chemical nature oil shale from a number of deposits, Soviet scientists have developed methods for obtaining gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, as well as phenols and artificial drying oil from them.

Special importance in our country was attached to the development of the oil industry. Back in 1920, the Central Committee of the party, at the suggestion of V.I. Lenin, sent to the river. Baku a special commission to get acquainted with the state of the oil industry and develop a specific program to provide oil to the Soviet state. The implementation of the planned program led to the fact that by 1927 the restored and technically re-equipped oil industry was already able to surpass 1913 in oil production. Since 1927, a broad, radical reconstruction of the oil industry began. The construction of new oil fields and oil refineries made it possible to produce 31 million tons by the beginning of the Second World War, exceeding the production of 1913 by three and a half times.

Back in 1921, Academician I. M. Gubkin, on the instructions of Lenin, organized a study of the area between the Volga and the Urals. In 1929, oil deposits were discovered in the towns of Chusovoy, but the true heyday of the "Second Baku" began with a turning point for it in 1934.

The 17th Party Congress played a decisive role in this matter, since it pointed out insufficient attention to the issue of organizing a new oil base in the regions of the Urals, Bashkiria, and Emba.

Our country made a great contribution to the development of world oil production and refining technology. Before the revolution, drilling oil wells 1000 m lasted about three years, and casing spent 300-400 t metal. Soviet scientists and engineers brought the drilling of such wells to several weeks with the cost of 25-30 tons of casing pipes.

1 - frame; 2 - shaft nut; 3 - heel disk; 4 - thrust bearing; 5 - heel ring; 6 - stator; 7 - rotor; 8 - frame; 9 - nipple; 10 - chisel; 11 - shaft">
Rice. 7-9. Turbodrill scheme: 1 - frame; 2 - shaft nut; 3 - heel disk; 4 - thrust bearing; 5 - heel ring; 6 - stator; 7 - rotor; 8 - frame; 9 - nipple; 10 - chisel; 11 - shaft

In 1924, drilling of well No. 76-49 began in Surakhani, which was the beginning of the introduction into the oil industry of a new, Soviet method of drilling with a downhole motor - turbine drilling, developed by Corr. Academy of Sciences of the USSR M.A. Kapelyushnikov. In this type of drilling, the drill pipes do not rotate, but only the turbine rotor rotates (Fig. 7-9), which drives a special bit (Fig. 7-10). The turbine rotor moves under the influence of the pressure difference of the injected mud in the drill pipe and in the annulus. This method makes it possible to drill wells several kilometers deep, to drill inclined wells. The subsequent development of turbine drilling methods led to its high perfection. This method was one of the first achievements of Soviet technology. In the 1950s, the United States acquired a license from the USSR for the right to use the Soviet turbodrill.

At present, Soviet technology has taken a new and significant step in the field of drilling. She mastered the technique electric drilling. Electric drilling is characterized by a sharp increase in the speed of penetration of boreholes and their depth. Reaching oil and gas bearing layers at a depth of 7,000-10,000 m has become a reality and makes it possible to increase the amount of explored and used fuel resources of the country.

The first contribution to oil refining technology was made as early as 1891 by V. G. Shukhov, whose primacy in the invention of the cracking process is recognized by the whole world. But in Tsarist Russia, Shukhov's method was not used. Only in 1929 was an oil refinery built according to the "Soviet cracking" system of Shukhov and Kapelyushnikov.

>
Rice. 7-11. Turbodrill operation scheme: 1 - stator; 2 - rotor; 3 - fixed blades; 4 - rotor blades; 5 - slurry flow

The measures taken by the Party and government in the extraction and refining of oil have been reflected in the enormous growth of oil production in our country. In 1913, 9.2 million tons were mined in Russia. T oil. By the end of the recovery period, oil production was already 11.6 million tons. T, amounting to 116% in 1913, and before the Second World War, oil production increased to 31.1 million tons, exceeding the production in 1913 by 3.4 times.

Thus, in terms of fuel, as well as in energy, in a historically short period, thanks to the high rates of development of productive forces characteristic of a socialist society, our country received a broad base for its further development.

The fuel and energy industry includes the fuel industry (i.e. the extraction and processing of various types of fuel) and the electric power industry.

The entire history of human civilization is connected with the development of various types of fuel and energy. And in the era of scientific and technological revolution, energy has a huge impact on the development and location of production.

There are large differences in the fuel and energy industry across regions and individual countries. Most of the energy resources are produced in developing countries and exported to the USA, Western Europe and Japan.

The energy problem of mankind belongs to the category of global ones and is usually considered as a global energy and raw material problem. On such a scale, it first manifested itself in the 70s, when the energy and raw material crises broke out. The energy crisis caused a rise in the price of raw materials. And, although then oil and other energy prices fell again, global problem supply of fuel and raw materials remains important today.

The emergence of the energy and raw material problem is explained primarily by the rapid growth in the consumption of mineral fuels and raw materials and the scale of their production.

The solution of the energy and raw material problem at the present stage of development of the world economy should go an intensive way, which consists in more rational use resources and in the implementation of the resource conservation policy.

In the era of cheap fuel and raw materials, resource-intensive economies have developed in most countries of the world. First of all, this applied to the countries richest in mineral resources. But now, as a result of the resource-saving policy of the economically developed countries of the West, the energy intensity of their economy has significantly decreased. And developing countries are still lagging behind in this respect. Of the economically developed countries, the countries of the CIS, South Africa, Bulgaria and Australia are distinguished by a high resource intensity of production.

Measures conducive to saving resources should be to increase the efficiency of already extracted fuel and raw materials. For example, the average world level of useful use of primary energy resources is only 1/3.

In addition, in the coming decades, we can expect a change in the structure of world consumption of primary energy sources: a decrease in the share of oil and coal in energy consumption and an increase in the share of natural gas, hydropower and alternative energy sources.

This will help improve ecological situation, since oil production, accidental oil releases, open-pit coal mining, as well as the use of sulphurous fuels adversely affect the natural environment.

According to the forecast compiled by the Energy Information Administration of the US Department of Energy, the volume of consumption of PER in the world by 2030. compared to 2010 could grow by about 43%.

The most rapid growth in energy consumption over the forecast period is expected in developing countries. In these countries, the growth in energy consumption is expected to be about 70%, while in the OECD countries it is no more than 15%.

The consumption of energy resources in the world differs significantly not only between large groups of countries, but even between individual leading countries of these groups. Therefore, the paper separately considers the development of fuel and energy industries in industrialized countries that are members of the OECD and developing countries. In each of these groups of countries, the development of the fuel and energy complex of the leading country of the group was considered: for OECD countries - in the USA, for developing countries - in China.

The sharp rise in world oil prices in the first half of 2008 with their subsequent fall can be explained by many reasons. One of the main reasons is the following. In the period from 2000 to 2007 average annual GDP growth in developing market economies was about 7%, while oil prices grew at insufficient rates. As a result of oil price growth lagging behind growth economic development oil companies found themselves in a difficult position to increase capital investment in the exploration and development of oil fields. Production volumes could not meet the outstripping demand for oil. Even OPEC member countries and, above all, Saudi Arabia, which have significant reserve oil production capacity to cover the shortage in the market, have been forced to reduce their reserve capacity. Oil prices by July 2008 hit a record high of $147 per barrel. However, the global financial and economic crisis that swept the world led to a sharp reduction in demand for oil and world prices for it by the end of 2008. fell to $33 a barrel.

In the short term, as we emerge from the financial and economic crisis and the ever-increasing demand for oil, especially from China and India, we can expect some balance between supply and demand for oil.

Economic growth rates are one of the most important factors influencing the volume of PER consumption. However, this impact has its own characteristics in the industrialized countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), developing countries and countries with economies in transition, including Russia.

Table 1

Average annual GDP growth rates (in the numerator) and IED consumption (in the denominator) by major regions of the world, %%

Sources: 1. “International Energy Outlook 2009”, (US, Wash., DOE/EIA, May 2009).

2.World Energy Outlook”. (France. Paris, IEA, November 2008).

3. Energy strategy of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2030.

In OECD countries in 1990-2005. both the economy and energy consumption continued to grow more moderately. However, the economic and financial crisis that engulfed the world in 2008-2010. PER had a particularly heavy impact on the economy and consumption of OECD countries. Under the influence of the economic and financial crisis, the rate of economic growth in this group of countries in the period 2006-20010. fell by more than 2.2 times, and the rate of consumption of PER by 12 times.

In developing countries in 1990-2005. both the economy and the consumption of PER remained high. High rates of economic growth and PER consumption in developing countries are primarily associated with primary industrialization and the development of basic industries (including mining), the introduction of energy-intensive technologies, and the creation of modern infrastructure. Particularly high rates of economic growth and PER consumption during this period are typical for the countries of Southeast Asia, where the economic growth rate was 6.15% per year and the growth rate of PER consumption was 5.05%.

Economic and financial crisis 2008-2010 had a smaller impact on economic growth and consumption in developing countries. The economic growth rates of these countries in 2006-2010. amounted to 5.10% compared to 3.75% per year in previous years, and the rate of consumption of PER, on the contrary, increased from 2.30% to 2.80% per year.

In countries with economies in transition in 1990-2005. there was a deep economic recession, accompanied by a sharp reduction in the consumption of PER.

Particularly high rates of economic decline of -0.6% per year occurred in Russia with a drop in the rate of consumption of PER by -1.6% per year. In the period 2006-2010. despite the economic and financial crisis in Russia, the growth rate of the economy amounted to 4.9% per year. This indicator is associated with the country's exit from the deep recession of the economy in previous years, as well as established in 1999-2008. high world oil prices.

Taking into account the main factors affecting the consumption of primary energy resources, as well as taking into account a slight decrease in demand for PER due to the financial and economic crisis of 2008-2010, Table 4 shows forecast estimates of PER consumption for the average variant of GDP growth rates for 2006-2030 by major regions, as well as the world as a whole.

Table 4

Dynamics of consumption of PER in the main regions of the world for 2006-2030. (million t.o.e.)

The basis of the world energy industry is made up of 3 branches of the fuel industry.

Consumption of liquid fuels in the world for the forecast period

will grow from 4255 million tons in 2006 to about 5335 million tons by 2030, or an increase of about 1080 million tons (Table 8). More than 80% of the growth in liquids consumption is in developing countries in Asia and the Middle East, where higher economic growth rates are expected. The main consumer of liquid hydrocarbons is the transport sector, where up to 80% of the increased volume of these products will be sent.

Table 8

Dynamics of domestic consumption and production of liquid fuels in the world in 2010-2030. (million tons) Oil industry

At the present stage, it is the leading branch of the global fuel and energy industry.

If we take individual regions and countries, then the largest growth in the consumption of liquid hydrocarbons over the forecast period in the amount of 620 million tons is expected in the developing countries of Asia, including an increase of 340 million tons in China, and 100 million tons in India. In terms of increasing consumption of liquid hydrocarbons, China ranks first in the world. In China, more than two-thirds of the increase in consumption will be spent on transport, the share of consumption of which will increase from 40% in 2010 to 40% in 2010. to about 55% by 2030. Industry is another major consumer of oil. The share of oil consumption in industry, as the share of its consumption in transport grows, will fall from 48% in 2010 to 48% in 2010. up to about 39%. China is the world's leading country in the use of oil in the chemical and petrochemical industries.

The share of consumption of liquid fuels in the electric power industry, although it will decrease from 2.8% to about 1.6% by 2030, but the preservation of its consumption in this sector is due to the fact that to some extent reduce the dependence of its economy on excessive consumption of coal. Similarly, there will be some reduction in the share of liquid fuel consumption in the residential and commercial sectors.

After China, the second place in terms of increasing oil consumption is occupied by the countries of the Middle East, where the volume of its consumption in 2010-2030. Geographical distribution of oil reserves: will increase by almost 120 million tons. Among the countries of the Middle East, the largest volumes of oil consumption by 2030. expected in Saudi Arabia, Iran and Turkey. In Turkey, oil consumption will grow at a faster pace in industry and will approach the level of oil consumption in transport. In the rest of the Middle East, oil consumption will grow at a faster pace in transport. A significant increase in oil consumption is expected in the residential and commercial sectors. In Saudi Arabia, in connection with the adopted plans for the further development of the chemical and petrochemical industry, a significant increase in consumption in these industries is expected.

Oil consumption in Central and South America in the period 2010-2030 will increase by about 60 million tons. Of this volume, approximately half of the increase in oil consumption will come from Brazil. Next come Argentina and Venezuela. Argentina's large agro-industrial sector will consume most of the oil products. In Venezuela, more than 60% of the oil consumed will be spent on transport.

In African countries, with a slight increase in the consumption of liquid fuels over the forecast period, the share of its consumption in transport will increase from 52% to about 55% by 2030.

In Argentina and Colombia, oil production is expected to decline from 35 to 15 million tons and from 25 to 20 million tons, respectively. In Africa, oil production is expected to increase over the period 2010-2030. from 580 million tons to approximately 680 million tons. The main increase in oil production is expected in three countries: in Algeria - by 30 million tons (from 110 to 140 million tons), Angola - by 20 million tons (from 115 to 135 million tons) and in Nigeria - by 10 million tons (from 155 to 165 million tons). In Libya, oil production is expected to decline from 95 million tons to about 75 million tons. In other oil-producing African countries (Egypt, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, etc.), no significant changes in oil production are expected over the forecast period.

In the developing countries of Asia for the forecast period 2010-2030. Liquid fuel production is expected to rise slightly from 395 Mt to around 420 Mt (an increase of only 25 Mt). With the growth of oil production in India and maintaining the volume of oil production unchanged in other countries of the region, China is expected to reduce the total production of liquid fuels from 205 million tons in 2010 to 205 million tons. to about 180 million tons in 2030 (drop by almost 45 million tons). However, the production of non-traditional liquid fuels in this country will increase from 5 mln. to about 25 million tons by 2030 or an increase of almost five times. In the CIS countries, oil production over the forecast period may increase from 630 million tons to about 840 million tons, or an increase of about 210 million tons. In this forecast, oil production in Russia, i.e. production growth from 500 million tons in 2010 up to 530 million tons by 2030 corresponds to the indicators given in the Energy Strategy of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2030. However, with the established trend of falling oil production in the country since 2006. oil production in 2008 decreased to 488 million tons. The trend of oil production decline is connected, first of all, with the fall of recoverable oil reserves in the country.

The share of developing countries in these reserves is 86%. The largest oil regions are the Persian Gulf region, Russia. In total, oil is produced in 80 countries. The largest producing countries are Saudi Arabia, USA, Russia, Iran, Mexico, China, Venezuela. Developing countries as a whole account for more than 50% of oil production. Up to 40% of all oil produced goes into international trade.

In the world economy, a huge territorial gap has formed between the regions of oil production and consumption. To overcome it, powerful traffic flows arose.

Gas industry

Table 12.1.

Dynamics of domestic consumption and production of natural gas in the world in 2006-2030 (billion m3)

Developed in the second half of the 20th century. In the structure of world fuel consumption, gas ranks 3rd after oil and coal - 20%. Gas is the most environmentally friendly energy resource.

In terms of explored reserves of natural gas (their volume is growing all the time), the CIS and South-West Asia are especially distinguished, from individual countries - Russia and Iran.

The "top ten" gas-producing countries of the world include Russia, the USA, Canada, Turkmenistan, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Algeria, and Saudi Arabia. About 15% of the produced gas is exported, the main exporters are the CIS countries, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, Algeria, and Indonesia.

The main flows of gas exports are directed to the countries of Western Europe, Japan, and the USA.

coal industry

Despite the decline in the share of coal in energy consumption, the coal industry continues to be one of the leading sectors of the global energy industry. Compared to the oil industry, it is better resourced.

World coal reserves are 1.2 trillion. t. Approximately 66 ° / o of them are in economically developed countries, primarily in the USA, CIS countries, Great Britain, Germany, Australia.

Asia, Western Europe, North America and the CIS countries are leading among the regions in terms of coal production. The leading countries are China, USA, Russia, Poland, India, Australia, Germany, South Africa, Ukraine, Kazakhstan (together they provide 3/4 of coal production).

In contrast to oil and gas, a small part of the mined coal, 8%, is exported.

The main exporters are the USA, CIS, Australia. The main importers are Japan, the Republic of Korea, Italy, Canada, France, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Germany, Brazil.

Growth in coal production since 2006 to 2030 in China, the United States and India could be 1570.0, 115.0 and 65.0 million tce, respectively, which implies that the greater volume of coal consumption in these countries will be met by domestic production in these countries. significant growth in coal production will also occur in Australia. New Zealand and other developing countries in Asia.

The growth in coal production in Australia and New Zealand will be approximately 160.0 million tce. and will be mainly exported from Australia. will be used for domestic consumption and for export. Growth in small volumes of coal production over the forecast period is expected in Russia, in African countries and in Central and South America by approximately 55.0, 65.0 and 80.0 million tce, respectively.

Prospects for the world trade in coal. At the end of 2008 As a result of the global economic and financial crisis that swept the world, the volume of imports fell sharply. As a result of oversupply in coal-exporting countries, there has been a decline in coal production. Despite the uncertain timing of the recovery from the global economic crisis, a significant increase in international coal trade is expected in the long term.

It is expected that during the forecast period, coal imports may increase from 741.72 mln. to about 990.0 million tce by 2030 This growth in global coal trade is in line with projected growth in coal consumption, especially in developing Asia.