The state and prospects of development of the mineral resource base of rare earth metals in Russia

Relevance. Rare earth metals (REM) are key components used in many strategically important and high-tech industries. Russia’s mineral resource potential includes significant reserves of REM, but so far the country has not established a complete technological chain for the creation of REM products, and the extraction of elements is carried out at the only deposit in the Murmansk region – Lovozerskoye, most of which are exported. The purpose of the work is to analyze the state of the Russian resource base in terms of the availability of REM and identify prospects for the development of domestic rare earth production. Methods. At different stages of the research, methods of content analysis, synthesis, decomposition, and graphical method are used. Results. The key REM deposits in Russia have been analyzed in terms of reserves, the content of REM in ore in terms of oxides (Tr2O3), the structure of reserves by elements and other indicators. Deposits have been identified, including reserves of both light and scarce heavy REM. Based on the analysis, options for the development of the domestic rare earth industry are proposed, including when increasing the capacity of the national market and entering the world market. The decisions regarding the selection of facilities that can ensure the implementation of the proposed directions for the development of the industry, taking into account the resource potential of the deposits, are substantiated. Conclusions. The results show that when the state solves the task of increasing exports and entering the world market, the key objects of REM development will be the Tomtorskoye (Sakha Republic) and Zashikhinskoye (Irkutsk Region) fields, which are preparing for commissioning in 2025. On the other hand, the availability of reserves in the fields of the Murmansk region, including the Lovozerskoye field under development, will ensure that demand, including potential demand, for REM in the domestic market is met.