In economic activity, people use various substances, among which one of the first in importance are combustible minerals. For any state, this is a very important strategic raw material that has been mined and used by mankind since ancient times. What minerals are combustible? These include coal, gas, oil, peat and oil shale.
Coal
Coals are contemporaries of the geological eras of antiquity. In the geochronological scale, one of the periods is called so-called coal. It is believed that at that time the planet was covered by a tropical forest, which consisted of huge horsetails and tree ferns. As a result, they formed coal-fired combustible minerals.
In that era, the climate was humid and warm. Fallen trees were replaced by new ones. Huge layers of wood accumulated. In shallow reservoirs and marshes, they turned into coal-fired combustible minerals. It is believed that in this way at least 30% of the coal formed on the planet. Coal deposits are not uncommon. They can be found not only on the continents, but also on some islands. Even Antarctica is no exception. It is believed that under kilometer ice layers combustible minerals occur.
Coal was still known by the distant ancestors of modern people. There are various types of it - their formation conditions varied. Anthracite is considered the highest quality, followed by coking and
brown coals. The latter in terms of energy are the least valuable. Fossil coals are used for smelting cast iron.
Hydrocarbon Combustible Minerals
These include oil and gas, which are formed in the natural cavities of the bowels. Organics and the remains of living organisms accumulated in them. For millions of years, with virtually no access to air, they have turned into valuable raw materials called “black gold”, as well as natural gas. Deposits of combustible minerals of the hydrocarbon type are present on all continents. Oil has a complex chemical composition. Its production is accompanied by the release of natural gas, which usually lies above the oil horizon. Oil is used in a huge number of industries. In addition to the basis for the production of automotive fuel, it is an essential raw material for the chemical industry.
Many states of the world have deposits of "black gold". However, the largest reserves are in the following countries: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Russia, Mexico, Canada, Indonesia and the USA. The latter state has very rich explored deposits, but does not fully exploit them in order to save oil for the future. The extraction of "black gold" is carried out not only on land, but also on the shelves of many seas using drilling platforms. In the Russian Federation, Samotlor is considered one of the richest deposits. It is located in Western Siberia. In the Tyumen region there are three of the largest gas
fields: Urengoyskoye, Bovanenkovskoye, Yamburgskoye.