Home – Home – Jornals – Chemistry for Sustainable Development 2010 number 1

The overall jump in global demand for gas, and especially oil, gives rise to particular concern regarding mankind’s energy future. In the middle and late 21st century, the crucial role in securing oil and gas supply of mankind will be played by sedimentary basins in the Arctic Ocean deep-water area, including those of the continental shelf in Russia’s Arctic seas. There is a 0.90 probability that the initial in-place resources of hydrocarbons in the Arctic Ocean will be greater than 90 Btoe. The estimates predict the rise of oil and gas industries on the Arctic shelves in the near future.

Research on sedimentogenesis and geochemistry of the Arctic Ocean over the last 10–20 years has allowed direct (in situ) studies to be made for all types of sedimentary matter that mix together and form the bottom deposit. Contrary to common knowledge, river sediment turned out to be insignificant; instead, more important is the dispersed sedimentary matter (suspension) from the atmosphere, cryosphere (snow, ice), marine water, riverine water, biosphere (plankton and benthos), and anthroposphere (all types of pollutants), supplemented by the endogenic mater supplied from spreading zone of the Gakkel Ridge. The mixture is dominated by sedimentary material discharged from sea ice; hence, this type of sedimentogenesis is referred to as the ice-rafted marine sedimentogenesis.
Application of new methods and tools (including satellites, remote hydrooptical, hydrophysical, and hydroacoustic survey, etc.) and in situ analyses produced measurements of content, composition, and characteristics of all types of dispersed sedimentary matter, its fluxes (mg/m²/year), vectors of movement, and rates for different segments of the Arctic Ocean; observations were carried out continuously on different time scale, from hours–days to seasons and dozens of years. It is a new approach to the study of sedimentary matter that opens up a new possibility for a 4D quantitative sedimentology.

The large North Chukchi Basin in the northeastern Eurasian shelf is filled with up to 22 km of sediments, which is far thicker than filling a basin upon oceanic crust would require. The basin sedimentation began 380 Myr ago, and about 16 km of sediments have been deposited for the past 125 Myr, long after the oceanic crust would have completed its subsidence. This fact is in favor of the continental instead of oceanic crust origin. Rapid basin subsidence appears to be driven by a mechanism other than crustal stretching as the latter has no evidence over the greatest part of the basin area. The suggested basin formation model implies a transformation of gabbro into denser eclogite in the lower crust and related contraction of mafic rocks. To sustain consolidated crust beneath 22 km thick sediments, the layer of dense eclogites under the granitic layer must be at least ~25 km thick. The presence of basement flexures formed at several stages of the basin evolution indicates a considerable loss of lithospheric rigidity under the effect of fluid infiltration from small mantle plumes. The fluids catalyzed the eclogitization and thus increased the subsidence rate. Rapid subsidence apparently occurred in Barremian-Albian time, when the basin had accumulated up to 11.5 km of sediments. Besides the Early Cretaceous event, there were possibly several older events of rapid subsidence. This basin subsidence history, along with the evidence of steep lithospheric flexure, is a known feature of large petroleum basins. Therefore, the North Chukchi Basin may be expected to be an oil and gas producer.

The structure and geodynamic history of the northern Barents-Kara continental margin, which had formed mostly by the latest Paleozoic, have been investigated using offshore geological and geophysical data and geological evidence from adjacent landmasses. In the context of the suggested model, the Saint Anna trough is interpreted as a boundary tectonic element between the Svalbard and Kara plates. Thus, the study focuses on a complex tectonic node with its structure having implications for the trough origin, as well as for the history of geodynamic relations among Arctic cratons and microplates. Trough structures of different ages in the area, including the northeastern East Barents trough and the St. Anna trough, appear to be a zone of triple or T-shaped junction. The reported reconstruction of the trough system history since the Middle Paleozoic shows that the St. Anna trough joined the East-Barents system in the Late Permian-Triassic to become its new segment extending the system to the north.

In the northern and northeastern Siberian Platform, within the Anabar and Olenek zones, there are a number of hypergene bitumen accumulations (fields) and natural bitumen seeps, whose total resources are estimated at >5 bln tons. Bitumen fields are confined to a wide stratigraphic range from Precambrian to Mesozoic. A detailed geochemical study was performed for bitumens of the largest Olenek field, whose naphthides are localized mainly in Permian sandstones of deltaic and coast-marine genesis. Chromato-mass spectrometric analysis showed that normal alkanes are drastically reduced in the saturated fraction of the bitumens and most of terpanes are a homologous series of 25-norhopanes, which evidences the intense bacterial degradation of hydrocarbon pools.
Identification of bicyclic sesquiterpenes, tetracyclic onocerane, and other biomarkers testifies that the organic matter of source rocks was rich in higher-plants remains. The concentrations of steranes are low, whereas those of earlier unknown 8-14-secosteranes are rather high. The set of geochemical data on the Permian bitumens of the Olenek field, including the isotopic characteristics of carbon (δ¹³C of –25.8 to –31.3 ‰), suggests that the coeval oil source rocks of the passive continental margin (at the place of the present-day Verkhoyansk fold belt) were the main source of hydrocarbons for the field.
Assessment of oil and gas resources, including giant bitumen pools, and their exploration in the framework of “The fundamentals of Russian state policy in Arctic up to 2020” have become a top-priority problem. The refining products of petroleum might be an economically feasible raw material in the eastern Russian Arctic sector to be supplied via the Northern Sea Route.

Natural gas hydrate deposits have been estimated to store about 10% of gas in the hydrate form (even with regard to a higher concentration of gas in hydrates), proceeding from the known ratio of dissolved-to-deposited gas. This high percentage is largely due to the fact that the buffer factor in natural gas hydrate deposits is lower than that for free gas because of less diverse structural conditions for gas accumulation. Therefore, the available appraisal of world resources of hydrated gas needs a revision.
Hydrates in rocks are either syngenetic or epigenetic. Syngenetic hydrates originate from free or dissolved gas which was present in rocks in situ at the time when PT -conditions became favorable for gas hydrate formation. Epigenetic hydrates are derived from gas which came by migration into rocks with their PT -conditions corresponding to formation of gas hydrate.
In addition to the optimum PT -conditions and water salinity, economic gas hydrate accumulation requires sustained supply of natural gas into a specific zone of gas hydrate formation. This condition is feasible only in the case of vertical migration of natural gas along faults, fractured zones, and lithologic windows, or, less often, as a result of lateral migration.
Of practical importance are only the gas hydrate deposits produced by vertical or lateral gas migration.

Based on geomorphological, lithological, and facies characteristics of the East Arctic continental margin, we studied the main factors controlling the Late Cenozoic supply of organic matter (OM) to the bottom sediments of the rises of the central Arctic Ocean. Complex analysis of dispersed OM in the samples taken during the expeditions of the R/V Akademik Fedorov in 2000 and 2005 showed a significant difference between the sediments of the Lomonosov Ridge and Mendeleev Rise. The bottom sediments of the latter are strongly transformed and lack terrigenous components, as evidenced from the main geochemical characteristics (contents of C_org, C_carb, N_org, bitumens, and humic acids) and the composition and distribution of hydrocarbon molecular markers (alkanes, saturated and aromatic cyclanes). The obtained data evidence that ancient sedimentary rocks containing genetically uniform deeply transformed (up to mesocatagenesis) OM played a significant role in the formation of the Pleistocene-Holocene sediments of the axial part of the Mendeleev Rise.

The paper concerns issues of geology and metallogeny of the Russian Arctic, namely, limits of the Russian oceanic Arctic in the context of the continental origin of territories under jurisdictional dispute; geology and tectonic history of the region; distribution of mineral deposits; outlook for diamond, PGE, Ni, rare metals, gold, and bauxite resources development.
Advanced diamond exploration and development can be expected proceeding fr om geology of new potentially diamondiferous areas, the Phanerozoic history and composition of lithospheric mantle beneath the Siberian craton, which were controlled by the Siberian superplume at the Permian–Triassic boundary, and from new exploration approaches adapted to the prospecting conditions of Arctic Siberia.
According to the available knowledge of Ni and PGE mineralization in the Noril’sk region, it is reasonable to develop depleted ores and tailings (mining dumps at the Noril’sk and Talnakh deposits). However, the key solution consists in new large discoveries within the Dzheltula and Kharaelakh volcanic and plutonic complexes.
Gold production enhancement may be associated with black shale-hosted Au-As mineralization in the northeastern Russian Arctic, but the problem is in the lack of efficient and environmentally safe dressing technologies for these ores.
Most of rare metals in the area (Nb, Sc, Y, and other elements) are stored in the giant Tomtor field, which has a complex structure and history. A special technology designed for the Tomtor ores ensures more than 60% extraction of ore components.
Good prospects for the bauxite potential are expected from the Timan district, wh ere bauxite may occur in Vendian and Early Carboniferous formations.

The metallogeny of the Russian Arctic zone, with a high potential for U, platinum-group metals, Au, Sn, trace elements, etc., in its different sectors, has been controlled by the type of early continental structures and by the uniform Meso-Cenozoic evolution of the area. The suggested reasonable development strategy is to conserve and further develop the existing mining districts associated with known large fields and to discover new lode (U, Au, etc.) and placer deposits. It is important to provide scientific background and environmental monitoring in the area at the stages of mineral prediction, exploration, and development.

This paper reports new petrographic and mineralogical data on the Manchary kimberlite pipe, which was discovered south of Yakutsk (Central Yakutia) in 2007–2008, 100 km. The pipe breaks through the Upper Cambrian carbonate deposits and is overlain by Jurassic terrigenous rock masses about 100 m thick. It is composed of greenish-gray kimberlite breccia with a serpentine-micaceous cement of massive structure. The porphyry texture of kimberlite is due to the presence of olivine, phlogopite, and picroilmenite phenocrysts. The SiO₂ and Al₂O₃ contents of the groundmass are indicative of typical noncontaminated kimberlites. The groundmass has a significant content of ore minerals: Fe- and Cr-spinels, perovskite, magnetite, and, less commonly, magnesian Cr-magnetite. Pyropes occur in kimberlites as sharp-edged fragments and show uneven distribution. Chemically, they belong to lherzolite, wehrlite, or nondiamondiferous dunite–harzburgite parageneses. Garnets corresponding to lherzolites of anomalous composition make up 8%; this is close to the garnet content of Middle Paleozoic kimberlites from the Yakutian kimberlite province. The pyropes from the new pipe are compositionally similar to those from diamond-poor Middle Paleozoic kimberlites in the north of the Yakutian diamondiferous province. Chemically, pyropes from the Manchary pipe and those from the modern alluvium of the Kengkeme and Chakyya Rivers differ substantially. Consequently, the rocks of the pipe could not be a source of pyropes for this alluvium. They probably occurred from other sources. This fact, along with numerous “pipelike” geophysical anomalies, suggest the existence of a new kimberlite field in Central Yakutia.

Large diamond placers have been discovered in a Rhaetian basal horizon (Upper Triassic) in the north of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) in the drainage areas of the Eekit, Nikabyt, Kelimyar, and Bur Rivers. The found diamonds and kimberlite indicator minerals are completely similar in typomorphic features to those from Carnian basal horizons but, in contrast to them, are well sorted, and pyropes show features of mechanical wear. Analysis of the geologic evolution of the study area, morphology of diamonds and indicator minerals, and composition of the latter showed that the Rhaetian sediments resulted from the erosion of Carnian placers.

Seismic surveys have been applied to investigate the structure of frozen ground, identify and contour natural and man-caused unfrozen layers in permafrost (taliks), constrain the position of the permafrost table in the Arctic inner shelf, and study the related coastal stability. They are the classic methods common in shallow seismic exploration and new techniques specially designed at the Institute of Earth’s Cryosphere (Tyumen’) for different wave components. The joint use of compressional and shear waves provides a higher-quality interpretation of seismic data in permafrost applications. In the case of a single wave component, shear waves are advantageous over P waves.

The paper concerns urgent problems of resources development in the Arctic shelf. A specially designed technology with the use of a coolant is suggested for winter mining at shelf deposits. The idea of the new technology stems from the concept of negative settling velocity of buoyant particles, which has been investigated in laboratory tests.

The paper considers an economic development strategy for Russia and its macroregions as a political document defining key principles of public policy and commitments of supreme federal and regional authorities in relation to an object of the strategy. The strategic objectives for Russia are to maintain its territorial integrity and win world's leading positions; as for the eastern resource regions - to diversify their economies, achieve population growth and eliminate backwardness of those regions which key indicators are lower than the national average ones. While developing the strategy, we applied a project approach together with mathematical methods. Among other things, we presented, in the context of the mathematical models, the operational definitions of the investment projects effects (direct and indirect; internal and external).

The paper offers the concept, methodology and methodical scheme to measure the spatial transformations taking place in economy; the comparative assessments of regional development in Russia over the period 2009-2012; a stable clusterization technique for regional indicators; the long-term forecasts (for 2009-2030) of how the RF regional structure will change; and the assessment of dynamics of the ordered sets of regional clusters.

The paper analyzes the characteristics observed in the development of Russian central and periphery regions over the period of the national economy growth in 1999-2007; and assesses and analyses the dynamics of such regional "center-periphery" inequalities on the base of both several indicators and integrated "center-periphery" inequality coefficients. The paper shows that economic growth of those years was accompanied with growing "center-periphery" inequalities in the beginning of the period, and with higher periphery indicators growth by the end of the period. The latter contributed to the lower "center-periphery" inequalities. The paper identifies the periphery regions which mostly contributed to such lower inequality.

The paper considers the issues of how
the crisis can be diagnosed in Russian
regions and how the national anti-crises
program can be regionalized including
the question of efficiency of such
regional anti-crises programs. We
analyses the potential anti-crisis
scenarios and how the current crisis may
affect the future trajectory of regional
development. On the base of the
calculations made by applying the
interregional intersectoral models, we
presented some variants of a long-term
forecast for the spatial socio-economic
development in the Russian Federation.

The paper analyses potential impacts of recessionary events on the dynamics of regional development. Our calculations have been made by applying an optimization forecasting model to the money flows observed in the Novosibirsk Oblast. We treated the recessionary impacts as follows: a reduction in regional financing by the federal government, devaluation of national currency, transformations of overdue repayment of debts on issued loans, and a reduction in capital projects financing. We show that it is the policy concerning the investment of construction projects - first of all, large ones - proved to be a key factor affecting the socio-economic development in a region.

The author proposes an indicator - a coefficient of regional innovation readiness - for using in analysis, and shows how it can be quantified. The paper shows an intimate connection between such coefficient and a labor productivity growth. Having quantified the parameters of industrial development in the Sakhalin Oblast, the author shows that, for the period up to 2025, this region will mainly develop according to an investment scenario.  Some economic inertia will also be in effect.

Range of goods produced in Siberian
regions, geographical priorities of an
export-import policy in regions, their
high activity and industrial potentials
allows us to state that the regions are
ready for better and wider export-import
activity. We identify two clusters of
regions characterized by different
capacities, and the ways of improving
the management of their operation in
foreign markets of food and agricultural
raw material. We assess the potentials
of key exported products with
consideration for an import-substituting
development strategy; identify and
assess a set of products of critical
import-dependence; and present our
evaluation of prospects in import
substitution.

The paper considers the issues of the
long-term development in the Yamal-
Nenetz Autonomous Okrug. We show that
the current financial and economic
crisis may significantly affect the
implementation of the large-scale
projects of system-forming character for
this region. We also evaluate the export
risks for the Yamal Natural Gas
Production Project if European partners
switch over to other gas markets. Should
the Project be withdrawn, the regional
fiscal losses will be so high that the
complete revision of the Yamal socio-
economic strategy will be required.

Dynamics of key reproductivity indicators for both the Privolzhsky Federal District and Russia in whole demonstrates the similarity of socio-economic conditions and dynamics of demographic processes taking place there. As we determined, over almost two passed decades the steady depopulation had been observed in the District. We also identify the trends concerning the birth and death rates, and show the reserves to make the demographic situation in the District sounder.

The paper proposes a new classification of sectoral market players (firms) by indicators such as "concentration of firms" and "soundness of leading market positions". This classification allows identifying the several types of markets which can be characterized by their market power and models of players' behavior. We analyses Russian markets by applying such classification criteria, and show that the "concentration of firms" for all markets under study proved to have high values. This means that there can be observed the dominating players in the markets, while of a different dominating degree (therefore, market power). As such players dominate in markets, no further development of liberal forms of competition may be expected, as well as the players' behavior models prevailing in markets is far from traditional forms of competitiveness.

The paper shows a present state of the
Siberian scientific, technological and
innovation potential which includes a
number of scientific achievements of
world's significance, a developed system
of higher education and scientific
personnel training, and an advanced
industrial complex including the
knowledge-intensive sectors. We identify
the key challenges of future development
and key problems required to be resolved
to build a holistic innovation system in
Siberia which could adequately solve
such challenges; and propose a scenario
of how the existed potential could be
targeted on innovation development that
allow better competitive advantages of
SFD and more favorable conditions of
life.

The paper considers theoretical issues and methodical approaches of what would be the research and information tools, how they could be built and applied to a regional strategic decision-making system. We present a case-study concerning the situation analysis of the issues of the long-term development in the Khanty-Mancie Okrug; and can conclude that combining both the quantitative methods and models and the qualitative approaches to the analysis of real administrative situations would be successful providing that certain conditions are ensured.

Having analyzed the Russian applied future energy consumption techniques, the author focuses on regional components, and shows some dispute aspects. The author offers and validates the ways of how to improve a current future energy consumption technique. The paper presents the data concerning the Krasnoyarsk Kray and calculated according to both current technique and improved one.

The paper analyzes tendencies in informatization of public and municipal governance, and shows the role which e-government plays in providing public and municipal services. The author presents his theoretical considerations concerning power sharing between federal, regional and local authorities on issues of e-government. He also describes the institutional features of forming e-government in municipal administrations.

The paper shows that a multi-level
management system applicable in market
environment proved to be inconsistent
with network-economy. A two-level
management system is considered more
applicable in the context of network-
economy as it allows reducing the time
required for forecasting, planning,
accounting, analysis, and control over
production. The author proves that
management systems in contexts of market
economy, network-economy and "command-
hierarchy" economy differ from each
other in to what degree they are
oriented on client's demand for a
certain product.

The paper identifies the regional research inequalities in six states of the European Union, and shows that decentralization of science and R&D would contribute to the enhancement of regional cohesion and should became a priority of economic strategies.

The paper shows what specific features of the economic structure in Heilongjiang Province allow reducing negative impacts of the financial crisis on different spheres of the Province economy, and describes the economic and social measures which central and province governments undertakes to come out of a recession.

The complex analysis of the oil policy conducted by the Republic of Kazakhstan identifies potential ways of its diversifying. The best variant to develop the oil-and-gas sector is gradual increasing of the volumes of oil-and-gas processing and covering of the inland and foreign consumers' demand for wide variety of oil-products.

In the review, materials are generalized concerning the chemistry and pharmacological properties of phytogenous alkaloid berberine available under the conditions of Russia. Methods for berberine isolation from plant raw material as well as the biological activity of berberine and its synthetic derivatives are considered. The reactions of berberine and its hydrogenated derivatives occurring both with the conservation of protoberberine skeleton and with its transformation are considered in detail.

Biological transformation routes were studied for some aromatic compounds by the strains of fungi Trichoderma asperellum and Penicillium cyclopium isolated earlier from hydrolytic lignin. It has been demonstrated that the destruction of these compounds is of oxidative nature. The biological transformation of aromatic substrates is accompanied by the reactions of α-oxidation, demethylation, oligomerization, aromatic ring destruction. Cellulase and Mn-dependent peroxidase were revealed to be present in the enzymatic complexes of the fungi. Correlation between the dynamics of Mn-dependent peroxidase activity and the rate of aromatic compound destruction has been observed. For composting lignocellulosic wastes, the strains Trichoderma asperellum Nos. 3, 10 and 11 those exhibit the maximal Mn-peroxidase activity and a high rate of aromatic substrate utilization have been chosen.

Equations for the apparent molar volume φ of urea in aqueous solution were obtained. In contrast to [3, 4], according to the new relations here, φ remains finite at a singularity temperature T_s, and φ⁰ = 0. At T → T_s, the partial expansibility is finite, whereas the thermal coefficient → +∞. A transition to calculation of the volumetric characteristics of the D₂O-(ND₂)₂CO and Т₂O-(NТ₂)₂CO systems is done by temperature scaling.

The molecular and crystal structure of Cu(II) bischelate with the deprotonated stable nitroxide radical 4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-2-(2-oxo-1-(4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazolidine-2-ylidene)ethyl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazole-3-oxide-1-oxylom (HL) are studied. It is revealed that the complex packing is formed of separate CuL₂ molecules. Oxygen atoms in >N∂O groups do not participate in Cu²⁺ ion coordination, and so only weak exchange interactions are observed between paramagnetic centers in CuL₂.

The rhenium cyano-bridged cluster complex with a composition of β-[{Ni(NH₃)₅}₂{Re₆Te₈(CN)₆}]·4H₂O is obtained and structurally characterized. The compound crystallizes in the triclinic space group with the unit cell parameters: a = 9.997(2) Å, b = 10.423(2) Å, c = 11.714(2) Å, α = 100.92(3)°, β = 111.87(3)°, γ = 98.05(3)°, V = 1082.1(4) ų, Z = 1, d_calc = 4.072 g/cm³. The rhenium atoms of the {Re₆Te₈} cluster core are coordinated by CN ligands to form the [Re₆Te₈(CN)₆]^4- cluster; two nitrogen atoms of CN ligands trans-positioned with respect to each other are coordinated to Ni atoms in the {Ni(NH₃)₅}²⁺ fragments to form the molecular complexes of [{Ni(NH₃)₅}₂{Re₆Te₈(CN)₆}]. The crystal structure is the H-bonded packing of these molecular complexes and crystallization water molecules.

At T = 150 K, the crystal structure of [Сu(NH₃)₄](ReO₄)₂ is studied: a = 6.5167(3) Å, b = 6.7790(3) Å, c =7.4627(3) Å, α = 67.336(1)°, β = 80.004(1)°, γ = 70.687(1)°, V = 286.70(2) ų, P-1 space group, Z = 1, d_x = 3.661 g/cm³. We analyze the packing of ions using the translation sublattice isolation technique.

X-ray diffraction is used to determine the crystal and molecular structure of spirocyclic (С=O→Si←
O′=C′) bis(2-methyl-4-pyrone-3-oxy)difluoro(λ⁶)siliconium containing a hypervalent silicon atom and the previously unknown F₂SiO₄ coordination center. The coordination polyhedron of the silicon atom is a slightly distorted octahedron.

4,4′-Bipyridinium bis(trans-2-hydroxycinnamate) bis(4,4′-bipyridine), 0.5(C₁₀H₁₀N₂)²⁺·
·(C₉H₇O₃)^-·C₁₀H₈N₂, crystallizes in triclinic system, space group P-1, with a = 7.4211(8), b = 9.9516(11), c = 13.8587(15) Å, β = 92.510(2), α = 96.772(2), γ = 99.164(2)°, V == 1001.33(19) ų, ρ_calc = 1.321 g/cm³, Z = 2. In the crystal, the whole trans-2-hydroxycinnamate is disordered over two sites with different occupancies. The molecular species are linked by O-H…N and N-H…O hydrogen bonds into five-molecule hydrogen bonded chain associates that are further linked by C-H…O hydrogen bonds into layers with the major orientation of the disordered 2-hydroxycinnamate. However such hydrogen bonds are not observed with the minor orientation.

The title compound, [Zn(pytpy)₂][NO₃]₂·2H₂O (pytpy = 4′-(4-pyridyl)-2,2′: 6′,2″-terpyridine), has been synthesized by the reaction of Zn(NO₃)₂∙6H₂O with pytpy, and its crystal structure was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The crystal belongs to tetragonal space group P4₃ with a = 0.90873(8), b = 0.90873(8), c = 4.4741(6) nm, V = 3.6946(7) nm³, Z = 4, D_c = 1.521 g/cm^-3, μ = 0.736 mm^-1, F(000) = 1744, R = 0.0871, wR = 0.1302 for 5553 observed reflections with I > 2σ(I). X-ray analysis has revealed that the Zn^II ion is surrounded by six N atoms from two pytpy ligands leading to a distorted octahedral geometry. In the crystal structure there are numerous strong intermolecular and intramolecular H-bonds and π-π interactions.