Russia may be allowed to extract minerals from associated waters

Subsurface users want to be allowed to extract minerals from associated waters. The corresponding bill of the State Duma plans to consider in the first reading at one of the next plenary meetings.

The author of the document was the Government of Russia.

The draft law proposes to enable subsoil users, who carry out exploration and production of hydrocarbons from underground waters, to organize the extraction of other useful components from associated waters.

It is also proposed to exclude the status of subsoil plots of federal significance for subsoil plots containing lithium deposits, and to take into account only the reserves of primary deposits of these minerals when referring to subsoil plots of federal significance.

According to the current legislation, subsoil users can extract only those minerals that are indicated in the subsoil use license. At the same time, since 2016 state companies have received the right to extract associated minerals as an experiment.

The authors emphasize that the implementation of the initiative will contribute to solving the problems of creating import-substituting industries of lithium, iodine, boron and other useful components in Russia.

Source: https://www.pnp.ru/