The major purpose of the public policy in the area of natural and mineral resources exploitation and management is

To ensure renewability and efficient exploitation of the mineral resources for sustainable development of the country;

To ensure rational and comprehensive employment of mineral resources;

To protect the geopolitical interest including that in the world mineral resources market;

To enhance national security.

One of the major areas of activity for the Ministry here is to develop rational use of the mineral resources in Stavropol Krai, to increase the efficiency for mineral resources production and processing, enhancing the stock of economically strategic resources, and to detect newer types of extractable resources.

According to a geological-economic evaluation by the North-Caucasus Branch of Russian Institute for Economy of Mineral Resources, the potential of the extractable resources and potentially available minerals in Stavropol Krai is estimated at the level of USD 56 bln. The most valuable resources include hydrocarbon resources, which account for around 38% of the total value of all the extractable resources, 32% of these being oil, as well as common extractable resources with a share of 42%.

The share of underground fresh waters in the mineral resource potential is 10%.

Other resources include Titanium, Zirconium, glass-melting sand, mineral and thermal waters, which make up for the remaining 10%.

About 300 mineral fields are known to be available in Stavropol Krai, including deposits of hydrocarbons; glass-melting sand; Titanium and Zirconium; mineral, thermal, iodine-bromine and fresh underground waters, as well as common minerals resources.

Besides, there are geological conditions to detect industrial stocks of environmentally clean natural fertilizers – phosphorites, borates, zeolites. There is forecasting data available that suggest potential detection of high-quality stocks of bentonites that can be used as non-metallic feeds for metallurgical industry; argillous raw material, and carbonate resources of ancient Mesozoic deposits – all these may be used as cement and ceramic raw material for numerous purposes.

In addition, there are geological prerequisites for the identification of industrial stocks of eco-friendly natural fertilizer – phosphates, borates, zeolites. Forecasts offer hope for the identification of high quality deposits of bentonite, used as non-metallic metallurgical raw materials, clay and carbonate material of ancient Mesozoic sediments used as cement and ceramic raw materials with multiple uses.

Currently CJSC "EUROCEMENT group" conducts prospecting works and implements the project of construction of new technological line of cement production capacity of 3500 tons of clinker per day on the basis of Spassky field in blagodarnensky district of Stavropol Krai.