All-Russian Scientific Research Institute for Geology and Mineral Resources of the Ocean “VNIIOkeanogeologia” named after I. S. Gramberg (Saint Petersburg, Russia):

Smirnov A. N., Deputy Director of Scientific Work, Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences, e-mail: okeangeo@vniio.ru

Ushakov V. I., Chief Researcher, Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences

Polar Marine Geosurvey Expedition (Saint Petersburg, Russia):

Kryukov V. D., Director, Candidate of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences

The considerable part of the world's tin (cassiterite) is being extracted from the placer objects, situated within the boundaries of shelf zones of the World ocean. Development of mineral and raw material base of tin in Russian Federation should foresee not only the growth of reserves of the primary deposits, but also increasing of a part of placer deposits as the most profitable in the total balance of reserves (in Russia, 12.4% to the end of 1990-s). Northern East is one of main Russian tin extraction regions. However, cassiterite placers in the shelf area of Northern East are still considered as non-traditional and rather potential sources of tin. In particular, such situation in this region is connected with insufficient research of the shelf zone and peculiarities of shelf formation of placers. This situation is also connected with insignificant Russian experience of processing of placers at the water area. Geological prospecting works at the shelf and islands of Eastern Arctic seas made it possible to establish the range of placer regions, including the large-scale placer regions and regions with high contents of tin in the following deposits:
-Chokurdakh-Svyatonosskiy region with Chokurdakh deposit, situated at the water area of Van'kina Guba;
-Lyakhovsky region with three large deposits (Malaya Kutta, Zapadnoe, Boruoga) in the Proliv Eterikan;
-Chaunsky-Kiberovskiy region with tin placers in Chaunskaya Guba (East Siberian Sea) — water area flank of Pevek ore-placer centre (Pribrezhnaya, Pevekskaya, Yuzhnaya, Valkumeyskaya).
The global tendency of a growth of tin demand defines the reasonability of detailed geological and economic analysis and estimation of technical and technological peculiarities of mastering of placer deposits at the shelfs of Eastern Arctic seas in the foreseeable future, taking into account rather significant reserves.

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2. Samoylov A. G. Mineralnye bogatstva vysokikh shirot i Sevmorput (Mineral resources of high latitudes and Northern Sea Route). Saratov : Puls, 2004, 64 p.
3. Tekhnologiya dobychi poleznykh iskopaemykh so dna morey i okeanov (Technology of extraction of mineral resources from the bottoms of seas and oceans). Under the general editorship of V. V. Rzhevskiy, G. A. Nurok. Moscow : Nedra, 1979, 381 p.