Bakhramov Kh. S., General Manager, phone: +7 (3022) 354-642; Dolbak V. P., Assistant of General Manager; Petrovsky P. P., Main specialist-expert, Candidate of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences, Depatment on using the mineral resources in Zbaikalsky krai — “Zabaykalnedra”.

The authors of the article note that the economy of Zabaikalsky region is characterized by a raw-material orientation and therefore the mineral complex is of great importance for its economic and social development. The region remains one of the country leaders in extraction of uranium, tungsten and molybdenum. Hard and brown coal, gold, antimony and other minerals are also produced there, and thus the geological branch refers to one of the most important in the region. After a deep recession during market reforms in 2005–2011 the geological branch has been strongly developing supported by a significant growth in money investments from different sources and by gains in physical scope of work. As a result the reserves and prognostic resources of different minerals, especially gold, antimony, and polymetals were increased and this proved that the investment of state and private financial means in the geological branch of the region was successful and effective. At the same time the present condition of the mineral base does not meet the present-day needs of the region, despite a substantial growth of financing of the exploration works from different sources within the framework of state and regional programs and obvious success of these works over the last years. The deterrents of its development are the following: insufficient state target financing of the prospecting works, long procedure of their approval, complicated system of obtaining the right for geological studying of the declared territory at its own expense, etc. The authors of the article offer a package of measures to decrease impact of the mentioned adverse factors on strengthening of the regional mineral base and make a conclusion that the Zabaikalsky region is one of the most attractive regions of our country for investing in the geological branch.