OREANDA-NEWS. November 8, 2012. The 7th All-Russian Geologists' Convention was held in Moscow from 24th to 27th October 2012. Uralkali was represented by Yuri Plotnikov, Chief Geologist and head of the department for geological and exploration projects (far right in the photo), and Aleksey Kouchev, head of the chief geologist's department (far left).

The key themes discussed at the convention included the current status of geological science as well as the legislative changes needed for the efficient use of subsoil and for effective personnel training.

In order to draw the government’s attention to these problems, the convention's participants came to the decision to send a written request to the State Duma of the Russian Federation for amendments to the key ‘On Subsoil’ and ‘On Public Procurement’ laws.

Proposals and projects discussed at the event were supported by fellow participant Sergey Donskoy, Russian Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment.

"It is very important for Uralkali's geologists to remain involved in work on amendments to the ‘On Subsoil’ law,” said Yuri Plotnikov. “We are keen to provide professional development for our specialists. In addition, we are looking into alternative sources of funding for our geological and exploration activities. One option would be to allocate a portion of the extraction tax to geological and exploration activities paid for by the federal budget. Another major issue is obtaining permission for a drilling site on a land plot with a long-term lease.”