Mining Empire: Earth Resources News

We're glad to announce the release date of our game Mining Empire: Earth Resources! This mining simulator will be available on Steam this Friday. Thank you all for waiting! We promise that it wasn't the vain expectation and you really enjoy the game.

And now let's remind you the main aspects of our game:

Money literally lies beneath our feet, but only few are willing to make an effort to get it. You are one of those enthusiasts who are not afraid of hard work and possible risks. Run a big corporation whose task is to extract minerals to build a lunar station!

Remember that here you are to take many aspects into account! Think about licenses to make your mining legal. Follow the statistics of extracted resources and take care of your reputation.

If you'll find any bugs or issues, let us know, so we can do our best to fix them as soon as possible. And, of course, don't forget to write a review!

Refining of oil products is a very complex process. After being delivered to the refineries, they go through several stages before turning into ready-to-use products.

• primary distillation preparation;
  
• primary oil refining (production of oil distillation products);
  
• oil and gas recycling (oil distillation product quality improvement);
  
• oil products received refining.
  

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Primary distillation preparation

The oil wells products, extracted during drilling, contain impurities, which include water, salt, clay, soil particles, sand and APG (associated petroleum gas). The longer a mine is exploited, the more water and other impurities does the extracted raw material includes.

To avoid this, raw materials are subjected to the complex processing of oil and gas (purification) process, mechanical in the first stage, and after that - fine. In addition, mining products are split in oil and gas separators at the preparatory stage. In order to increase the efficiency of further processing, the crude oil is dehydrated and desalted using special electrical desalting plants.

Primary oil refining

The purpose of primary refining is the split of oil and gases into separate hydrocarbon fractions. Such distillation allows to obtain a whole range of oil products and semi-finished products. The product of the crude oil distillation is called straight-run.

This process is based on the difference in boiling points of various hydrocarbons groups. As a result, crude oil is divided into various light and dark fractions, which are straight-run oil products.

Oil recycling

Secondary refining is a thermal and catalytic effect on a straight-run oil refining product, which changes the hydrocarbons nature, contained in it.

The main technologies of oil refining:

• Fuel. With the help of this technology, various highest-quality fuels are received;
  
• Fuel and lube. With this technology it is possible to get not only fuel, but also lubricating oils and, asphalt;
  
• Petrochemical. The technology that includes the greatest variety of end products: fuels, oils, synthetic rubber, detergents, alcohol and many other chemicals.
  

Purification of the resulting oil products

Removal of undesirable components (distillates and residues from the oil distillation) that adversely affect the performance properties of fuels and oils from the oil products. Such components include sulfur and nitrogen compounds, asphalt-resinous substances, etc.

The EXPOSE-R is an European Space Agency experiment that was held on the outside of the Russian ISS segment for the 22 months. Its main aim was undertaking exobiological studies on the effects of the space environment (ultraviolet radiation, vacuum and ionizing radiation) on organic and biological materials. This would allow to explore the likelihood and limitations of the spread of life beyond the Earth on other planets in the Solar System, as well as provide a better understanding of the processes governing the interaction of life with the environment on Earth.

During the experiment, the selective effect of hard cosmic ultraviolet radiation (with a wavelength of 200 nm) on the resting forms of various biological objects was first established.

Spores of microorganisms, seeds of higher plants, dry crustacean embryos that survived in the absence of ultraviolet, exhibited in outer space, died influenced by it, but the spores of microscopic fungi (Aspergillus sydowii, Aspergillus versicolor) and the mosquito larvae (Polypedilum vanderplankii) partially maintained their vitality under these conditions.

In 2007, a little-known creature called the Tardigrade became the first terrestrial organism that survived in open space. This research was conducted aboard the Foton-M3 satellite, the launch of which was sponsored by the European Space Agency. The purpose of the experiment was to find out how terrestrial organisms endure the extreme conditions of cosmic radiation at the molecular level. The result exceeded all expectations: the Tardigrade endured the short-term effects of extremely low temperatures, cosmic radiation and an almost complete vacuum.

Tardigrades (lat. Tardigrada) are widespread throughout the Earth, they could be found in the sea, freshwater ponds and on land. Their body is less than 1 mm long and they look like bears, although biologically they are very primitive organisms.

Over millions of years of evolution, the Tardigrades have learned to hibernate in adverse conditions, when almost all the functions of their vital activity are suspended. This condition is called cryptobiosis. It is believed that this ability allows Tardigrades to survive in outer space.

X-ray resistance is a side effect of the Tardigrades adaptation to dehydration. According to scientists, severe dehydration causes damage to living organisms at the molecular level, it can even break the DNA chain, as X-rays do. Scientists began exploring the capabilities of the Tardigrade using the genome sequencing of the Ramazzottius varieornatus Tardigrades species, whose cells are particularly resistant to external influences. As a result, it was found that a protein known as Dsup prevents the destruction of the DNA. It allows the Tardigrade to get through dehydration and radiation. Scientists have also found that human cells with the Tardigrade DNA elements can reduce the damage from x-rays by about 40%. Thus, on the basis of research, it is possible to develop mechanisms for protecting people from X-rays while undergoing treatment or under extreme conditions, including a long space flight.

The study of Tardigrades is actively continues. Scientists believe that the Tardigrade is the key to understanding of how earth life in general adapts to the conditions of a long stay in outer space.

Radiation is one of the main negative biological factors of outer space. There are two types of radiation that poses potential threats: solar flares cosmic rays. Solar flares are rather powerful radioactive impulses capable of killing in a very short time. Cosmic rays are a set of various particles that have a high linear energy transfer, because of what they are called densely ionizing radiation.



Radioprotective transgenes

Such transgenes can be obtained from many organisms with a high degree of radioresistance. If we identify the genes and molecular mechanisms responsible for increased radioresistance, they can be transferred to people with the help of gene therapy.

Radioprotectors

These are medical supplies that increase the body's radiation protection. They inhibit the body's radiochemical reactions, as well as increase the reactivity of the body's protective mechanisms.

Hibernation

Hibernation causes all slowing down of processes in the human body. In the course of the experiments, it was proved that in this state resistance to extreme factors increases: temperature decrease, fatal doses of radiation, overloads, and so on.

The problem of the radiation safety of space missions' participants belongs to the class of very complex problems that impede the conquest of space and solutions are sought immediately.