Transformation of the spatial organization of economies in the single-resource regions in conditions of energy transition and decarbonization of the mining industry
O.Yu. Smyslova1,2, L.A. Shmeleva1, E.A. Melay3, V.E. Krylov4, S.N. Markov5
1 Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russian Federation
2 Bunin Yelets State University, Yelets, Russian Federation
3 Tula Branch of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Tula, Russian Federation
4 Vladimir Branch of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Vladimir, Russian Federation
5 Omsk Branch of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Omsk, Russian Federation
Russian Mining Industry №2/ 2026 p. 184-191
Abstract: This research focuses on spatial organization of economies in the single-resource regions of the Russian Federation that experience a combined effect of the global energy transition, tightening carbon regulations, and redirection of the export flows in the mining industry. The study aims to make a quantitative assessment of the depth of structural deformations in the economic space of coal- and oil-and-gas-producing regions and to justify parameters of the following three spatial transformation scenarios: inertial, adaptive, and proactive. The methodological framework includes the Herfindahl–Hirschman Index (HHI) for measuring the sectoral concentration of the gross regional product, employment location quotients, decomposition analysis of carbon intensity of mining operations, and econometric modeling of the relationship between the investments in decarbonization and the diversification dynamics. The empirical base covers data from Rosstat, the Russian Ministry of Energy, TsDU TEK, and the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory for 2019–2025 across eight key single-resource regions that collectively account for over 78% of the total coal production and 92% of the hydrocarbon extraction in the country. The HHI for the Kemerovo Region decreased from 0.58 (2019) to 0.48 (2025), indicating an onset of the forced diversification, while the cumulative losses of the coal companies reached 112.6 billion rubles in 2024, with mining employment declining by 3,800 persons annually. The carbon intensity of the coal mining regions exceeds that of the oil-and-gas regions by a factor of 1.9–2.2, standing at 1.82 t CO2-eq per thousand tonnes of the coal mined. The proactive scenario that envisages an increase in decarbonization investments to 4.2% of the GRP enables a 35% reduction in the carbon intensity by 2035 with a simultaneous increase in the diversification index to 0.37. The practical significance of the results lies in their applicability to formulating fair energy transition strategies for the resource-based regions
Keywords: single-resource regions, spatial economy, energy transition, decarbonization, mining industry, Herfindahl–Hirschman Index, economic diversification, carbon intensity
For citation: Smyslova O.Yu., Shmeleva L.A., Melay E.A., Krylov V.E., Markov S.N. Transformation of the spatial organization of economies in the single-resource regions in conditions of energy transition and decarbonization of the mining industry. Russian Mining Industry. 2026;(2):184–191. https://doi.org/10.30686/1609-9192-2026-2-184-191
Information about the article
Received: 29.12.2025
Received after peer review: 24.02.2026
Accepted: 25.02.2026
Information about the authors
Olga Yu. Smyslova – Doctor of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor, Leading Researcher at the Institute of Regional Economics and Interbudgetary Relations, Professor at the Department of Management and General Humanities, Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russian Federation; Professor at the Department of Economics and Management named after N.G. Nechaev, Bunin Yelets State University, Yelets, Russian Federation; https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7008-5319; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Lyudmila A. Shmeleva – Candidate of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor at the Department of Operational and Industry Management, Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russian Federation; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4380-3850; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Elena A. Melay – Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Economics and Management, Tula Branch of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Tula, Russian Federation; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7605-9186; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Vasily E. Krylov – Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Associate Professor, Vladimir Branch of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Vladimir, Russian Federation; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Sergey N. Markov – Candidate of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor at the Department of Finance and Accounting, Omsk Branch of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Omsk, Russian Federation; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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