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Fee for state expertise of reserves - is not an «accounting formality» but a legal point of entry into the procedure: in most cases the payment must be made prior to application and materials. Errors in payment (wrong amount, recipient, purpose of payment) most often cause delays even before substantive review begins - and push the project calendar forward.
Below you will find practical instructions on what is charged for and at what stage, what the amount depends on, how to pay correctly and what to specify in the purpose of payment, as well as typical mistakes and how to prevent them. The issues of material composition and file formats are dealt with separately: «Documents.» и «File Formats.».
Table of Contents
What the fee is for and when it is mandatory
The fee is charged for the state expert examination of mineral reserves and underground water, as well as (in some cases) for the expert examination of geological information on subsoil areas provided for use.
Critical: in a typical scenario, the payment is made before applying and accompanying materials. This means that payment should be planned as part of the preparation of the kit, rather than as a «post-load» action.
Who is usually the payer:
- legal entities and individual entrepreneurs - subsurface users;
- public institutions, The rules of the Federal Agency for Subsurface Resources or its territorial body (special rules may apply to them).
Where the fee is credited:
- as a general rule - in federal budget revenue;
- in some cases budget of the constituent entity of the Russian Federation (e.g., when expertise is conducted by the subject authorities for subsoil areas of local importance, as well as for reserves of commonly occurring minerals and groundwater for drinking/technical water supply with extraction of up to 500 meters)3/day).
Regulatory and reference materials (for convenience):
- Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 335 of 01.03.2023 (procedure and annexes on fees) - PDF
- Organization of state expert review: background information - PDF
Up-to-date editions and official publications are recommended to check against government resources:
What the amount depends on: principles of calculation
The amount of the fee is determined by not “for expertise in general”, but by a combination of two parameters:
- type of materials (stock counts, operational changes, write-offs, certain types of justifications, etc.). - each situation has its own row in the rate table);
- field category by size of reserves (categories for payment purposes are set separately and used in rate selection).
Additional rules that most often “break” budgeting:
- Complex deposits: the fee is determined for the mineral with the largest volume of reserves in a given field.
- UWS, Operational Changes: in some cases the fee is calculated per deposit, not “for the field as a whole”.
- State agencies of Rosnedra/TO Rosnedra: under conditions stipulated by the rules (when the preparation of materials is included in the state task), the amount of the fee may be set in the amount of 1/100 of the prime rate.
A quick algorithm to calculate the amount:
- Record the type of materials (what exactly are you claiming for expertise).
- Determine the category of the deposit by value of inventory (for payment purposes).
- Check out the special conditions (comprehensiveness, calculation “by deposit”, additional blocks of materials, special rules for government agencies).
- Make an internal “fee calculation sheet” (1 page): table row, category, amount, brief justification. This reduces the risk of error between the technical block and finance.
Cost benchmarks (examples of rates from the table; a full list of material types and rates is in the appendix to Resolution No. 335):
| Scenario (type of material) | How it counts | Fee amount (thousand rubles) | What's important to consider |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estimation of geological reserves of hydrocarbon deposits (base line) | By field category | Unique - 800; large - 480; medium - 320; small - 160 | If additional blocks of materials are claimed - separate lines with their own rates are applied |
| Estimation of reserves of deposits (excluding hydrocarbons): example - ore and diamonds | By field category | Large - 360; medium - 240; small - 120 | Rates are different for other types of facilities and types of materials - check the row in the table |
| Groundwater resources estimation (baseline scenario) | By field category | Large - 160; medium - 80; small - 40 | There is a separate flat rate for individual cases (single wells, decommissioning) |
| Single wells (drinking/technical water supply) and write-off of groundwater reserves | Fixed | 10 | Common mistake: paid as “groundwater reserves calculation” for a major category |
| Operational change in the state of hydrocarbon reserves (typical scenario) | For each deposit | Basic - 30 | If at the same time additional justifications for individual indicators are claimed - the rate changes |
UWS - where the rate is most likely to be wrong (operational changes):
- Basic Material Composition: 30 thousand rubles (for each deposit).
- With additional justifications (depending on the composition): 36 thousand rubles.
- If two additional units are claimed at the same time: 42 thousand rubles.
Payment arrangements: practical steps
Proper payment is not only about transferring money, but also ensuring that it is correctly identified in conjunction with the application.
Recommended course of action:
- Calculate the amount (material type + category + special rules). Fix the calculation with an internal 1-page sheet.
- Determine the recipient's outline (the federal budget or the budget of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation - according to your case).
- Get the details from an up-to-date source (service card, personal account/EPGU, official materials). Do not copy details “from old payments”.
- Create a payment order with a designation that allows the payment to be unambiguously matched to the object and basis.
- Make the payment in advance (bank + internal approvals = real delay).
- Keep an internal registry «payment ↔ application ↔ object ↔ material version».
| Control element | Who's in charge | What to check before payment | Typical mistake |
|---|---|---|---|
| Correct line and amount | Process Owner / Chief Geologist | Type of materials, category, special rules (complexity/reserves/additional blocks) | Payment “by analogy” with another type of material |
| Recipient and budget | Legal/licensing + finance | Federal or regional contour; site/facility status | Paying into the “wrong” budget |
| Purpose of payment | Finance | Type/type of expertise, object, site, basis (license/contract/state assignment) | General wording without identifiers |
| The “payment ↔ statement” linkage” | Process owner | Register, version control, check of matching details | There is a payment, but there is no provable link to the kit within the company |
Purpose of payment: what to specify and what to check
The purpose of the payment must unambiguously answer the question: for what kind of expertise и on what property a payment has been made.
What to specify in the «Purpose of payment» field (minimum set of identifiers):
- Type and type of state expertise (stock counts, operational changes, write-offs, etc.);
- field name (or field area) and/or subsurface site;
- reference number (e.g., subsoil use license, government contract or government assignment, as applicable).
Fee for state expert examination of reserves (type: ________). Object: ________. Subsoil plot: ________. Ground: license No. ________.Control before sending payment:
- the name of the object and subsoil area coincide with the application;
- the license/foundation number is indicated without errors;
- if payment is “by deposit” - payment assignments should not be misleading (one payment = one deposit/one claim, if that is how the calculation is set up);
- if different types of materials are submitted - make separate payments.
Errors in payment and their consequences
Payment errors most often result not in “geology notes” but in organizational delays: until questions about the amount, payee, or destination are resolved, it is difficult to process the application at a normal pace.
Typical Mistakes:
- Wrong amount (wrong row, wrong category, no consideration of the “by deposit” rule, no consideration of additional material blocks).
- Payment upon submission, although the payment must be made at the entry to the procedure.
- Incorrect recipient/budget outline (federal vs regional).
- Weak purpose of payment without the object and base identifiers.
- One payment for several applications.
- Inconsistency of details between the payment and the application (facility, license, applicant).
| Error | Why does it arise | How to prevent |
|---|---|---|
| Paid “per field”, but need “per deposit” (UHS) | Transfer the logic of stock counting to operational changes | At the calculation stage, record: how many deposits are claimed and which row of the table is applicable |
| Paid as “groundwater reserves calculation”, although the object is a single well | Do not distinguish between a separate type of material with its own rate | First define the material type (table row), then the object category |
| Assignment of payment without object and basis | Use universal accounting language | Introduce a corporate appointment template + mandatory control fields |
| Paying into the “wrong” budget | Did not check the competence and regime of the facility | Identify the circuit (federal/regional) and recipient prior to payment |
| One payment for several applications | Trying to “simplify” payment discipline | Rule “one payment - one statement” + internal register |
FAQ
1) When to pay: before I apply or after?
The payment is made prior to application and materials. Plan for payment as part of the preparation for submission, not as an “after load” action.
2) How much does it cost for a state stock assessment?
The cost depends on material type (what exactly are you giving up) and field categories by size of reserves. The rates and categories are given in the annexes to Resolution No. 335.
3) What is the most common thing to get the sum wrong from?
Three reasons: (1) selecting the wrong row of the table (wrong type of materials), (2) incorrectly defining the category of the deposit, (3) not taking into account special rules (complexity, “per deposit”, additional blocks of materials).
4) Can multiple claims be closed with one payment?
Technically, this is sometimes done, but it's a risk. Apply the rule to minimize delays and manual refinements: one payment - one application.
5) What do I have to write in the purpose of payment?
Minimum: type/type of examination, object (field/area) and basis (e.g. license). The designation should allow the payment to be unambiguously matched to the application without correspondence.