Record 416 million dollars spent on '07 exploration

摘要

Mineral exploration investment in British Columbia soared to a record 416 million dollars during 2007, an increase of 57 percent from 2006. B.C. now accounts for about 17 percent of Canadian mineral exploration investments, up from about 7 percent in 2000. Exploration drilling, a strong indicator of activity and success, reached about 1.25 million metres during the year, more than a 50 percent increase from 830,000 metres drilled in 2006. Tenure acquisitions during 2007, at 58,300 sq. km, were roughly equivalent to 2006 levels. Out of more than 470 exploration projects in the province in 2007, 100 had exploration budgets of more than 1 million dollars. British Columbia ranks third in Canada for the value of its mineral and coal production with a forecast worth of solid mineral production of 5.9 billion dollars. There were 10 coal, 11 metal, 36 major industrial minerals quarries and mines, a number of placer mines, and more than 1,100 aggregate pits in operation during 2007. Coal is the single most important commodity by value and copper is second. Other important commodities produced are molybdenum, industrial minerals, gold, construction aggregates, silver and zinc. Coking coal and pulverized injection coal (PCI) production increased in the northeast to more than 3 million tonnes in 2007 from 1.6 million tonnes in 2006 and stayed constant in the southeast at roughly 21 million tonnes. Clean coal production should be between 24 to 25 million tonnes.