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Current Operations
Mining In British ColumbiaBritish Columbia is internationally renowned for its mineral resources and is recognized for being a major producer and exporter of coal, copper and molybdenum. These three remain in order British Columbia's first, second and third most important solid mineral products by value. Major minerals produced in BC (as a % of Canada's production): Coal (66%); Copper (40%); Silver (50%); Gold, Lead, Molybdenum & Zinc (Mining Association of BC - MABC). British Columbia is Canada's largest producer of copper, its only producer of molybdenum and the largest exporter of coal.
BC covers 18% of the total Canadian mineral resource production, behind only Quebec (19%) and Ontario (20%). Canada's coal mines and metal mines offered the highest average weekly wages followed by smelting and refining and non-metal mining.
As of 2011, there are 11 operating metal mines, 10 operating coal mines and over 30 industrial mineral operations across the province. More than 60% of Canadian exploration and mining companies are based in British Columbia. 26 mine proposals are in process of being reviewed at the Environmental Assessment office and 23 are under review at the pre-application stage. 2011 saw the opening of two new mines in BC and two began construction. There were 5 new permitted mines in BC as of 2011. The total value of solid mineral production for British Columbia in 2011 was estimated at $8.6 billion (BC Ministry of Energy and Mines - BCMEM). According to the Pricewaterhouse Coopers' (PwC) report on mining, BC's economy is strongly supported by the mining industry -- it reported pre-tax net earnings of $3.7 billion during 2010, up from $2.3 billion during 2009. Actual land usage for a mine is extremely small relative to the area explored -- less than 28,000 hectares are used by mining which is less than 0.03%of BC's total land base (BCMEM 2010).
Information on advanced mineral exploration projects is available in the latest BCMEM publication:
British Columbia Mining and Mineral Exploration Overview 2011
More detailed information can be found in the Ministry's full report:
Exploration and Mining in British Columbia 2011
Information on Mining in BC and the economy, read the PricewaterhouseCoopers annual report:
The Mining Industry in British Columbia 2010
