M a y 2014 C a n adi a n M inin g J o ur n a l 1 3 acco r din g t o t h e m os t r e cen t 2012 f ig ur es f r o m N a t ura l R es o ur ces C a n ad a NR C a n M in era l s a n d M et a l s S e c t o r t h er e w er e 24 p er mi t t e d co a l min es in C a n ad a 19 o f w hic h a r e c ur r en t l y in o p e ra t io n T en a r e l o c a t e d in B r i t i s h C o l um b i a nin e in A l b er t a t hr e e in Sa s ka t c h e wa n a n d t w o in N o va S co t i a K e v in S t o n e S enio r A d v i s o r a t NR C a n s a ys t h a t C a n ad a p r o d uce d a lm os t 67 mi l lio n t o nn es M t o f co a l in 2012 o f w hic h 47 p er cen t wa s co k in g co a l Th e p r o d uc t io n o f co k in g co a l in cr e a s e d b y 55 p er cen t f r o m 295 M t in 2011 t o 311 M t in 2012 Thi s in cr e a s e wa s dr i v en b y t h e s t e e l in d u s t r y b u t n o t n e ces s a r i l y C a n ad a s b e c a u s e w e s hi p p e d a lm os t a l l o f o ur co a l t o o f fs h o r e c u s t o m er s w hi le k e ep in g o n l y a sm a l l a m o un t f o r do m es t ic p ur p os es M os t o f t h e o u t p u t in t h e co k in g co a l c a t eg o r y wa s h a r d co k in g co a l a n d o n l y a sm a l l p o r t io n wa s p u l v er ize d co a l in j e c t io n PCI co a l A p p r o xim a t e l y 43 M t o f b i t umin o u s t h er m a l co a l w er e p r o d uce d in 2012 m os t o f w hic h wa s exp o r t e d a n d a b o u t 216 M t o f s u b b i t umin o u s co a l a n d 95 M t o f lig ni t e co a l w er e p r o d uce d in 2012 b o t h o f w hic h w er e u s e d f o r do m es t ic co a lf ir e d p o w er g en era t io n S t o n e adde d t h a t s t a t i s t ics s h o w e d t h a t B r i t i s h C o l um b i a p r o d uce d 288 M t o f co a l A l b er t a p r o d uce d 283 M t w hi le Sa s ka t c h e wa n s u bs e q uen t l y p r o d uce d 95 M t in r e l a t io n t o t h e n um b er o f co a l min es in e ac h p r o v in ce W i t h f ur t h er r ef er en ce t o t h e n um b er a n d lo c a t io n o f o p era t in g co a l min es in C a n ad a S t o n e s a ys t h er e wa s a b o o m in co a l p r o j e c ts de v e lo p m en t in 2012 w i t h f i v e n e w p r o j e c ts a p p l y in g f o r en v ir o n m en t a l a s s es sm en t C a rb o n Cr e e k M ur ra y R i v er E c h o H i l l B in ga y a n d S u k un ka A l l f i v e p r o j e c ts a r e lo c a t e d in B C w i t h f o ur o f t h em p l a nnin g t o p r o d uce co k in g co a l a n d o t h er b i t umin o u s t h er m a l co a l f o r exp o r t C o a l minin g p r o j e c ts in o t h er p a r ts o f t h e co un t r y a l s o m ade h e ad lin es r e cen t l y s t a r t in g w i t h N o va S co t i a s D o n k in co a l p r o j e c t a n d t h e C a n adi a n En v ir o nm en t a l A s s es sm en t A g en c y s CEAA r e le a s e in A p r i l 2013 o f i ts co m p r e h en si v e en v ir o nm en t a l a s s es s m en t s t ud y f o r p u b lic co n s u l t a t io n f o r t h e p r o p os e d D o n k in co a l p r o j e c t Th e CEAA f o un d t h a t t h e p r o j e c t i s n o t li k e l y t o c a u s e sig nif ic a n t ad v er s e en v ir o nm en t a l ef f e c ts Th e p r o j e c t p r o p o n en t p r o p os es t o co n s t r uc t a n d o p era t e a n un der g r o un d co a l min e a t t h e si t e o f t h e exi s t in g D o n k in min e lo c a t e d o n t h e D o n k in P enin s u l a in C a p e B r et o n I t w o u ld p r o d uce 36 M ty o f r uno f min e co a l a n d 275 M ty o f co k in g co a l f o r exp o r t P r o d uc t io n i s p r o j e c t e d t o b eg in b y t h e en d o f 2017 Th e min e lif e i s exp e c t e d t o ra n g e b et w e en 20 a n d 30 As mentioned above here s a brief descrip tion of the fve projects proposed for British Columbia Car der o Resour ces Corp proposes to develop a mine with surface and underground operations that would have a combined an nual production capacity of 29 Mt of coking coal for export T he proposed Carbon Creek mine site is located approximately 40km west of Hudson s Hope in northeastern B C HD Mining Inter national Ltd propos es to develop the Murray River underground coal mine with an annual production capac ity of 6 Mt of coking coal for export over 31 years T he proposed mine site is located about 125km southwest of T umbler Ridge in northeastern B C Hillsbor ough Resour ces Ltd proposes to develop an openpit mine with an annual production capacity of 115 Mt of bitumi nousgrade thermal coal for export over a mine life of 1014 years T he proposed Echo Hill mine site is located approximately 44km north of T umbler Ridge Centermount Coal Ltd proposes to de velop a mine with surface and underground operations that would have a combined an nual production capacity of 2 Mt for export T he proposed Bingay Main mine site is lo cated approximately 21km north of Elkford in southeastern B C Xstrata Coal Canada proposes to develop a mine with surface and underground opera tions that would have a combined annual pro duction capacity of 1525 Mt of coking coal for export that would increase to 6 Mty over 20 years T he proposed Sukunka coal mine site is located approximately 55km south of Chet wynd and 40 km west of T umbler Ridge FIVE NEW CO AL MINES PROPOSED FOR B C Coal mining projects in Canada range from mas sive openpit operations to smaller more localized mines where less equip ment is required