1 8 C a n adi a n M inin g J o ur n a l M a y 2014 w w w c a n adi a nminin gj o ur n a l co m C o a l in C a n ad a Canadas rugged shorelines have an inner beaut y too By Russell Noble C a n ad a i s b les s e d w i t h m a n y di s tinc t f e a t ur es mos t no ta b ly i ts tho us a nds o f f r es hwa t e r l a k es i ts f l a t f e r ti l e a nd s e e min g ly e nd l es s p r a iri e l a nds a l o n g a nd o p e n b o r d e r w i th i ts l a r g es t tr adin g p a r t ne r a nd p r o b a b ly mos t o u ts ta ndin g o f a l l mo un ta ino us co as ta l r eg i o n s tha t f l a n k the co un tr y w i th r ug g e d b e a u ty I t s tr u ly a co un tr y o f dis tinc ti o n b u t p e rha ps i ts mos t o u ts ta ndin g f e a t ur es a r e no t v is i b l e the y r e b uri e d d e ep b e ne a th the s urface a n a b und a nce o f mine r a ls tha t a r e a lmos t s e co nd t o no ne a n y w he r e in the w o rl d F r o m the ir o nri c h r eg i o n s o f N e w f o und l a nd a nd L a b r ad o r in the e as t t o the g o l d a nd o the r p r e ci o us met a ls in On ta ri o thr o ug h p o tas h ur a ni um a nd o i l mi dwa y thr o ug h the co un tr y t o f ina l ly the B C co as t a nd the w e a l th o f o r e f o und in the R o c ky M o un ta in s C a nad a is a na ti o n b urs tin g w i th a p l e ni t u d e o f mine r a ls C o a l as me n ti o ne d in the p r e v i o us a r ti c l es is f o und o n b o th co as ts p l us Al b e r ta a nd S as k a t c he wa n b u t no w he r e is i t mo r e p l e n tifu l a nd e asy t o acces s tha n in B ri tis h C o l um b i a I ts mo un ta in s a r e l o ad e d w i th i t a nd acco r din g t o the B ri tis h C o l um b i a G e o l og i c a l S ur v e y M inis tr y o f E ne r g y a nd M ines B C s 10 p e rmi t t e d co a l mines p r o d u ces c l os e t o 58 o f r e v e n u es f o r a l l mines in the p r o v ince C o a l co mes f r o m f o ur r eg i o n s f iv e mines in the s o u the as t e rn p a r t o f the p r o v ince a nd thr e e in the no r the as t e rn p a r t w he r e ma in ly co k in g a nd p u lv e riz e d co a l in je c ti o n PCI co a l is p r o d u ce d w hi l e tw o o the r mines the Q uin s a m mine o n V a nco uv e r I s l a nd a nd the B as in mine in the s o u th w es t in t e ri o r p r o d u ce the rma l co a l I n t o ta l thes e 10 mines p r o d u ce d a n es tima t e d 312 mi l li o n t o nnes o f co a l va l u e d a t a b o u t 46 mi l li o n l as t y e a r B r u ce M ad u Dir e c t o r M ine r a l D e v e l o p me n t Of f i ce B ri tis h C o l um b i a G e o l og i c a l S ur v e y p o in ts o u t tha t e xp l o r a ti o n e xp e ndi t ur es b y co m p a ni es l o o k in g t o e xp a nd o r f ind ne w co a l d ep os i ts r e ac he d a b o u t 119 mi l li o n a nd ne w co a l li ce n s e a p p li c a ti o n s n um b e r e d 155 in 2013 f o r a t o ta l o f 197681 he c ta r es F o r the f irs t time s ince 2007 the p r o v ince a ls o is s u e d ne w co a l l e as es s a y s M ad u A 3800 hal e as e e xp a nd e d the e xis tin g l e as e a t T e c k C o a l L imi t e d s M o un t B a b co c k p r o je c t s o u the as t o f T um b l e r R i dg e A s a fur the r s ig n tha t co a l is o f g r o w in g in t e r es t M ad u s a y s The G o v e rnme n t o f C a nad a is a ls o co n s i d e rin g a n o p e n co m p eti tiv e s a l e o f p a r ts o f the D o mini o n C o a l B l o c ks in the K o o t e na y r eg i o n CO A S T AL CO AL