Here is another great Top 10
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Hi All
This past week I attended the annual “Round Up” conference for the exploration side of the mining industry and what a conference it was. The mood and tone in the industry is exceptional right now and we should see significant growth in mining over the next couple of years. With this week being the conference I thought I would focus this week’s Top 10 on some interesting stats on mining in B.C..
British Columbia is set to welcome the Year of the Rabbit, which kicks off Thursday, along with a variety of Lunar New Year events reflecting the Asia-Pacific influence that has helped build this province over the past 150 years. We encourage everyone to celebrate the instrumental role the Chinese community has played in building and bettering our province, and to enjoy Lunar New Year over the next 15 days. In our region Exploration Place is hosting a Chinese New Year’s Dinner on Feb 5, it’s always a great event. Xai, Xai!
Have a great week! Pat Bell - http://www.patbellmla.bc.ca/
1. Mining in B.C. is a $6 billion industry, as estimated for 2010.
2. Mineral exploration spending rose to more than $322 million in 2010, more than doubling the 2009 figure of $154 million and the 3rd highest year on record!
3. B.C. has 10 coal mines and 10 metal mines in operation.
4. There are more than 50 thriving industrial minerals mines in B.C. The total number of aggregate and industrial mineral pits and quarries is over 650.
5. There were 380 exploration projects active in the province in 2010.
6. B.C. produces and exports a significant amount of metallurgical coal, copper, gold, silver, lead, zinc, molybdenum and industrial minerals every year.
7. B.C. is the world’s second-largest exporter of seaborne metallurgical coal.
8. The B.C. coal industry provides over 3,800 direct jobs.
9. In 2010, the price of metallurgical coal rose by 70 per cent, copper by 45 per cent, silver by 37 per cent and gold by 25 per cent from 2009.
10. In 2010, more than 28,400 people were employed in the minerals economy in over 50 B.C. communities: approximately 11,400 in mining, 2,700 in exploration and the rest in smelting, refining and downstream mineral processing.
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