2008 ANOTHER STRONG YEAR FOR B.C. MINERAL EXPLORATION

VANCOUVER – Mineral exploration activity in the province reached $367 million in 2008, with 98 projects spending in excess of $1 million, announced Minister of State for Mining Gordon Hogg today.

“This is the second-highest total for exploration spending ever and just off 2007’s record-setting pace,” said Hogg. “Despite a difficult economic climate in the last quarter of 2008, the mining industry performed extremely well. We are optimistic that when commodity prices recover, the B.C. mining industry will continue its upward trajectory as a vital player in the B.C. economy.”

Last year, 26 new mine development proposals were in the works for 14 metal mines, seven coal mines, three industrial mineral mines and two large aggregate operations. Exploration drilling, another strong indicator of activity and mine development potential, remained strong at 1,050,000 metres.

“Mineral exploration and mining companies continued to show their strong interest in B.C. in 2008,” said Association for Mineral Exploration British Columbia (AME BC) president and CEO Gavin Dirom. “The expenditure announcement today demonstrates that our province has continued to attract the investment required to find the minerals that will sustain B.C.’s mining industry and economy into the future. Projects such as Geoscience BC’s QUEST-West are also creating the data required to help companies focus their exploration in B.C.’s less-explored areas.”

B.C.’s forecast of solid mineral production for 2008 is $5.7 billion, up one per cent from $5.6 billion in 2007. There were nine coal, 10 metal and 35 major industrial minerals quarries and mines in operation during 2008. These figures are generated annually by the province’s regional geologists who visit many of the exploration sites and survey the industry for additional information.

“The total value of solid mineral production for 2008 is nearly $6 billion – a strong showing, and higher than it might have been given the economic situation that emerged toward the end of 2008,” said Mining Association of British Columbia (MABC) CEO and president Pierre Gratton. “This coming year, it will be important to continue to work with government to make the B.C. mining industry even more competitive as we ride out this global economic situation.”

Regionally, the exploration projects break down as follows:

REGION	# of PROJECTS	EXPENDITURE ($M)
Northwest B.C.	110	140
Northeast B.C.	10	22
North-Central B.C.	64	80
South-Central B.C.	108	68
Southeast B.C.	63	42
Southwest B.C.	33	15
Total	388	367

Hogg released the data at British Columbia Institute of Technology’s department of Mining & Mineral Exploration Technology.

“The Mining and Mineral Exploration program at BCIT graduates technologists into high-paying jobs in the mineral exploration and mining sector and trains members of B.C.’s First Nations communities for participation in the industry,” said Rob Stevens, BCIT program head of the Mining and Mineral Exploration program. “With its diversity of opportunities and hub of knowledge, B.C.’s exploration and mining industry is one of the strongest and most vibrant in the world. Recent labour market statistics indicate the industry will require thousands of new workers in the coming years – skilled jobs that BCIT graduates have the knowledge and experience to fill.”

The ministry also released publications that demonstrate the continued success of exploration and mining in B.C. They include:

· British Columbia Mines and Mineral Exploration Overview 2008.

· Operating Mines and Selected Major Exploration Projects in B.C. 2008 (map).

Links to the map and overview can be found in attached backgrounder.

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1 backgrounder(s) attached.
Media contact:	Jake Jacobs Public Affairs Officer Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources 250 952-0628 250 213-6934 (cell)

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