The 2011 Exploration and Mining in BC report is out - looks 2011 was a record year for exploration in BC

Each year January the BC government releases the review of mining and exploration for the previous year.   The 2011 edition is out now.

Highlights:
Exploration Expenditures - (2010 figures in brackets):

• Omenica Region           $71.5 million ($33 million)
• Skeena                  $220 million ($172 million)
• Northeast                $41 million ($20 million)
• Thompson-Okanagan-Cariboo 2011 data incomplete($50 million) 
• Coast                    $16 million ($15 million)
• Kootenay-Boundary        $38.5 million ($28 million)

In the five regions with complete data, exploration spending in 2011 was $387 million, an increase from $268 in 2010.  Given all the work in the Thompson-Okanagan-Cariboo in 2011, I can not see how exploration expenditures would not be higher than 2010.   If was assume the same increase as elsewhere, this would indicate $72 million for the Thompson-Okanagan-Cariboo and an annual provincewide expenditure of around $460 million.

It looks like 2011 was a record year for mineral exploration in BC, beating out the previous record of $416 million in 2007.  Adjusted for inflation, the 2007 value would be $450 million.

To give you an idea how good 2011 was we can look at 1990.   1990 was a a good year for exploration in BC with $227 million spend, that is equal to $340 million in 2011 dollars.  

Operating Mines in BC by year and exploration expenditures

• Year    Metal    Coal  Exploration $
• 2004      7       9       130
• 2005      8       9       220
• 2006      9      11       265
• 2007     11      10       416
• 2008     10       9       367
• 2009      8       9       154
• 2010      9      10       322
• 2011     10      11       460 est

I would go back further, but the data is not as easy for me to access.   If I get it I will post.