Aggregate pre-tax earnings rose to $3.2 billion, the highest amount in the 41-year history of a PricewaterhouseCoppers survey.

B.C.’s mining industry posted record profits in 2008 — primarily on the strength of coal — but 2009 is not shaping up as well, according to a report released Tuesday.

“It was a fantastic year in 2008,” the report’s co-author Michael Cinnamond said in an interview. “But 2009 won’t be as great. At the end of ‘08 and in early ‘09, prices have come off. So, the level of exploration is starting to fall.”

The report by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), called The Mining Industry in British Columbia – 2008, showed that aggregate pre-tax net earnings for the industry rose by 88 per cent to $3.2 billion, the highest amount in the 41-year history of PwC’s annual survey.

According to a news release, returns on shareholders’ investments reached an unprecedented 98 per cent, up from 46 per cent the previous year.

Cinnamond, a partner in PwC’s mining practice, called the performance amidst the economic downturn “nothing short of outstanding.” He said the 2008 results were mainly driven by increased coal prices that were up 225 per cent to $261 US/tonne over the previous year, with coal representing 86 per cent of total product shipments in 2008. “B.C. is very coal-rich.”

However, he said, prices in April were in the $125 US/tonne range, “a significant reduction from prices realized in 2008, but still high compared to historical averages.”

He said coal will still have a strong performance in 2009, “but not as dramatic as ‘08.”

According to the report, copper concentrates were the second largest contributor of mining revenues in 2008, but were down by 29 per cent to $1.19 billion from $1.66 billion the previous year. The 2008 copper price averaged $3.16 US/lb, but dropped to an average of $1.56/lb in the first quarter of 2009, reflecting weak global demand.

As well, zinc and zinc concentrates contributed net mining revenues of $736 million in 2008, down 40 per cent from $1.2 billion in 2007. Rising gold prices led to a 13-per-cent increase in gold revenues to $231 million in 2008, up from $205 million in 2007. Gold prices continued to strengthen in the first quarter of 2009, averaging $908.71/oz. Silver prices also rose in 2008, pushing revenues from silver up by 10 per cent to $272 million over the year before, the release stated.

Total net mining revenue from molybdenum increased nine per cent to $472 million from $433 million in 2007, while the price dropped five per cent to an average of $28.42/lb. Molybdenum, which is used as a strengthening material in the steel industry, saw a significant price decrease in the last quarter of 2008 and prices remain low in the first quarter of 2009.

Erfan Kazemi, a manager in PwC’s B.C. mining practice, and co-author of the report, also said in a statement that the mining industry contributed $6.1 billion in expenditures to the provincial economy.

Cinnamond said the drop in zinc and copper prices since last year is contributing to a mix of uncertainty and cautious optimism in industry. He said PwC polled 33 CEOs of B.C.-based mining companies in April 2009 and learned that 27 per cent are conserving cash, 39 per cent have implemented spending cuts and 12 per cent are just hanging on. He said about 15 per cent of the respondents reported they are actively seeking acquisitions and looking to grow.

Other key findings of the survey included: total metals and coal shipments from B.C. mines increased by eight per cent to 26,840,000 tonnes in 2008; capital expenditures were $853 million in 2008, a decrease from $964 million in 2007; total exploration expenditure in B.C., estimated at $416 million in 2007, decreased to $367 million in 2008; and the mining industry made total payments to the government of $545 million.

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