Canadian gold production jumps almost 20% in ’86

Production of metals, non- metallics and structural materials in Canada was worth $15.6 million in 1986, up slightly from the 1985 record value, the Mining Association of Canada reports.

Last year was an excellent year for gold, with production jumping 19.5% compared with 1985 and the production value increasing by 40.6%.

For copper, prices stayed low last year but quantity produced and the production value moved up by 6.8%. Nickel, on the other hand, in the face of depressed prices, experienced a 6.3% jump in production but an 11.7% drop in production value.

Metals accounted for more than $8.9 billion, or 57.5%, of Canada’s mineral production value in 1986. The value of minerals production was up by 10.3% from the previous year. In the non-metals category (including coal, elemental sulphur and potash), production value declined by 4.5% to $4.3 billion. Structural materials were up 3.5% over 1985 to $2.2 billion.

In 1986, Canada produced 57.8 million tonnes coal, down approximately 2.6 million tonnes from the year before, and 104.7 million g (approximately 3.1 million oz) gold. In terms of their percentage contribution to total value of mineral production last year, coal and gold each accounted for 11%. (All figures are preliminary.)

The top five provinces in terms of mineral production last year were Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, Alberta and Saskatchewan.

As a world producer, Canada ranked first in 1986 for uranium and zinc; second for potash, nickel, sulphur (elemental), asbestos and gypsum; third for titanium concentrates, cadmium, aluminum, gold and platinum group metals; fourth for copper, molybdenum, lead and cobalt; fifth for silver; and sixth for iron ore.