Brule Coal Mine
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Brule Coal Mine is a mothballed coal mine in Chetwynd, British Columbia, Canada.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Mine Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Brule Coal Mine | Chetwynd, British Columbia, Canada[1] | 55.38667, -121.82 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the coal mine:
Project Details
Table 2: Project status
| Status | Status Detail | Opening Year | Closing Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mothballed[2][3] | Care and Maintenance[2][4] | 2004[1] | – |
Table 3: Operation details
| Capacity (Mtpa) | Production (Mtpa) | Year of Production | Mine Type | Mining Method | Mine Size (km2) | Mine Depth (m) | Workforce Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2[5] | 1.3[6] | 2024[6] | Surface[1] | Open Pit[1] | 35.24[7] | 60.0* | 170.0[8] |
Table 4: Coal resources and destination
| Total Reserves (Mt) | Year of Total Reserves Recorded | Total Resources (Mt) | Coalfield | Coal Type | Coal Grade | Primary Consumer/ Destination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16.0[9] | 2016[9] | 36.0[9] | – | Bituminous[9] | Thermal[9] | Terminal (Export)[10] |
Table 5: Ownership and parent company
| Owner | Parent Company | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Conuma Resources Ltd[11][12] | Conuma Resources Ltd [100.0%] | USA |
Table 6: Historical production (unit: million tonnes per annum)
| ROM or Saleable | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROM[13] | 2.33[13] | 2.6[14] | 2.6[14] | 2.1[15] | 1.6[16] | 1.65[17] | 1.6[18] | 1.3*[6] | – |
Reported Methane Emissions Data
Global Energy Monitor collates facility-scale methane emissions data reported by government and company sources collected in a systematic fashion. This mine is associated with the following methane emissions reports:
Table 7: Methane emissions
| Reported Coal Mine Methane Emissions (thousand tonnes CO2 equivalent) | Reported Coal Mine Methane Emissions (thousand tonnes CH4) | Year of Reported Coal Mine Methane Emissions | Reported Coal Mine Methane Emissions (thousand tonnes) Reference | Reference type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.664 | 55.112 | 2024 | [19] | national government data |
Note: The above sections were automatically generated and are based on data from the Global Coal Mine Tracker May 2026 release.
Ownership Tree
This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.
Background
The Brule mine is an open-pit mine situated between the towns of Chetwynd and Tumbler Ridge in northeast British Columbia, Canada.[20] It is owned and operated by Conuma Resources, a subsidiary of West Virginia-based ERP Compliant Fuels.
Brule initially operated from 2004 to 2014, when it was under the ownership of Western Coal, a subsidiary of Walter Energy.[20] The mine then went into care and maintenance, due to low coal prices.[21]
In 2016, Conuma Coal Resources acquired the Brule mine, along with the nearby Wolverine and Willow Creek coal mines, from Walter Energy Ltd. Brule was reopened under this new owner in September 2016.[21]
The mine produces approximately 1.5 million tonnes of ultra-low volatile pulverized coal injection (ULV-PCI) coal for steelmaking.
End of Mine Life
Due to its mineable deposits becoming exhausted, operations at the Brule mine reportedly began winding down in 2024.[22] According to the British Columbia Ministry of Mining and Critical Minerals, the mine is expected to be placed on care and maintenance in 2025.[23]
Articles and Resources
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of world coal mines, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Mine Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 (PDF) https://www.miningnewsfeed.com/reports/annual/Brule_2017_Annual_Reclamation_Report.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://conumaresources.com/about/our-mines/brule/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://reformbcmining.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/BCMLR-Dirty-Dozen-report-2025.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://docs.openinfo.gov.bc.ca/Mining_and_Critical_Minerals_Estimates_Notes_2025.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.projects.eao.gov.bc.ca/p/588510deaaecd9001b816eec/project-details.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 (PDF) https://cmscontent.nrs.gov.bc.ca/geoscience/PublicationCatalogue/InformationCircular/BCGS_IC2025-01.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20110916235930/http://www.walterenergy.com/operationscenter/westerncoal/brule.html.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://mineralsed.ca/learning-resources/bc-mineral-resources-map/bc-operating-mine-profiles/brule-mine/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 https://minfile.gov.bc.ca/Summary.aspx?minfilno=093P++007#:~:text=Brule%20mine%20produces%20only%20pulverized;December%202010%2C%20Western%20Coal%20Corp.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://projects.eao.gov.bc.ca/api/document/5886f734a4acd4014b820c86/fetch.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://www.projects.eao.gov.bc.ca/api/public/document/65aaa0991ee9d90022b4c628/download/Brule_Inspection%20Record_20230077_IR001_FINAL.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.e-mj.com/departments/this-month-in-coal/conuma-coal-reopening-willow-creek-in-british-columbia/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 13.0 13.1 https://minfile.gov.bc.ca/report.aspx?f=PDF&r=Production_Detail.rpt&minfilno=093P++007.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 14.0 14.1 https://miningdataonline.com/property/19/Brule-Mine.aspx.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://cmscontent.nrs.gov.bc.ca/geoscience/publicationcatalogue/InformationCircular/BCGS_IC2021-02.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://cmscontent.nrs.gov.bc.ca/geoscience/PublicationCatalogue/InformationCircular/BCGS_IC2022-01.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://minedocs.com/24/ConumaResourcesLtd_SustainabilityReport_2022.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://cmscontent.nrs.gov.bc.ca/geoscience/PublicationCatalogue/InformationCircular/BCGS_IC2024-01.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://climate-change.canada.ca/facility-emissions/?GoCTemplateCulture=en-CA.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Brule", Walter Energy website, Archived from the original on 16 September 2011, Accessed November 2023.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Conuma Coal Resources Limited 2017 Annual Reclamation Report: Brule Mine, Conuma Resources, Accessed November 2023.
- ↑ Bennett, Nelson,"B.C.'s Tumbler Ridge seeing steelmaking coal revival", North Shore News, 25 February 2025.
- ↑ Provincial Overview of Exploration and Mining in British Columbia, 2024, Ministry of Mining and Critical Minerals British Columbia Geological Survey, January 2025.
