Fireside Minerals Ltd., Westbank, BC

Fireside Minerals Ltd. is the leading Canadian barite producer, supplying oil and gas drilling programs in Alaska, Northern British Columbia, Alberta and the Territories. The Fireside mine contains some of the purest barite on the market. Approximately 77% of the total mined and milled barite worldwide is used as a weighting agent for drilling fluids in oil and gas exploration. In this process, barite is crushed and mixed with water and other materials. It is then pumped into the drill hole. The weight of this mixture counteracts the force of the oil and gas when it's released from the ground. This allows the oil and gas rig operators to prevent the explosive release of the oil and gas from the ground. This barite can also be utilized in medical and high tech applications, such as being a substitute for blanc fixe ( x-rays). Barite is also used as a pigment enhancer for paints as well as to improve corrosion and moisture resistance. It has other numerous applications from brake linings to the composition of rubbers, foams and plastics. Fireside Minerals has been producing barite for over 13 years and still has some of the purest barite grades in North America. The overall reserves are in the millions of tonnes which can provide a mine life of over 100 years. Fireside has ongoing exploration programs in place that will continue to prove new and existing reserves.