Mineral exploration in the territory is expected to be greater than last year but not as brisk as some predicted earlier this winter.

On the other hand, a number of companies including the nearly silent Minto Explorations Ltd. of recent years are planning to sink a few million dollars into advancing known deposits. That's something that hasn't happened for the last few years.

Figures released today by the Yukon Chamber of Mines show expenditures in exploration are expected to hit $18 million this year, based on the chamber's annual survey of mining companies.

The forecast represents a 36-per-increase of the actual expenditures of $13.2 million last year, as calculated by the Yukon Geological Survey.

The survey is showing an additional $3.8 million in development work. That's the most money put into developing known mineral properties since 1997, when $5 million was spent.

Jesse Duke is the director of mineral development and planning for the Yukon government. He said today Minto Explorations, for instance, is planning to do some development work at its copper property near Minto Landing.

The company has a development permit, and has sunk several million dollars in development work into the Minto project but has been inactive for the last few years.

Harlan Meade, president of Expatriate Resources Ltd., said today the company is planning to embark on a $7-million underground development program at its Wolverine property toward the tail end of this year contingent on raising the financing.

The Wolverine property is located in the Finlayson Lake district.

The metal markets are favourable right now. However, a distinct market correction over the last month has taken a little bite out of investor enthusiasm, though Expatriate has a sense the appetite will return as the summer moves on, Meade said from Vancouver.

'So I expect we will be able to raise the financing,' Meade said. 'That is what we want to do.'

He said the $7-million proposal would give the company a 'bankable feasibility study' by the end of 2005. At that point, it would be able to seek out investors to advance the property to an operating mine.

Wolverine, he said, is a zinc and silver property primarily, though copper, gold and lead are also present.

The permitting process for development work at Wolverine began in 2001. It was put on hold but the company has notified regulatory authorities it is reactivating the application process, Meade said.

The permitting, he said, should not be a problem if the company is able to raise the money to begin its development project.

'And in the interim, we have committed to at least $600,000 in exploration for fill-in drilling at Wolverine,' said Meade. 'That will get started in early June, and probably several hundred thousands more in exploration on our claims in the Finlayson region.'

After returning last January from the international mining exploration conference in Vancouver, Energy, Mines and Resources Minister Archie Lang was predicting exploration alone would top out this year at $26 million or more.

Scott Casselman, president of the Yukon Chamber of Mines, said there was a great deal of talk and enthusiasm about a significant upswing in exploration this year.

'But when push comes to shove, and companies have to come up with the numbers, they are a little quieter,' he said.

Casselman added it would not be unusual or uncommon, however, to see the actual exploration expenditures exceed the forecast in the end.

He has clients, for instance, who have indicated expenditures lower than they are planning because they have not yet secured the financing to cover the entire amount of work lined up, though that might just be a matter of timing.

Gold, he noted, has fallen lately.

Exploration hit a record high in 1996. That year, companies spent $48.5 million on exploration, amid the staking rush for base metals in the Finlayson region.

What followed, however, was a dramatic decline in expenditures, to a record low of $4.5 million in 2001.

That was followed by expenditures of $6.6 million in 2002, according to numbers provided by the chamber.