VANCOUVER, May 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Western Canadian Coal Corp
(TSX: WTN, WTN.WT and WTN.DB and AIM: WTN) (the "Company" or "Western")
announces that is has negotiated a majority of its 2008 coal year contracts
for its hard coking coal ("HCC") at an average above US$300 per tonne,
which is approximately 365% higher than prior year contract prices. The
Company has also negotiated a majority of its 2008 coal year contracts for
its low-volatile PCI ("ULV-PCI") coal at approximately US$248 per tonne,
which is 350% higher than prior year contracts.

    "The record prices we are selling our coal for this year represents the
high quality coal the Company produces," states John Hogg, President and
CEO of Western Canadian Coal Corp. "With completion of our 2007 coal year
carry-over tonnage in early May to be sold in this current coal year, the
Company should be producing significant cash flows shortly. And considering
the under utilized capacity of the rail lines and port that the Company
uses, we are in a good position to sell all the metallurgical coal we can
produce this coal year at these record prices."

    John Hogg continues, "Given these prices, the Board has substantially
increased its expectations for long term coal pricing and has begun the
exercise of reevaluating the long term resources and reserves which are
economic given the much higher price regime. A further update will be
provided in due course."

    About Western Canadian Coal

    Western Canadian Coal Corp. produces 3.7 million tonnes of high quality
metallurgical coal from three mines located in the northeast of British
Columbia. The Company also has interests in various coal properties in
northern and southern British Columbia and a 50% interest in the Belcourt
Saxon Limited Partnership, which was formed to explore and develop the
Belcourt and Saxon group of properties in northern BC. Currently, these
properties provide the Company with an estimated 15 years of coal reserves
at current production levels.

    Forward-Looking Information

    This release may contain forward-looking statements that may involve
risks and uncertainties. Such statements relate to the Company's
expectations, intentions, plans and beliefs. As a result, actual future
events or results could differ materially from those suggested by the
forward-looking statements. Readers are referred to the documents filed by
the Company on SEDAR. Such risk factors include, but are not limited to
changes in commodity prices; strengths of various economies; the effects of
competition and pricing pressures; the oversupply of, or lack of demand
for, the Company's products; currency and interest rate fluctuations;
various events which could disrupt the Company's construction schedule or
operations; the Company's ability to obtain additional funding on
favourable terms, if at all; and the Company's ability to anticipate and
manage the foregoing factors and risks. Additionally, statements related to
the quantity or magnitude of coal deposits are deemed to be forward-looking
statements. The reliability of such information is affected by, among other
things, uncertainties involving geology of coal deposits; uncertainties of
estimates of their size or composition; uncertainties of projections
related to costs of production; the possibilities in delays in mining
activities; changes in plans with respect to exploration, development
projects or capital expenditures; and various other risks including those
related to health, safety and environmental matters.

    CONTACT: David Jan, Manager, Investor Relations & Corporate
Development, Phone: (604) 608-2692, Email: djan@westerncoal.com

Link to this page: