Western announces executive management appointments

VANCOUVER, July 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Western Canadian Coal Corp (TSX: WTN, WTN.WT and WTN.DB and AIM: WTN) ("Company" or "Western") is pleased to announce the following executive management appointments:

Craig Dirk - Chief Operating Officer, Canadian Operations

Mr. Dirk (44) has over 23 years of progressive experience in the mining industry. His expertise includes operations, engineering and maintenance, and includes managing a BHP Billiton coal mine and managing the engineering department for Fording Coal. Most recently Mr. Dirk was the Managing Partner at MineTeck Associates, a mine consultant firm he founded, the General Manager of Western Canada for P H MinePro, and a member of P H MinePro Canada's board of directors.

Braam Jonker - Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Jonker (41) is a Chartered Accountant (South Africa and England and Wales) and has 15 years of extensive accounting and corporate finance experience, mostly in the mining industry. He has worked as a consultant to the mining sector in Africa, spent time with Mwana Africa Plc, and with the corporate finance departments at Anglo American Corporation and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Most recently, Mr. Jonker was the Chief Financial Officer of Cambrian Mining Plc.

John Hogg, President CEO comments, "I welcome the addition of Craig and Braam to the team. Their combined operating and financial talents will further strengthen the team we're building at Western as we work towards our goals of lowering costs, improving productivity and growing the company."

About Western

Western is a producer of high quality metallurgical and thermal coal from mines located in northeast British Columbia (Canada) and West Virginia (USA). The mines have the capacity to produce 7 million tonnes per year with nearly 20 years of coal reserves. Western also owns a 50.6% interest Energybuild (EGB: AIM) which produces high quality anthracite and thermal coals in South Wales (UK). Other interests owned include a 45% interest in Xtract Energy (XTR: AIM), 20% interesting in NEMI Northern Energy Mining (NNE.A: TSX) and 100% of a small gold and antimony operation in Australia. The Company is headquartered in Vancouver, BC, Canada, and trades on the AIM and TSX stock exchanges under the symbol "WTN". More information can be found at www.westerncoal.com

    Listed below are the names of the companies of which Craig Dirk has been a
director at any time in the past five years.
    -   P&H MinePro Services Canada Ltd.
    -   MineTek Associates

    Listed below are the names of the companies of which Braam Jonker has been
a director at any time in the past five years.
    -   Coal International Limited
    -   Cambrian Investment Holdings Limited
    -   King Coal Corporation Limited
    -   Maple Coal Corporation Limited
    -   Frog Ventures Limited
    -   Tabacks Corporate Finance (Proprietary) Limited
    -   Bindura Nickel Corporation Limited
    -   S A Mineral Resources Corporation Limited
    -   SoutherEra Diamonds Inc
    -   0801721 BC Ltd
    -   Parc Selemba Limited
    -   Freemove Limited
    -   SouthernEra International Limited
    -   SouthernEra Cayman Islands Limited
    -   SouthernEra Resources Limited

There are no other details to be disclosed under Schedule 2(g) of the AIM Rules.

SOURCE Western Canadian Coal Corp.