The work on a first resource estimate for Wildfire/Copper Keel is has begun that is expected to be completed sometime in February.
Capstone vice-president of exploration Brad Mercer said that the stacked nature of multiple copper bearing horizons makes Wildfire/Copper Keel an efficient target to explore.
Capstone has set the 2011 exploration budget at $12.9m and has planned for 72,000m of exploration drilling.
Exploration drilling is now ramping up again for 2011 and by mid-January will resume at Cozamin using five rigs, which will be followed with three rigs starting at Minto in February and a single rig at Kutcho in July or August.
Capstones exploration priority in 2011 is to expand the Wildfire/Copper Keel deposit at Minto and the Mala Noche Footwall Zone at Cozamin.
Both deposits have mineral resource estimates in progress and both remain open to expansion so additional resource estimates are anticipated for later this year.
The aim is to have both new deposits drilled to a standard to support a minimum of Indicated Class Mineral Resource that could support mine planning for feasibility considerations.
In addition to these near term resource additions, other exploration targets such at Inferno at Minto and the Mala Noche Vein West at Cozamin will be aggressively tested as well.
