Ongoing exploration at LaRonde has enabled Agnico-Eagle to replace mineral reserves, despite consistent production. The exploration team is currently focused on converting resources to reserves, and systematically exploring at depth to the east and west along the LaRonde horizon - part of a five-year plan. Furthermore, there is near-surface exploration at Bousquet’s Zone 5 (3 kilometres west of LaRonde’s Penna shaft), where drilling is expected to lead to a scoping study in the second half of 2011.

The 2011 exploration program consists of 12,550 metres of exploration drilling at LaRonde ($2.1 million) and 20,000 metres of conversion drilling at Bousquet ($1.9 million).

In addition, a $4.8-million, 9,500-metre deep-drilling program at the Ellison property (1 kilometre west of Bousquet) is designed to trace the Westwood zone eastward and possibly define a new resource.