Meanwhile, Coeur has been upping its capital spending, with a 45% year-over-year increase in 2016 and plans for a further 30% increase this year. The focus is on near-mine exploration, which will account for roughly 70% of 2017 spending. This type of expansion is usually less risky than building new mines. Coeur expects both gold and silver production to increase this year, pushing its silver equivalent production up for the fourth consecutive year.