Diamond mining company Firestone Diamonds announced it would soon start commercial exploration of its BK11 kimberlite project in Botswana.

According to a Mining Weekly report, the diamond miner's BK11 operation is located some 12.5 miles southeast of its Debswana’s Orapa mine.

Firestone Diamonds CEO Philip Kenny told Mining Weekly that the new operation was a significant milestone for the diamond miner, adding that “by the middle of 2010, Firestone will have become one of only a small number of listed kimberlite producers worldwide.”

July 2009 saw Firestone Diamonds begin work on the final phase-evaluation of the kimberlite mine, while simultaneously upgrading the company’s production plant at the Bonte Koe mine, in South Africa, for use at BK11. The plant will be relocated and production is expected to start by 2010-Q2.