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Commitments and Contingencies | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES | COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Labor Union Contracts The Company maintains a labor agreement with Sindicato de Trabajadores Mineros de la Empresa Manquiri S.A. at the San Bartolomé mine in Bolivia. The San Bartolomé mine labor agreement, which became effective January 28, 2010, is currently active and does not have a fixed term. At December 31, 2014, approximately 12% of the Company’s global labor force was covered by this collective bargaining agreement. The Company cannot predict whether this agreement will be renewed on similar terms or at all, whether future labor disruptions will occur or, if disruptions do occur, how long they will last. Rochester Production Royalties The Company acquired the Rochester property from ASARCO, a subsidiary of Grupo Mexico S.A. de C.V., in 1983. The Company is obligated to pay a NSR royalty interest to ASARCO when the market price of silver equals or exceeds $23.60 per ounce up to a maximum rate of 5% with the condition that Rochester achieves positive cash flow for the applicable year. If cash flow at Rochester is negative in any calendar year, the maximum royalty payable is $250,000. Commencing January 1, 2014, Coeur Rochester is obligated to pay a 3.4% NSR royalty on up to 39.4 million silver equivalent ounces produced and sold from a portion of the Rochester mine, payable on a quarterly basis. For each calendar quarter, the royalty will be payable on the actual sales prices received (exclusive of gains or losses associated with trading activities), less refining costs, of gold and silver produced and sold from the applicable portions of the Rochester mine. Changes in the Company's mine plan and silver and gold prices result in the recognition of mark-to-market gains or losses in Fair value adjustments, net. At December 31, 2014, payments had been made on 4.0 million silver equivalent ounces with further payments to be made on 35.5 million silver equivalent ounces. Palmarejo Gold Production Royalty On January 21, 2009, Coeur Mexicana entered into a gold production royalty agreement with a subsidiary of Franco-Nevada Corporation under which the subsidiary of Franco-Nevada Corporation purchased a royalty covering 50% of the life of mine gold to be produced from its Palmarejo silver and gold mine in Mexico. The royalty agreement provides for a minimum obligation to be paid monthly on a total of 400,000 ounces of gold, or 4,167 ounces per month over an initial eight-year period. Please see Note 11 -- Derivative Financial Instruments for further discussion on the royalty obligation. On October 2, 2014, Coeur Mexicana terminated the Palmarejo gold production royalty in exchange for a termination payment of $2.0 million, effective upon completion of the minimum ounce delivery requirement. Subsequently, Coeur Mexicana entered into a gold stream agreement with a subsidiary of Franco-Nevada Corporation whereby Coeur Mexicana will sell 50% of Palmarejo gold production upon completion of the gold production royalty minimum ounce delivery requirement for the lesser of $800 or spot price per ounce. Under the gold stream agreement, Coeur Mexicana will receive an aggregate $22.0 million deposit toward future deliveries under the gold stream agreement, payable in five quarterly payments beginning in the first quarter 2015. Sites Related to Callahan Mining Corporation In 1991, the Company acquired all of the outstanding common stock of Callahan Mining Corporation. The Company has received requests for information or notices of potential liability from state or federal agencies with regard to Callahan's operations at sites in Maine, Colorado and Washington. The Company did not make any decisions with respect to generation, transport or disposal of hazardous waste at these sites. Therefore, the Company believes that it is not liable for any potential cleanup costs either directly as an operator or indirectly as a parent. The Company anticipates that further agency interaction may be possible with respect to these sites. Callahan operated a mine and mill in Brooksville, Maine from 1968 until 1972 and subsequently disposed of the property. In 2000, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, made a formal request to the Company for information regarding the site. The site was placed on the National Priorities List on September 5, 2002, and the Maine Department of Transportation, a partial owner of the property, signed a consent order in 2005. In January 2009, the EPA and the State of Maine made additional formal requests to the Company for information relating to the site, to which the Company responded. The first phase of cleanup at the site began in April 2011. The Van Stone Mine in Stevens County, Washington consists of several parcels of land and was mined from 1926 until 1993 by multiple owners. Callahan sold its parcel in 1990. In February 2010, the State of Washington Department of Ecology notified Callahan that it, among others, is a potentially liable person (PLP) under Washington law. Asarco LLC ("Asarco"), an affiliate of American Smelting and Refining Company, which developed the mill on the site in 1951, settled for $3.5 million. Another potentially liable person, Vaagen Brothers, signed a consent order which allows access to the site for a Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study. Neither the Company nor Callahan has received any further notices from the Washington Department of Ecology. On June 5, 2012, Asarco filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington against five named defendants, including Callahan, seeking contribution for the $3.5 million settlement. Callahan filed a response and defense to the lawsuit on December 11, 2012 and stating it did not believe it had any liability to Asarco. On November 11, 2014, following the entry of the parties into a settlement agreement, the Court granted a joint motion to dismiss the proceedings between Asarco and Callahan. Under lease and option agreements with several owners, Callahan was involved with the Akron Mine located in Gunnison County, Colorado from 1937-1960. The United States Forest Service (“USFS”) made formal requests for information to Callahan regarding the site in December 2003, February 2007, March 2013, and November 2013. Callahan timely responded to each request. In August 2014, Callahan received a notice of potential CERCLA liability from the USFS regarding environmental contamination at the Akron Mine. Callahan and the USFS are currently in discussions regarding this matter. Bolivian Temporary Restriction on Mining above 4,400 Meters On October 14, 2009, the Bolivian state-owned mining organization, COMIBOL, announced by resolution that it was temporarily suspending mining activities above the elevation of 4,400 meters above sea level while stability studies of Cerro Rico mountain are undertaken. The Company holds rights to mine above this elevation under valid contracts with COMIBOL as well as under authorized contracts with local mining cooperatives that hold their rights under contract themselves with COMIBOL. The Company temporarily adjusted its mine plan to confine mining activities to the ore deposits below 4,400 meters above sea level and timely notified COMIBOL of the need to lift the restriction. Mining in other areas above the 4,400 meter level continues to be suspended. The suspension may reduce production until the Company is able to resume mining above 4,400 meters. It is uncertain at this time how long the suspension will remain in place. If COMIBOL decides to restrict access above the 4,400 meter level on a permanent basis, the Company may need to write down the carrying value of the asset. It is also uncertain if any new mining or investment policies or shifts in political attitude may affect mining in Bolivia. Settlement of Unpatented Mining Claims Dispute at Rochester in Nevada In the second quarter of 2013, Coeur Rochester settled all claims associated with a dispute involving ownership of unpatented mining claims surrounding the Coeur Rochester operation and, in connection therewith, agreed to make a one-time $10.0 million cash payment and granted the 3.4% NSR royalty described above under "Rochester Production Royalties." The above settlement resulted in a $32.0 million charge in the year ended December 31, 2013. Pending Paramount Transaction Litigation Since the announcement of the Company’s proposed acquisition of Paramount, six lawsuits have been filed related to the merger agreement in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware. The lawsuits assert a variety of causes of action concerning the transaction, including claims against Paramount’s directors for alleged breaches of fiduciary duty in connection with the proposed transaction, and claims against the Company for allegedly aiding and abetting such breaches of fiduciary duty. On February 18, 2015, the court entered an order consolidating the lawsuits and providing that the consolidated case shall be captioned In re Paramount Gold and Silver Corp. Stockholders Litigation, Consolidated C.A. No. 10499-VCN. The consolidation order directs the plaintiffs to file a consolidated amended complaint, to designate operative discovery requests, and to designate an operative motion to expedite proceedings as soon as practicable. Defendants are not obligated to respond to complaints, motions, or discovery requests previously filed or served in any of the six constituent actions. The Company cannot predict the outcome of these or any other lawsuits that might be filed subsequent to the date hereof relating to the transaction, nor can the Company predict the amount of time and expense that will be required to resolve these lawsuits. The Company intends to defend vigorously against these consolidated actions.

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