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Mineral Properties | 6 Months Ended
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Jun. 30, 2012
Mineral Properties [Abstract] |
Mineral Properties | 5. Mineral Properties
|  | December 31, 2011 |  |  | Cost recovery |  |  | June 30, 2012 |
Long Valley, United States |  | $ | 750 |  |  | $ | - |  |  | $ | 750 |
Concordia, Mexico (a) |  |  | 10,303 |  |  |  | (2,000 | ) |  |  | 8,303 |
Guadalupe de los Reyes, Mexico |  |  | 2,752 |  |  |  | - |  |  |  | 2,752 |
Awak Mas, Indonesia (b) |  |  | 566 |  |  |  | (566 | ) |  |  | - |
Mt. Todd, Australia |  |  | 2,146 |  |  |  | - |  |  |  | 2,146 |
|  | $ | 16,517 |  |  | $ | (2,566 | ) |  | $ | 13,951 |
The recoverability of the carrying values of our mineral properties is dependent upon economic reserves being discovered or developed on the properties, permitting, financing, start-up, and commercial production from, or the sale or lease, of these properties. Development and/or start-up of any of these projects will depend on, among other things, management's ability to raise additional capital for these purposes. Although we have been successful in raising such capital in the past, there can be no assurance that we will be able to do so in the future. We have determined that no impairment provision is currently required. A write down in the carrying values of one or more of our mineral properties may be required in the future as a result of events and circumstances, such as our inability to obtain all the necessary permits, changes in the legal status of our mineral properties, government actions, the results of exploration activities and technical evaluation and changes in economic conditions, including the price of gold and other commodities or input prices. We regularly evaluate the carrying value of our mineral properties to determine if impairment is required in view of such factors.
(a) | Concordia
We acquired 100% of the Concordia gold project in Mexico from Viceroy Resource Corporation in August 2002. The total acquisition cost of this project included cash payments of $786 for acquisition and related costs, the issuance of 303,030 equity units with a fair value of $1,212 and a cash payment of $320 in August 2003. In September 2011, the Company acquired some additional land from a third party for $1,300, including legal fees, as part of Vista's efforts to advance the Concordia gold project. Vista paid $665 in cash, while the remaining $635 is due upon the achievement of certain milestones and is included in other long-term liabilities in our Consolidated Balance Sheets. On February 7, 2012, we announced that the Company had entered into an Earn-in Right Agreement with Invecture with respect to Vista's Concordia gold project in Baja California Sur, Mexico. Vista holds the Concordia gold project through DZ Mexico. Under the terms of the Earn-in Right Agreement, Invecture made a non-refundable payment of $2,000 in exchange for the right to earn a 60% interest in DZ Mexico (the "Earn-in Right"). Invecture's right to earn a 60% interest in DZ Mexico was adjusted to 62.5% during the three-month period ended June 30, 2012 pursuant to the terms of the Earn-in Right Agreement. The Earn-in Right will expire if not exercised by February 7, 2014, subject to extension in certain circumstances. The Earn-in Right Agreement provides that during the Earn-in Period, Invecture will, at its sole expense, manage and operate the Concordia gold project and will undertake all commercially reasonable efforts to obtain the Change of Forest Land Use Permit ("CUSF") and the Authorization of Environmental Impact which are required to develop the project. The Earn-in Right Agreement provides that the exercise of the earn-in right by Invecture is conditional upon, among other things: (i) receipt of the CUSF and the Authorization of Environmental Impact; (ii) the completion of a feasibility report on the Concordia gold project that updates the existing feasibility report with respect to costs; (iii) Invecture funding the Concordia gold project during the Earn-in Period; and (iv) Invecture making an additional payment of $20,000 to DZ Mexico, which amount will be used to repay intercompany loans owed by DZ Mexico to Vista. During the remainder of the Earn-in Period and subject to the terms of the Earn-in Right Agreement, Vista holds 37.5% of the DZ Mexico shareholder voting rights. The remaining 62.5% of the DZ Mexico shareholder voting rights are held in a trust that will be instructed by representatives of Vista and Invecture. Upon Invecture's exercise of the Earn-in Right, Vista will continue to hold a 37.5% interest in DZ Mexico and the Concordia gold project. As part of the Earn-in Right Agreement, DZ Mexico has transferred all of its other material assets, including the mill equipment acquired by Vista for the Concordia gold project in 2008 and the Guadalupe de los Reyes gold/silver project, to other entities in the Vista group of companies. Vista has granted Invecture the option to cause DZ Mexico to acquire the mill equipment for $16,000 plus certain storage, insurance and transportation costs and any applicable taxes, provided that notice of exercise is received no later than February 7, 2013.
(b) | Awak Mas
In April 2005, we acquired the Awak Mas gold project in Sulawesi, Indonesia for a purchase price of $1,500. In December 2009, Pan Asia Resources Corp. ("Pan Asia") and our subsidiary Vista Gold (Barbados) Corp. ("Vista Barbados") executed a joint venture agreement ("JV Agreement") allowing Pan Asia to earn a 60% interest in our Awak Mas gold project by: (a) expending $3,000 on the project within a specified period of time; (b) completing an environmental impact assessment and feasibility study (in compliance with NI 43-101); and (c) issuing to Vista 2,000,000 shares in the capital of Pan Asia and granting Vista the right to purchase up to an additional 2,000,000 shares of Pan Asia on the same terms as such shares are issued in an initial public offering of Pan Asia's shares. The 2,000,000 shares of Pan Asia received by Vista under the JV Agreement were subsequently exchanged for substantially equivalent shares of One Asia Resources Ltd. ("One Asia"). In June 2011, Vista Barbados entered into an additional option agreement (the "Additional Option Agreement") with Pan Asia. The Additional Option Agreement provides Pan Asia with the opportunity to earn an additional 20% interest in our Awak Mas gold project in Indonesia after it has earned a 60% interest in the project pursuant to the JV Agreement. In September 2011, the JV Agreement and the Additional Option Agreement were assigned from Pan Asia to Awak Mas Holdings Pty Ltd. ("Awak Mas Holdings") and the option to acquire 2,000,000 shares of Pan Asia was assigned to One Asia. Awak Mas Holdings may acquire the additional 20% interest by (a) making cash payments totaling $2,500 over a nine-month period; (b) issuing shares with a value equal to $2,000 or making cash payments totaling $2,000, assuming One Asia does not complete an initial public offering by the specified date; and (c) carrying out a 5,000 meter drilling program in an area outside of the current project resource area within 18 months. The Company received the initial $2,500 under the Additional Option Agreement and recorded these proceeds as a cost recovery against the carrying value of the Awak Mas gold project until the carrying value was reduced to zero. The proceeds received in excess of the carrying value of the project were recorded as a realized gain of $934 during the six months ended June 30, 2012. If Awak Mas Holdings completes the undertakings required in the JV Agreement and the Additional Option Agreement, it will hold an 80% indirect interest in the Awak Mas gold project. As of June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, we recorded restricted cash of $93 and $134, respectively, related to cash at the Awak Mas gold project contributed by Pan Asia but not yet spent for the furtherance of the project.

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