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Mineral Properties | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2012
Mineral Properties [Abstract] |
Mineral Properties | 5. Mineral Properties
|  | At December 31, 2011 |  | Cost recovery |  | Write-downs |  | At December 31, 2012
Mt. Todd, Australia | $ | 2,146 | $ | - | $ | - | $ | 2,146
Guadalupe de los Reyes, Mexico |  | 2,752 |  | - |  | - |  | 2,752
Los Cardones, Mexico |  | 10,303 |  | (2,000) |  | (250) |  | 8,053
Awak Mas, Indonesia |  | 566 |  | (566) |  | - |  | -
Long Valley, United States |  | 750 |  | - |  | - |  | 750
| $ | 16,517 | $ | (2,566) | $ | (250) | $ | 13,701
Los Cardones (formerly Condordia) In February 2012, we entered into an earn-in right agreement (the “Earn-in Right Agreement”) with Invecture Group, S.A. de C.V. (“Invecture”) with respect to our Los Cardones gold project in Baja California Sur, Mexico. We hold the Los Cardones gold project through Desarrollos Zapal S.A de C.V. (“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 Period”). The Earn-in Right Agreement provides that during the Earn-in Period, Invecture will, at its sole expense, manage and operate the Los Cardones 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 Los Cardones gold project that updates the existing feasibility report; (iii) Invecture funding the Los Cardones 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, all by February 7, 2014. 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 which represents an indirect 37.5% interest in the Los Cardones gold project. In September 2011, we acquired additional land at the Los Cardones (formerly Concordia) gold project from a third party. We paid $538 in cash and the remaining $635 is due upon the achievement of certain milestones and is included in other long-term liabilities in our Consolidated Balance Sheets. During 2008, we entered in to an option agreement to purchase land near the Los Cardones gold project. Under the terms of the agreement, we had the option to pay $50 each year from 2008 through 2012 and $2,000 in 2013. During 2012, we decided not to make the $2,000 due in 2013, and terminate the option agreement. As a result, we recorded a write-down on mineral properties of $250 related to option payments made in 2008 through 2012. Awak Mas The Awak Mas gold project in Indonesia is subject to a 2009 joint venture agreement (the “JV Agreement”) with Awak Mas Holdings Pty. Ltd. (“AM Holdings”), assignee of Pan Asia Resources Corp. (“Pan Asia”), whereby AM Holdings may earn a 60.6% interest Salu Siwa Pty Ltd. (“Salu Siwa”) which holds a 99% interest in the Awak Mas gold project subject to certain spending and performance conditions. In June 2011, we entered into an additional option agreement (the “Additional Option Agreement”) with Pan Asia (subsequently assigned to AM Holdings), which provides AM Holdings the option to earn an additional 20.2% interest in Salu Siwa after it has earned the 60.6% interest (for a total 80.8% interest in Salu Siwa or 80% interest in the Awak Mas gold project) in the project pursuant to the JV Agreement. The Additional Option Agreement is subject to meeting certain conditions, including making certain cash payments to Vista. To date, cash payments of $4,500 have been made, but other earn-in conditions have not been met. Since inception of the Additional Option Agreement, the Company has received $3,500 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 $2,934 during the year ended December 31, 2012. As of December 31, 2012 and 2011, we recorded restricted cash of $70 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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