Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]

Schedule of Net Funded Status

The following table sets forth the details of the change in the benefit obligation and plan assets for the Pension Plan and the PBP from June 12, 2012 (the beginning of the Molycorp Canada's reporting period) to December 31, 2012 (in thousands):

	Pension Plan			PBP			Total
Change in benefit obligation:
At June 12, 2012	$	7,975		$	238		$	8,213
Service cost	—			—			—
Interest cost	176			11			187
Net actuarial loss (gain)	820			(25		)	795
Benefits paid	(270		)	(7		)	(277		)
At December 31, 2012	$	8,701		$	217		$	8,918
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at June 12, 2012	$	5,379		$	—		$	5,379
Actual return on plan assets	262			—			262
Employer contribution	255			7			262
Benefits paid	(270		)	(7		)	(277		)
Fair value of plan assets at December 31, 2012	$	5,626		$	—		$	5,626
Underfunded status at December 31, 2012	$	(3,075	)	$	(217	)	$	(3,292	)

Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments

The Company's estimate of future benefit payments related to both plans is as follows (in thousands):

2013	$	500
2014	500
2015	500
2016	500
2017	500
2018-2022	2,500

Schedule of Net Benefit Costs

The components of the net periodic pension expense for the period from June 12, 2012 to December 31, 2012 for the Pension Plan and PBP are set forth below (in thousands):

	Pension Plan			PBP			Total
Components of net periodic benefit cost:
Service Cost	$	—		$	—		$	—
Interest cost	176			11			187
Expected return on plan assets	(267		)	—			(267		)
Amortization of transition obligation/(asset)	—			—			—
Amortization of prior service cost	—			(4		)	(4		)
Amortization of actuarial loss	228			(7		)	221
Net periodic benefit cost	$	137		$	—		$	137

Schedule of Assumptions Used

Weighted average significant actuarial assumptions used in measuring the Company's benefit obligation and net periodic benefit cost for its Pension Plan and PBP were as follows at December 31, 2012:

	Pension Plan		PBP
Assumptions for benefit obligation:
Discount rate	3.7	%	3.5	%
Rate of compensation increase*	—	%	—	%
Initial medical trend rate (pre65/post65)	n/a		7.3	%
Ultimate medical trend rate (pre65/post65)	n/a		4.5	%
Year ultimate rate reached (pre65/post65)	n/a		2028
Assumptions for net periodic benefit cost:
Discount rate	4.5	%	4.55	%
Expected return on plan assets	5	%	n/a
Rate of compensation increase*	—	%	—	%
Initial medical trend rate (pre65/post65)	n/a		9.3%/7.4%
Ultimate medical trend rate (pre65/post65)	n/a		4.5	%
* No assumption was made with regard to the rate of expected compensation increase as there are no new active service participants in the plan.

PBP

Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]

Schedule of Effect of One-Percentage-Point Change in Assumed Health Care Cost Trend Rates

The effect of a one-percentage point increase or decrease in the assumed heath care cost trend rates for the PBP were as follows at December 31, 2012 (in thousands):

	PBP
Effect of 1% increase in assumed health care cost trend rates:
Total of service and interest cost components	$	1
Post-employment benefit obligation	$	16
Effect of 1% decrease in assumed health care cost trend rates:
Total of service and interest cost components	$	(1	)
Post-employment benefit obligation	$	(14	)

Pension Plan

Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]

Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets

At December 31, 2012, the Committee established the following target asset allocation percentages for the Pension Plan:

	Pension Plan
	Min		Max
Interest-bearing cash	5	%	10	%
Fixed income securities	50	%	80	%
Equity securities	20	%	30	%

The Pension Plan's assets consisted of the following at December 31, 2012:

	Pension Plan
Interest-bearing cash	2.33	%
Fixed income securities	74.34	%
Equity securities	23.33	%

The fair value of the Pension Plan assets segregated by the input level within the fair value hierarchy established under GAAP, were as follows at December 31, 2012 (in thousands):

	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Pension Plan assets, at fair value:
Interest-bearing cash	$	130	$	—	$	—	$	130
Fixed income securities	291		3,899		—		4,190
Equity securities	1,306		—		—		1,306
Total Pension Plan assets	$	1,727	$	3,899	$	—	$	5,626