Commitments and Contingencies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

Commitments and Contingencies [Abstract]

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

NOTE 16 – COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Labor Union Contracts

The Company maintains two labor agreements in South America, consisting of a labor agreement with Associacion Obrera Minera Argentina at the Martha mine in Argentina and with Sindicato de la Empresa Minera Manquiri at the San Bartolomé mine in Bolivia. The agreement at the Martha mine is effective from June 12, 2006 to June 30, 2012. The labor agreement at the San Bartolomé mine, which became effective October 11, 2007, does not have a fixed term. As of September 30, 2011, approximately 15% of the Company’s worldwide labor force was covered by collective bargaining agreements.

Kensington Production Royalty

On July 7, 1995, Coeur, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Coeur Alaska, Inc., acquired a 50% ownership interest of Echo Bay Exploration Inc., or Echo Bay, which provides the Company with indirect 100% ownership of the Kensington property. The property is located on the east side of Lynn Canal between Juneau and Haines, Alaska. Coeur Alaska is obligated to pay Echo Bay a scaled net smelter return royalty on 1.0 million ounces of future gold production after Coeur Alaska recoups the $32.5 million purchase price and its construction and development expenditures incurred after July 7, 1995 in connection with placing the property into commercial production. The royalty ranges from 1% at gold prices of $400 per ounce to a maximum of 2 1/2% at gold prices above $475 per ounce, with the royalty to be capped at 1.0 million ounces of production.

Rochester Production Royalty

The Company acquired the Rochester property from ASARCO in 1983. The Company is obligated to pay a net smelter royalty interest when the market price of silver equals or exceeds $22.87 per ounce up to a maximum rate of 5% to ASARCO, the prior owner. Royalty expense was $0.8 million and nil for the three months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Royalty expense was $1.7 million and nil for the nine months ended September 30, 2011, and 2010, respectively.