Fair Value Measurements (Details) (Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member], USD $) In Thousands	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Assets:
Cash equivalents	$ 38,853	$ 11
Restricted certificates of deposits	1,168	2,965
Total assets	62,110	12,083
Liabilities:
Total liabilities	224,619	184,367
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Short-term Deposit [Member]
Assets:
Short-term Deposits	1,160
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Equity Securities [Member]
Assets:
Short-term Deposits	13,884
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets:
Cash equivalents	38,853	11
Restricted certificates of deposits	1,168	2,965
Total assets	60,878	8,804
Liabilities:
Total liabilities	38,749	20,151
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Gold forward contracts [Member]
Assets:
Derivative Asset, Fair Value		425
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Gold lease facility [Member]
Liabilities:
Derivative Liability, Fair Value		0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Royalty obligation embedded derivative [Member]
Liabilities:
Derivative Liability, Fair Value	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Put and call options [Member]
Assets:
Derivative Asset, Fair Value	5,813	5,403
Liabilities:
Derivative Liability, Fair Value	38,749	20,151
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Silver ounces received from Mandalay [Member]
Assets:
Derivative Asset, Fair Value	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Other derivative instrument [Member]
Assets:
Derivative Asset, Fair Value		0
Liabilities:
Derivative Liability, Fair Value	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Short-term Deposit [Member]
Assets:
Short-term Deposits	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Equity Securities [Member]
Assets:
Short-term Deposits	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets:
Cash equivalents	0	0
Restricted certificates of deposits	0	0
Total assets	1,232	3,279
Liabilities:
Total liabilities	185,870	164,216
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Gold forward contracts [Member]
Assets:
Derivative Asset, Fair Value		0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Gold lease facility [Member]
Liabilities:
Derivative Liability, Fair Value		2,213
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Royalty obligation embedded derivative [Member]
Liabilities:
Derivative Liability, Fair Value	179,425	162,003
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Put and call options [Member]
Assets:
Derivative Asset, Fair Value	0	0
Liabilities:
Derivative Liability, Fair Value	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Silver ounces received from Mandalay [Member]
Assets:
Derivative Asset, Fair Value	1,232	1,594
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Other derivative instrument [Member]
Assets:
Derivative Asset, Fair Value		1,685
Liabilities:
Derivative Liability, Fair Value	6,445
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Short-term Deposit [Member]
Assets:
Short-term Deposits	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Equity Securities [Member]
Assets:
Short-term Deposits	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets:
Cash equivalents	0	0
Restricted certificates of deposits	0	0
Total assets	0	0
Liabilities:
Total liabilities	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Gold forward contracts [Member]
Assets:
Derivative Asset, Fair Value		0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Gold lease facility [Member]
Liabilities:
Derivative Liability, Fair Value		0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Royalty obligation embedded derivative [Member]
Liabilities:
Derivative Liability, Fair Value	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Put and call options [Member]
Assets:
Derivative Asset, Fair Value	0	0
Liabilities:
Derivative Liability, Fair Value	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Silver ounces received from Mandalay [Member]
Assets:
Derivative Asset, Fair Value	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Other derivative instrument [Member]
Assets:
Derivative Asset, Fair Value		0
Liabilities:
Derivative Liability, Fair Value	0
Short-term Deposit [Member]
Assets:
Short-term Deposits	1,160
Equity Securities [Member]
Assets:
Short-term Deposits	13,884
Gold forward contracts [Member]
Assets:
Derivative Asset, Fair Value		425
Gold lease facility [Member]
Liabilities:
Derivative Liability, Fair Value		2,213
Royalty obligation embedded derivative [Member]
Liabilities:
Derivative Liability, Fair Value	179,425	162,003
Put and call options [Member]
Assets:
Derivative Asset, Fair Value	5,813	5,403
Liabilities:
Derivative Liability, Fair Value	38,749	20,151
Silver ounces received from Mandalay [Member]
Assets:
Derivative Asset, Fair Value	1,232	1,594
Other derivative instrument [Member]
Assets:
Derivative Asset, Fair Value		1,685
Liabilities:
Derivative Liability, Fair Value	$ 6,445