Segment Reporting (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Financial information relating to the reporting segments

	Palmarejo Mine			San Bartolomé Mine			Kensington Mine			Rochester Mine			Martha Mine			Endeavor Mine			Other(3)			Total
Year Ended December 31, 2011
Sales of metals	$	513,097		$	267,502		$	151,186		$	57,331		$	13,347		$	18,737		$	—		$	1,021,200
Productions costs applicable to sales		(186,201	)		(79,679	)		(101,672	)		(28,257	)		(15,513	)		(8,634	)		—			(419,956	)
Depreciation and depletion		(159,264	)		(22,410	)		(35,839	)		(2,824	)		(556	)		(3,148	)		(459	)		(224,500	)
Gross profit (loss)		167,632			165,413			13,675			26,250			(2,722	)		6,955			(459	)		376,744
Exploration expense		6,863			248			1,102			1,989			6,367			—			2,559			19,128
Other operating expenses		949			342			317			19,931			156			(1	)		29,126			50,820
OPERATING INCOME (LOSS)		159,820			164,823			12,256			4,330			(9,245	)		6,956			(32,144	)		306,796
Interest and other income		(9,099	)		156			4			57			(544	)		—			2,815			(6,610	)
Interest expense		(23,453	)		(45	)		(4,889	)		(21	)		(458	)		—			(5,908	)		(34,774	)
Loss on debt extinguishment		—			—			—			—			—			—			(5,526	)		(5,526	)
Fair value adjustments, net		(40,046	)		—			(8,438	)		—			—			—			(3,566	)		(52,050	)
Income tax benefit (expense)		(28,023	)		(59,867	)		(31	)		—			(1,219	)		—			(25,197	)		(114,337	)
Income (loss) from continuing operations		59,199			105,067			(1,098	)		4,366			(11,466	)		6,956			(69,525	)		93,499
Loss from discontinued operations		—			—			—			—			—			—			—			—
Loss on sale of net assets of discontinued operations		—			—			—			—			—			—			—			—
Net income (loss)	$	59,199		$	105,067		$	(1,098	)	$	4,366		$	(11,466	)	$	6,956		$	(69,525	)	$	93,499
Segment assets(1)	$	2,029,769		$	276,423		$	507,891		$	76,852		$	19,717		$	35,686		$	16,792		$	2,963,130
Capital expenditures(2)	$	36,976		$	17,731		$	34,013		$	27,217		$	3,426		$	—		$	625		$	119,988

	Palmarejo Mine			San Bartolomé Mine			Kensington Mine			Rochester Mine			Martha Mine			Endeavor Mine			Other(3)			Total
Year Ended December 31, 2010
Sales of metals	$	230,024		$	142,989		$	23,628		$	54,323		$	53,875		$	10,618		$	—		$	515,457
Productions costs applicable to sales		(127,658	)		(60,023	)		(14,043	)		(24,760	)		(27,040	)		(4,112	)		—			(257,636	)
Depreciation and depletion		(91,505	)		(19,650	)		(17,487	)		(1,890	)		(8,525	)		(1,989	)		(573	)		(141,619	)
Gross profit (loss)		10,861			63,316			(7,902	)		27,673			18,310			4,517			(573	)		116,202
Exploration expense		4,658			9			659			190			5,791			—			2,942			14,249
Other operating expenses		352			—			170			1,544			—			—			24,987			27,053
OPERATING INCOME (LOSS)		5,851			63,307			(8,731	)		25,939			12,519			4,517			(28,502	)		74,900
Interest and other income		914			(373	)		(26	)		681			(3,974	)		—			3,549			771
Interest expense		(21,567	)		(325	)		(1,591	)		—			(90	)		—			(7,369	)		(30,942	)
Loss on debt extinguishment		—			—			—			—			—			—			(20,300	)		(20,300	)
Fair value adjustments, net		(98,707	)		—			(13,783	)		—			—			—			(4,604	)		(117,094	)
Income tax benefit (expense)		16,901			(21,655	)		(8	)		—			(8,523	)		—			22,766			9,481
Income (loss) from continuing operations		(96,608	)		40,954			(24,139	)		26,620			(68	)		4,517			(34,460	)		(83,184	)
Loss from discontinued operations		—			—			—			—			—			—			(6,029	)		(6,029	)
Loss on sale of net assets of discontinued operations		—			—			—			—			—			—			(2,095	)		(2,095	)
Net income (loss)	$	(96,608	)	$	40,954		$	(24,139	)	$	26,620		$	(68	)	$	4,517		$	(42,584	)	$	(91,308	)
Segment assets(1)	$	2,119,367		$	260,653		$	512,401		$	29,734		$	21,290		$	39,530		$	17,414		$	3,000,389
Capital expenditures(2)	$	54,226		$	6,159		$	92,730		$	2,349		$	100		$	—		$	430		$	155,994

	Palmarejo Mine			San Bartolomé Mine			Kensington Mine			Rochester Mine			Martha Mine			Endeavor Mine			Other(3)			Total
Year Ended December 31, 2009
Sales of metals	$	90,560		$	113,701		$	—		$	45,472		$	44,820		$	5,808		$	—		$	300,361
Productions costs applicable to sales		(66,262	)		(80,878	)		—			(24,206	)		(17,896	)		(2,069	)		—			(191,311	)
Depreciation and depletion		(52,043	)		(18,510	)		—			(1,852	)		(7,410	)		(1,269	)		(292	)		(81,376	)
Gross profit (loss)		(27,745	)		14,313			—			19,414			19,514			2,470			(292	)		27,674
Exploration expense		5,615			34			297			—			3,119			—			3,991			13,056
Other operating expenses		968			—			39			912			—			—			21,619			23,538
OPERATING INCOME (LOSS)		(34,328	)		14,279			(336	)		18,502			16,395			2,470			(25,902	)		(8,920	)
Interest and other income		1,075			1,075			3			(168	)		(1,953	)		—			1,616			1,648
Interest expense		(14,213	)		(125	)		(16	)		—			(401	)		—			(3,347	)		(18,102	)
Loss on debt extinguishment		—			—			—			—			—			—			31,528			31,528
Fair value adjustments, net		(78,148	)		—			(965	)		—			—			—			(3,114	)		(82,227	)
Income tax benefit (expense)		45,063			(8,894	)		5			—			(6,284	)		—			3,181			33,071
Income (loss) from continuing operations		(80,551	)		6,335			(1,309	)		18,334			7,757			2,470			3,962			(43,002	)
Loss from discontinued operations		—			—			—			—			—			—			(9,601	)		(9,601	)
Loss on sale of net assets of discontinued operations		—			—			—			—			—			—			25,537			25,537
Net income (loss)	$	(80,551	)	$	6,335		$	(1,309	)	$	18,334		$	7,757		$	2,470		$	19,898		$	(27,066	)
Segment assets(1)	$	2,129,024		$	276,926		$	397,457		$	31,232		$	33,024		$	39,852		$	46,948		$	2,954,463
Capital expenditures(2)	$	162,697		$	11,091		$	41,289		$	310		$	1,575		$	—		$	1,273		$	218,235

(1) Segment assets consist of receivables, prepaids, inventories, property, plant and equipment, and mining properties

(2) Balances represent cash flow amounts

(3) Includes discontinued operations

Consolidated Assets

	2011		2010		2009
Assets
Total assets for reportable segments	$	2,963,130	$	3,000,389	$	2,954,463
Cash and cash equivalents		175,012		66,118		22,782
Short-term investments		20,254		—		—
Other assets		106,045		91,020		76,790
Total consolidated assets	$	3,264,441	$	3,157,527	$	3,054,035

Geographic Information

	As of December 31,
	2011		2010		2009
Long Lived Assets:
United States and other	$	515,096	$	488,104	$	401,320
Australia		33,999		37,147		39,136
Chile		65		14		25,628
Argentina		5,213		1,882		12,392
Bolivia		230,956		234,306		248,667
Mexico		1,903,375		2,028,864		2,051,950
Total	$	2,688,704	$	2,790,317	$	2,779,093

	Twelve Months Ended December 31,
	2011		2010		2009
Revenues:
United States	$	208,517	$	77,951	$	45,473
Australia		18,737		10,618		5,807
Argentina		13,347		53,875		44,820
Bolivia		267,502		142,988		113,701
Mexico		513,097		230,025		90,560
Total	$	1,021,200	$	515,457	$	300,361