UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

 

Form 10-K

 

 

Commission File Number 1-8641

 

COEUR D’ALENE MINES CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (208) 667-3511

 

Securities Registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.  Yes þ     No o

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.  Yes o     No þ

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes þ     No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).  Yes þ     No o

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§ 229.405) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  Yes o     No þ

State the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the price at which the common equity was last sold, or the average bid and asked price of such common equity, as of the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter.

$1,401,781,852

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

As of February 25, 2011, 89,517,575 shares of Common Stock, Par Value $0.01

 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Certain information called for by Part III of the Form 10-K is incorporated by reference from the registrant’s definitive proxy statement for the 2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders which will be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A not later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this report.

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Coeur d’Alene Mines Corporation (referred to separately as “Coeur” and referred to along with its subsidiaries as “it” and “the Company”) is a large primary silver producer with growing gold production and has assets located in the United States, Mexico, Bolivia, Argentina and Australia. The Palmarejo mine, San Bartolomé mine, Kensington mine, Rochester mine and Martha mine, each of which is operated by the Company, and the Endeavor mine, which is operated by a non-affiliated party, constituted the Company’s principal sources of mining revenues during 2010. The Kensington mine, the Company’s newest operating mine, began processing ore on June 24, 2010 and began commercial production July 3, 2010. The Company sold its Cerro Bayo mine in Chile in August 2010. Coeur is an Idaho corporation incorporated in 1928.

 

OVERVIEW OF MINING PROPERTIES AND INTERESTS

 

The Company’s most significant operating properties and interests are described below:

 

 

 

Coeur also has interests in other properties that are subject to silver or gold exploration activities upon which no minable ore reserves have yet been delineated.

 

SILVER AND GOLD PRICES

 

The Company’s operating results are substantially dependent upon the world market prices of silver and gold. The Company has no control over silver and gold prices, which can fluctuate widely. The volatility of such prices is illustrated by the following table, which sets forth the high and low prices of silver (as reported by Handy and Harman) and gold (as reported by London Gold PM) per ounce during the periods indicated:

 

MARKETING

 

All of the Company’s mining operations produce silver and gold in doré form except for the Martha Mine, which produces a concentrate that contains both silver and gold, the Kensington Mine, which produces gold concentrate, and the Endeavor Mine which produces a concentrate that contains silver.

 

The Company markets its refined metal and doré to credit worthy bullion trading houses, market makers and members of the London Bullion Market Association, industrial companies and sound financial institutions. The refined metals are sold to end users for use in electronic circuitry, jewelry, silverware, and the pharmaceutical and technology industries. The Company currently has seven trading counterparties (International Commodities, JP Morgan, Mitsui, Mitsubishi, Standard Bank, Valcambi and Auramet) and the sales of metals to these companies amounted to approximately 83%, 83% and 66% of total metal sales in 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively. Generally, the loss of a single bullion trading counterparty would not adversely affect the Company due to the liquidity of the markets and the availability of alternative trading counterparties.

 

The Company refines and markets its precious metals doré and concentrates using a geographically diverse group of third party smelters and refiners, including clients located in Mexico, Switzerland, Australia, China, and the United States (Penoles, Valcambi, China National Gold and Johnson Matthey). Sales of silver concentrates to third-party smelters amounted to approximately 17%, 17% and 34% of total metal sales for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009, and 2008, respectively. The loss of any one smelting and refining client may have a material adverse effect if alternate smelters and refiners are not available. The Company believes there is sufficient global capacity available to address the loss of any one smelter.

 

HEDGING ACTIVITES

 

The Company’s strategy is to provide shareholders with leverage to changes in silver and gold prices by selling silver and gold production at market prices. The Company has entered into derivative contracts to protect the selling price for certain anticipated gold production and to manage risks associated with foreign currencies. For additional information see Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk and Note Q to the consolidated financial statements, Derivative Financial Instruments and Fair Value of Financial Instruments.

 

GOVERNMENT REGULATION

 

General

 

The Company’s activities are subject to extensive federal, state and local laws governing the protection of the environment, prospecting, development, production, taxes, labor standards, occupational health, mine safety, toxic substances and other matters. The costs associated with compliance with such regulatory requirements are substantial and possible future legislation and regulations could cause additional expense, capital expenditures, restrictions and delays in the development and continued operation of the Company’s properties, the extent of which cannot be predicted. In the context of environmental permitting, including the approval of reclamation plans, the Company must comply with known standards and regulations which may entail significant costs and delays. Although Coeur has been recognized for its commitment to environmental responsibility and believes it is in substantial compliance with applicable laws and regulations, amendments to current laws and regulations, more stringent application of these laws and regulations through judicial review or administrative action or the adoption of new laws could have a materially adverse effect upon the Company and its results of operations.

 

Estimated future reclamation costs are based primarily on legal and regulatory requirements. As of December 31, 2010, $27.3 million was accrued for reclamation costs relating to currently developed and producing properties. The Company is also involved in several matters concerning environmental obligations associated with former mining activities. Based upon the Company’s best estimate of its liabilities for these items, $1.8 million was accrued as of December 31, 2010. These amounts are included in reclamation and mine closure liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet.

Federal Environmental Laws

 

Certain mining wastes from extraction and beneficiation of ores are currently exempt from the extensive set of Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) regulations governing hazardous waste, although such wastes may be subject to regulation under state law as a solid or hazardous waste. The EPA has worked on a program to regulate these mining wastes pursuant to its solid waste management authority under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”). Certain ore processing and other wastes are currently regulated as hazardous wastes by the EPA under RCRA. If the Company’s mine wastes were treated as hazardous waste or such wastes resulted in operations being designated as a “Superfund” site under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (“CERCLA”) for cleanup, material expenditures could be required for the construction of additional waste disposal facilities or for other remediation expenditures. Under CERCLA, any present owner or operator of a Superfund site or an owner or operator at the time of its contamination generally may be held liable and may be forced to undertake remedial cleanup action or to pay for the government’s cleanup efforts. Such owner or operator may also be liable to governmental entities for the cost of damages to natural resources, which may be substantial. Additional regulations or requirements may also be imposed upon the Company’s tailings and waste disposal in Alaska under the Clean Water Act (“CWA”) and state law counterparts, and in Nevada under the Nevada Water Pollution Control Law which implements the CWA. Air emissions are subject to controls under Nevada’s and Alaska’s air pollution statutes implementing the Clean Air Act. The Company has reviewed and considered current federal legislation relating to climate change and does not believe it to have a material effect on its operations. Additional regulation or requirements under any of these laws and regulations could have a materially adverse effect upon the Company and its results of operations.

 

Proposed Mining Legislation

 

A portion of the Company’s U.S. mining properties are on unpatented mining claims on federal lands. Legislation has been introduced regularly in the U.S. Congress over the last decade to change the Mining Law of 1872 as amended, under which the Company holds these unpatented mining claims. It is possible that the Mining Law may be amended or replaced by less favorable legislation in the future. Previously proposed legislation contained a production royalty obligation, new environmental standards and conditions, additional reclamation requirements and extensive new procedural steps which would likely result in delays in permitting. The ultimate content of future proposed legislation, if enacted, is uncertain. If a royalty on unpatented mining claims were imposed, the Company’s U.S. operations could be adversely affected. In addition, the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management have considered revising regulations governing operations under the Mining Law on federal lands they administer, which, if implemented, may result in additional procedures and environmental conditions and standards on those lands. The majority of the Company’s operations are either outside of the United States or on private patented lands and would be unaffected by potential legislation.

 

Any such reform of the Mining Law or Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service regulations there under could increase the costs of mining activities on unpatented mining claims, or could materially impair the ability of the Company to develop or continue operations which derive ore from federal lands, and as a result could have an adverse effect on the Company and its results of operations. Until such time, if any, as new reform legislation or regulations are enacted, the ultimate effects and costs of compliance on the Company cannot be estimated.

 

Foreign Government Regulations

 

The mining properties of the Company that are located in Argentina are subject to various government laws and regulations pertaining to the protection of the air, surface water, ground water and the environment in general, as well as the health of the work force, labor standards and the socio-economic impacts of mining facilities upon the communities. The Company believes it is in substantial compliance with all applicable laws and regulations to which it is subject in Argentina.

 

Bolivia, where the San Bartolomé mine is located, and Mexico, where the Palmarejo mine is located, have both adopted laws and guidelines for environmental permitting that are similar to those in effect in the United States and other South American countries. The permitting process requires a thorough study to determine the baseline

condition of the mining site and surrounding area, an environmental impact analysis, and proposed mitigation measures to minimize and offset the environmental impact of mining operations. The Company has received all permits required to operate the San Bartolomé and Palmarejo mines.

 

The Company does not directly hold any interest in mining properties in Australia. However, under the Silver Sale Agreements with CBH Resources Limited (“CBH”), the Company has purchased CBH’s silver reserves and resources in the ground at the Endeavor mine. CBH is responsible for the mining operation and compliance with government regulations and the Company is not responsible for compliance. The Company is however at risk for any production stoppages resulting from non-compliance. CBH’s mining property is subject to a range of state and federal government laws and regulations pertaining to the protection of the air, surface water, ground water, noise, site rehabilitation and the environment in general, as well as the occupational health and safety of the work force, labor standards and the socio-economic impacts of mining facilities among local communities. In addition, the various federal and state native title laws and regulations recognize and protect the rights and interests in Australia of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in land and waters and may restrict mining and exploration activity and/or result in additional costs. CBH is required to deal with a number of governmental departments in connection with the development and exploitation of its mining property.

 

The Company is not aware of any substantial non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations to which CBH is subject in Australia.

 

Maintenance of Claims

 

Bolivia

 

The Bolivian state-owned mining organization, Corporación Minera de Bolivia (“COMIBOL”), is the underlying owner of all of the mining rights relating to the San Bartolomé mine. COMIBOL’s ownership derives from the Supreme Decree 3196 issued in October 1952, when the government nationalized most of the mines in Potosí. COMIBOL has leased the mining rights for the surface sucu or pallaco gravel deposits to several Potosí cooperatives. The cooperatives in turn have subleased their mining rights to Coeur’s subsidiary, Manquiri through a series of “joint venture” contracts. In addition to those agreements with the cooperatives Manquiri holds additional mining rights under lease agreements directly with COMIBOL. All of Manquiri’s mining and surface rights collectively constitute the San Bartolomé project. For additional information regarding the maintenance of its claims to the San Bartolomé mine, see ‘Item 2. Properties — Silver and Gold Mining Properties — Bolivia-San Bartolomé’ below.

 

Mexico

 

In order to carry out mining activities in Mexico, the Company is required to obtain a mining concession from the General Bureau of Mining which belongs to the Ministry of Economy (Secretaría de Economía) of the Federal Government, or be assigned previously granted concession rights, and both must be recorded with the Public Registry of Mining. In addition, mining works may have to be authorized by other authorities when performed in certain areas, including villages, dams, channels, general communications ways, submarine shelves of islands, islets and reefs, marine beds and subsoil and federal maritime-terrestrial zones. Reports have to be filed with the General Bureau of Mining in May of each year evidencing previous calendar year mining works. Generally nominal biannual mining duties are payable in January and July of each year, and failure to pay these duties could lead to cancellation of the concessions. Obligations such as not to withdraw permanent works of fortification and to file technical reports are to be fulfilled upon expiration or cancellation of the concession.

 

United States

 

At mining properties in the United States, including the Rochester and Kensington mines, operations are conducted upon both patented and unpatented mining claims. Pursuant to applicable federal law it is necessary to pay to the Secretary of the Interior, on or before August 31 of each year, a claim maintenance fee of $140 per claim. This claim maintenance fee is in lieu of the assessment work requirement contained in the Mining Law. In addition, in Nevada, holders of unpatented mining claims are required to pay the county recorder of the county in which the claim is situated an annual fee of $8.50 per claim. For unpatented claims in Alaska, the Company is required to pay a

variable, annual rental fee based on the age of the claim and must perform annual labor or make an annual payment in lieu of annual labor. No maintenance fees are payable for federal patented claims. Patented claims are similar to land held by an owner who is entitled to the entire interest in the property with unconditional power of disposition and are subject to local property taxes.

 

Argentina

 

Minerals are owned by the provincial governments, which impose a maximum 3% mine-mouth royalty on mineral production. The first step in acquiring mining rights is filing a cateo, which gives exclusive prospecting rights for the requested area for a period of time, generally up to three years. The maximum size of each cateo is 10,000 hectares; a maximum of 20 cateos, or 200,000 hectares, can be held by a single entity (individual or company) in any one province.

 

The holder of a cateo has exclusive right to establish a Manifestation of Discovery (“MD”) on that cateo, but MDs can also be set without a cateo on any land not covered by someone else’s cateo. MDs are filed as either a vein or disseminated discovery. A square protection zone can be declared around the discovery — up to 840 hectares for a vein MD or up to 7,000 hectares for a disseminated MD. The protection zone grants the discoverer exclusive rights for an indefinite period, during which the discoverer must provide an annual report presenting a program of exploration work and investments related to the protection zone. A MD can later be upgraded to a Mina (mining claim), which gives the holder the right to begin commercial extraction of minerals.

 

Australia

 

At the Endeavor mining property in Australia operated by CBH, operations are conducted on designated mining leases issued by the relevant state government mining department. Mining leases are issued for a specific term and include a range of environmental and other conditions including the payment of production royalties, annual lease fees and the use of cash or a bank guarantee as security for reclamation liabilities. The amounts required to be paid to secure reclamation liabilities are determined on a case by case basis. In addition, CBH holds a range of exploration titles and permits, which are also issued by the respective state government mining departments for specified terms and require payment of annual fees and completion of designated expenditure programs on the leases to maintain title. In Australia, minerals in the ground are owned by the state until severed from the ground through mining operations.

 

Chile

 

In Chile, mineral rights are owned by the national government. Mineral concessions are granted by the court with jurisdiction over the land where the requested concession is located. For exploitation concessions (somewhat similar to a U.S. patented claim), to maintain the concession, an annual tax is payable to the government before March 31 of each year in the approximate amount of $8.00 per hectare. For exploration concessions, to maintain the right, the annual tax is approximately $1.60 per hectare. An exploration concession is valid for a five-year period. It may be renewed unless a third party claims the right to explore upon the property, in which event the exploration concession must be converted to an exploitation concession in order to maintain the rights to the concession. At the end of 2010, the company held concessions on three properties in Chile, totaling 18 square miles (4,664 hectares).

 

Condition of Physical Assets and Insurance

 

The Company business is capital intensive, requiring ongoing capital investment for the replacement, modernization or expansion of equipment and facility. For more information see, Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,’ below.

 

The Company maintains insurance policies against property loss and business interruption and insures against risks that are typical in the operation of its business, in amounts the Company believes to be reasonable. Such insurance, however, contains exclusions and limitations on coverage, particularly with respect to environmental liability and political risk. There can be no assurance that claims would be paid under such insurance policies in connection with a particular event. See, Item 1A. Risk Factors, below.

EMPLOYEES

 

The number of full-time employees at the Company as of December 31, 2010 was:

 

 

 

 

EXPLORATION STAGE MINING PROPERTIES

 

The Company, either directly or through wholly-owned subsidiaries, owns, leases and has interests in certain exploration-stage mining properties located in the United States, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Mexico and Tanzania. During 2011, the Company expects to invest approximately $20.7 million in exploration and reserve development compared to $18.0 million spent on similar activities in 2010.

 

BUSINESS STRATEGY

 

The Company’s business strategy is to discover, acquire, develop and operate low-cost silver and gold operations that will produce long-term cash flow, provide opportunities for growth through continued exploration, and generate superior and sustainable returns for shareholders.

 

SOURCES OF REVENUE

 

The San Bartolomé mine, Palmarejo mine, Kensington mine, Rochester mine, and Martha mine, each operated by the Company and the Endeavor mine, operated by a non-affiliated party, constituted the Company’s principal sources of mining revenues in 2010. See the Financial Statements, Note T — Segment Reporting, under the heading “Geographical Information”, for revenues attributed to all foreign countries. The following table sets forth information regarding the percentage contribution to the Company’s total revenues (i.e., revenues from the sale

of concentrates and doré) by the sources of those revenues during the past five years, excluding discontinued operations:

 

 

 

 

DEFINITIONS

 

The following sets forth definitions of certain important mining terms used in this report.

 

“Ag” is the abbreviation for silver.

 

“Au” is the abbreviation for gold.

 

“Backfill” is primarily waste sand or rock used to support the roof or walls after removal of ore from a stope.

 

“By-Product” is a secondary metal or mineral product recovered in the milling process, such as gold.

 

“Cash Costs” are costs directly related to the physical activities of producing silver and gold, and include mining, processing, transportation and other plant costs, third-party refining and smelting costs, marketing expense, on-site general and administrative costs, royalties and in-mine drilling expenditures that are related to production and other direct costs. Sales of by-product metals, including gold, are deducted from the above in computing cash costs per ounce. Cash costs exclude depreciation, depletion and amortization, corporate general and administrative expense, exploration, interest, and pre-feasibility costs and accruals for mine reclamation. Cash costs are calculated and presented using the “Gold Institute Production Cost Standard” applied consistently for all periods presented.

 

“Cash Costs per Ounce” are calculated by dividing the cash costs computed for each of the Company’s mining properties for a specific period by the amount of gold ounces or silver ounces produced by that property during that same period. Management uses cash costs per ounce produced as a key indicator of the profitability of each of its mining properties. Gold and silver are sold and priced in the world financial markets on a U.S. dollar per ounce basis. By calculating the cash costs from each of the Company’s mines on the same unit basis, management can determine the gross margin that each ounce of gold and silver produced is generating. While this represents a key indicator of the performance of the Company’s mining properties you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this single measurement. To fully evaluate a mine’s performance, management also monitors U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“U.S. GAAP”) based profit/(loss), depreciation and amortization expenses and capital expenditures for each mine as presented in Note T — Segment Reporting. Total cash costs per ounce is a non-GAAP measurement and investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on it and are urged to read all GAAP accounting disclosures presented in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying footnotes.

“Concentrate” is a very fine powder-like product containing the valuable metal from which most of the waste material in the ore has been eliminated.

 

“Contained Ounces” represents ounces in the ground before reduction of ounces not able to be recovered by applicable metallurgical process.

 

“Cutoff Grade” is the minimum metal at which an ore body can be economically mined; used in the calculation of reserves in a given deposit.

 

“Cyanidation” is a method of extracting gold or silver by dissolving it in a weak solution of sodium or potassium cyanide.

 

“Development” is work carried out for the purpose of accessing a mineral deposit. In an underground mine that includes shaft sinking, crosscutting, drifting and raising. In an open pit mine, development includes the removal of over burden.

 

“Dilution” is an estimate of the amount of waste or low-grade mineralized rock which will be mined with the ore as part of normal mining practices in extracting an ore body.

 

“Doré” is unrefined gold and silver bullion bars which contain gold, silver and minor amounts of impurities which will be further refined to almost pure metal.

 

“Drilling”

 

Core:  with a hollow bit with a diamond cutting rim to produce a cylindrical core that is used for geological study and assays used in mineral exploration.

 

In-fill:  is any method of drilling intervals between existing holes, used to provide greater geological detail and to help establish reserve estimates.

 

“Exploration” is prospecting, sampling, mapping, diamond drilling and other work involved in searching for ore.

 

“Gold” is a metallic element with minimum fineness of 999 parts per 1000 parts pure gold.

 

“Grade” is the amount of metal in each ton of ore, expressed as troy ounces per ton or grams per tonne for precious metals.

 

“Heap Leach Pad” is a large impermeable foundation or pad used as a base for ore during heap leaching.

 

“Heap Leaching Process” is a process of extracting gold and silver by placing broken ore on an impermeable pad and applying a diluted cyanide solution that dissolves a portion of the contained gold and silver, which are then recovered in metallurgical processes.

 

“Hectare” is a metric unit of area equal to 10,000 square meters (2.471 acres).

 

“Mill” is a processing facility where ore is finely ground and thereafter undergoes physical or chemical treatments to extract the valuable metals.

 

“Mill-Lead Grades” are metal content of mined ore going into a mill for processing.

 

“Mineralized Material” is gold and silver bearing material that has been physically delineated by one or more of a number of methods, including drilling, underground work, surface trenching and other types of sampling. This material has been found to contain a sufficient amount of mineralization of an average grade of metal or metals to have economic potential that warrants further exploration evaluation. While this material is not currently or may never be classified as ore reserves, it is reported as mineralized material only if the potential exists for reclassification into the reserves category. This material cannot be classified in the reserves category until final technical, economic and legal factors have been determined. Under the United States Securities and Exchange Commission’s standards, a mineral deposit does not qualify as a reserve unless it can be economically and legally extracted at the time of reserve determination and it constitutes a proven or probable reserve (as defined below). In accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission guidelines, mineralized material reported in the Company’s Form 10-K no longer includes inferred mineral resources.

“Mining Rate” tons of ore mined per day or even specified time period.

 

“Non-cash Costs” are costs that are typically accounted for ratably over the life of an operation and include depreciation, depletion and amortization of capital assets, accruals for the costs of final reclamation and long-term monitoring and care that are usually incurred at the end of mine life, and the amortization of the cost of property acquisitions.

 

“Open Pit” is a mine where the minerals are mined entirely from the surface.

 

“Operating Cash Costs Per Ounce” are cash costs per ounce minus production taxes and royalties.

 

“Ore” is rock, generally containing metallic or non-metallic minerals, that can be mined and processed at a profit.

 

“Ore Body” is a sufficiently large amount of ore that can be mined economically.

 

“Ore Reserve” is the part of a mineral deposit that could be economically and legally extracted or produced at the time of the reserve determination.

 

“Probable Reserve” is a part of a mineralized deposit which can be extracted or produced economically and legally at the time of the reserve determination. The quantity and grade and/or quality of a probable reserve is computed from information similar to that used for a proven reserve, but the sites for inspection, sampling and measurement are farther apart or are otherwise less adequately spaced. The degree of assurance, although lower than that for proven reserves, is high enough to assume continuity between points of observation. Mining dilution, where appropriate, has been factored into the estimation of probable reserves.

 

“Proven Reserve” is a portion of a mineral deposit which can be extracted or produced economically and legally at the time of the reserve determination. The quantity of a proven reserve is computed from dimensions revealed in outcrops, trenches, workings or drill holes; grade and/or quality are computed from the results of detailed sampling and the sites for inspections, sampling and measurement are spaced so closely and the geologic character is so well defined that size, shape, depth and mineral content of a proven reserve is well-established. Mining dilution, where appropriate, has been factored into the estimation of proven reserves.

 

“Reclamation” is the process by which lands disturbed as a result of mining activity are modified to support beneficial land use. Reclamation activity may include the removal of buildings, equipment, machinery and other physical remnants of mining, closure of tailings, leach pads and other features, and contouring, covering and re-vegetation of waste rock and other disturbed areas.

 

“Recovery Rate” is a term used in process metallurgy to indicate the proportion of valuable material physically recovered in the processing of ore. It is generally stated as a percentage of material recovered compared to the material originally present.

 

“Refining” is the final stage of metal production in which impurities are removed from the molten metal.

 

“Run-of-mine Ore” is mined ore which has not been subjected to any pretreatment, such as washing, sorting or crushing prior to processing.

 

“Silver” is a metallic element with minimum fineness of 995 parts per 1000 parts pure silver.

 

“Stripping Ratio” is the ratio of the number of tons of waste material to the number of tons of ore extracted at an open-pit mine.

 

“Tailings” is the material that remains after all economically and technically recovered precious metals have been removed from the ore during processing.

 

“Ton” means a short ton which is equivalent to 2,000 pounds, unless otherwise specified.

 

“Total costs” are the sum of cash costs and non-cash costs.

IMPORTANT FACTORS RELATING TO FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

This report contains numerous forward-looking statements relating to the Company’s gold and silver mining business, including estimated production data, expected operating schedules, expected capital costs and other operating data and permit and other regulatory approvals. Such forward-looking statements are identified by the use of words such as “believes,” “intends,” “expects,” “hopes,” “may,” “should,” “plan,” “projected,” “contemplates,” “anticipates” or similar words. Actual production, operating schedules, results of operations, ore reserve and resources could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements include (i) the risk factors set forth below under Item 1A, (ii) the risks and hazards inherent in the mining business (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, weather or geologically related conditions), (iii) changes in the market prices of gold and silver, (iv) the uncertainties inherent in the Company’s production, exploratory and developmental activities, including risks relating to permitting and regulatory delays, (v) any future labor disputes or work stoppages, (vi) the uncertainties inherent in the estimation of gold and silver ore reserves, (vii) changes that could result from the Company’s future acquisition of new mining properties or businesses, (viii) reliance on third parties to operate certain mines where the Company owns silver production and reserves, (ix) the loss of any third-party smelter to which the Company markets silver and gold, (x) the effects of environmental and other governmental regulations, (xi) the risks inherent in the ownership or operation of or investment in mining properties or businesses in foreign countries, (xii) the worldwide economic downturn and difficult conditions in the global capital and credit markets, and (xiii) the Company’s ability to raise additional financing necessary to conduct its business, make payments or refinance its debt. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

AVAILABLE INFORMATION

 

The Company maintains an internet website at http://www.coeur.com. Coeur makes available, free of charge, on or through its website, its Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, Proxy Statements and Forms 3, 4 and 5, as soon as reasonably practicable after electronically filing such reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of Coeur’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, charters of the key Committees of the Board of Directors (Audit, Compensation, Nominating and Corporate Governance) and its Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for Directors, Officers and Employees, applicable to the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer, are available at the Company’s website http://www.coeur.com. Information contained on the Company’s website is not a part of this report.

 

 

The following sets forth information relating to important risks and uncertainties that could materially adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition or operating results. References to “Coeur,” in these risk factors refer to the Company. Additional risks and uncertainties that the Company does not presently know or that the Company currently deem immaterial may also impair its business operations.

 

The Company’s results of operations and cash flows are highly dependent upon the market prices of silver and gold, which are volatile and beyond its control.

 

Silver and gold are commodities, and their prices are volatile. During 2010, the price of silver ranged from a low of $14.78 per ounce to a high of $30.64 per ounce, and the price of gold ranged from a low of $1,058 per ounce to a high of $1,421 per ounce. The market prices of silver and gold on February 25, 2011 were $32.95 per ounce and $1,402.50 per ounce, respectively.

 

Silver and gold prices are affected by many factors beyond the Company’s control, including prevailing interest rates and returns on other asset classes, expectations regarding inflation, speculation, currency values, governmental decisions regarding the disposal of precious metals stockpiles, global and regional demand and production, political and economic conditions and other factors. In addition, Exchange Traded Funds (“ETFs”), which have substantially facilitated the ability of large and small investors to buy and sell precious metals, recently,

have become significant holders of gold and silver. Net inflows of investments into and out of ETFs are amplifying the historical volatility of gold and silver prices.

 

Because Coeur derives all of its revenues from sales of silver and gold, the Company’s results of operations and cash flows will fluctuate as the prices of these metals increase or decrease. A sustained period of declining gold and silver prices would materially and adversely affect the Company’s results of operations and cash flows. Factors that are generally understood to contribute to a decline in the prices of silver and gold include a strengthening of the U.S. dollar, net outflows from gold and silver ETFs, bullion sales by private and government holders and a general global economic slowdown.

 

A substantial decline in gold and silver prices could cause one or more of the Company’s mining properties to become unprofitable, which could require it to record write-downs of long-lived assets that would adversely impact the Company’s results of operations and financial condition.

 

Established accounting standards for impairment of the value of long-lived assets such as mining properties requires Coeur to review the recoverability of the cost of its assets by estimating the future undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the asset. Impairment, measured by comparing an asset’s carrying value to its fair value, must be recognized when the carrying value of the asset exceeds these cash flows. A significant and sustained decline in silver or gold prices, or the Company’s failure to control production costs or realize the minable ore reserves at its mining properties, could lead the Company to terminate or suspend mining operations at one or more of its properties and require it to write down the carrying value of the Company’s assets. Any such actions would negatively affect Coeur’s results of operations and financial condition.

 

The Company also may record other types of additional mining property charges in the future if it sells a property for a price less than its carrying value or if it has to increase reclamation liabilities in connection with the closure and reclamation of a property. Any such additional write-downs of mining properties could adversely affect the Company’s results of operations and financial condition.

 

Coeur is an international company and is exposed to political and social risks in the countries in which it has significant operations or interests.

 

The Company has significant mining operations outside the United States and is subject to significant risks inherent in resource extraction by foreign companies and contracts with government owned entities. Exploration, development, production and closure activities in many countries are potentially subject to heightened political and social risks that are beyond the Company’s control. These risks include the possible unilateral cancellation or forced re-negotiation of contracts; unfavorable changes in foreign laws and regulations; royalty and tax increases, claims by governmental entities or indigenous communities, expropriation or nationalization of property and other risks arising out of foreign sovereignty over areas in which Coeur’s operations are conducted. The right to export silver and gold may depend on obtaining certain licenses and quotas, which could be delayed or denied at the discretion of the relevant regulatory authorities. In addition, the Company’s rights under local law may not be as secure in countries where judicial systems are susceptible to manipulation and intimidation by government agencies, non-governmental organizations and civic groups.

 

Any of these developments could require the Company to curtail or terminate operations at its mines, incur significant costs to meet newly-imposed environmental or other standards, pay greater royalties or higher prices for labor or services and recognize higher taxes, which could materially and adversely affect Coeur’s results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

 

The Company’s operations outside the United States also expose it to economic and operational risks.

 

Coeur’s operations outside the United States also expose it to economic and operational risks. Local economic conditions can cause the Company to experience shortages of skilled workers and supplies, increase costs and adversely affect the security of operations. In addition, higher incidences of criminal activity and violence in the area of some of the Company’s foreign operations could adversely affect Coeur’s ability to operate in an optimal fashion, and may impose greater risks of theft and greater risks as to property security. These conditions could lead to lower productivity and higher costs, which would adversely affect results of operations and cash flows.

Coeur sells gold and silver doré in U.S. dollars, but conducts the Company’s operations outside the United States in local currency. Currency exchange movements could adversely affect results of operations.

 

Silver and gold mining involves significant production and operational risks.

 

Silver and gold mining involves significant production and operational risks, including those related to uncertain mineral exploration success, unexpected geological or mining conditions, the difficulty of development of new deposits, unfavorable climate conditions, equipment or service failures, current unavailability of or delays in installing and commissioning plants and equipment, import or customs delays and other general operating risks. Commencement of mining can reveal mineralization or geologic formations, including higher than expected content of other minerals that can be difficult to separate from silver, which can result in unexpectedly low recovery rates.

 

Problems may also arise due to the quality or failure of locally obtained equipment or interruptions to services (such as power, water, fuel or transport or processing capacity) or technical support, which could result in the failure to achieve expected target dates for exploration, or could cause production activities to require greater capital expenditure to achieve expected recoveries.

 

Many of these production and operational risks are beyond the Company’s control. Delays in commencing successful mining activities at new or expanded mines, disruptions in production and low recovery rates could have adverse effects on results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

 

The estimation of ore reserves is imprecise and depends upon subjective factors. Estimated ore reserves may not be realized in actual production. The Company’s operating results may be negatively affected by inaccurate estimates.

 

The ore reserve figures presented in the Company’s public filings are estimates made by Coeur’s technical personnel and by independent mining consultants contracted by Coeur. Reserve estimates are a function of geological and engineering analyses that require the Company to make assumptions about production costs, recoveries and silver and gold market prices. Reserve estimation is an imprecise and subjective process. The accuracy of such estimates is a function of the quality of available data and of engineering and geological interpretation, judgment and experience. Assumptions about silver and gold market prices are subject to great uncertainty as those prices have fluctuated widely in the past. Declines in the market prices of silver or gold may render reserves containing relatively lower grades of ore uneconomic to exploit, and the Company may be required to reduce reserve estimates, discontinue development or mining at one or more of its properties or write down assets as impaired. Should Coeur encounter mineralization or geologic formations at any of its mines or projects different from those predicted, the Company may adjust its reserve estimates and alter its mining plans. Either of these alternatives may adversely affect actual production and results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

 

Forward sales and royalty arrangements can result in limiting the Company’s ability to take advantage of increased metal prices while increasing its exposure to lower metal prices.

 

From time to time the Company has entered into financing arrangements under which it has agreed to make royalty or similar payments to lenders in amounts that are based on expected production and price levels for gold or silver. Coeur enters into such arrangements when it concludes that they provide the Company with necessary capital to develop a specific mining property on favorable terms. The impact of royalty or similar payment obligations, however, can limit the Company’s ability to realize the full effect of rising gold or silver prices and require Coeur to make potentially significant cash payments if the mine fails to achieve specified minimum levels.

 

Coeur’s future operating performance may not generate cash flows sufficient to meet its debt payment obligations.

 

As of December 31, 2010, the Company had a total of approximately $435.7 million of outstanding indebtedness, which includes $242.3 million for gold production royalty payments due to Franco-Nevada Corporation for royalty covering 50% of the life of mine gold to be produced from the Palmarejo silver and gold mine in Mexico. Coeur’s ability to make scheduled debt payments on its outstanding indebtedness will depend on its future

results of operations and cash flows. Coeur’s results of operations and cash flows, in part, are subject to economic factors beyond its control, including the market prices of silver and gold. The Company may not be able to generate enough cash flow to meet its obligations and commitments. If the Company cannot generate sufficient cash flow from operations to service its debt, the Company may need to further refinance its debt, dispose of assets or issue equity to obtain the necessary funds. The Company cannot predict whether it will be able to refinance its debt, issue equity or dispose of assets to raise funds on a timely basis or on satisfactory terms.

 

The Company’s future growth will depend upon its ability to develop new mines, either through exploration at its existing properties or by acquisition from other mining companies.

 

Because mines have limited lives based on proven and probable ore reserves, an important element of the Company’s business strategy is the opportunistic acquisition of silver and gold mines, properties and businesses or interests therein. During 2010, Coeur successfully commenced operations at its Kensington gold mine and substantially completed development of its other major mining properties at Palmarejo and San Bartolomé. The Company’s ability to achieve significant additional growth in revenues and cash flows will depend upon its success in further developing Coeur’s existing properties and developing or acquiring new mining properties. Both strategies are inherently risky, and the Company cannot assure you that it would be able to successfully compete in either the development of its existing or new mining properties or acquisitions of additional mining properties.

 

While it is Coeur’s practice to engage independent mining consultants to assist in evaluating and making acquisitions, any mining properties or interests that the Company may acquire may not be developed profitably. If profitable when acquired, that profitability might not be sustained. In connection with any future acquisitions, the Company may incur indebtedness or issue equity securities, resulting in increased interest expense, or dilution of the percentage ownership of existing shareholders. Coeur cannot predict the impact of future acquisitions on the price of its business or its common stock or that it would be able to obtain any necessary financing on acceptable terms. Unprofitable acquisitions, or additional indebtedness or issuances of securities in connection with such acquisitions, may adversely affect the price of the Company’s common stock and negatively affect its results of operations.

 

Coeur might be unable to raise additional financing necessary to meet capital needs, conduct its business, make payments when due or refinance its debt.

 

Coeur might need to raise additional funds in order to meet capital needs, implement its business plan, refinance its debt or acquire complementary businesses or products. Any required additional financing might not be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. If the Company raises additional funds by issuing equity securities, holders of the Company’s common stock could experience significant dilution of their ownership interest, and these securities could have rights senior to those of the holders of the Company’s common stock.

 

Mineral exploration and development inherently involves significant and irreducible financial risks. Coeur may suffer from the failure to find and develop profitable mines.

 

The exploration for and development of mineral deposits involves significant financial risks that even a combination of careful evaluation, experience and knowledge cannot eliminate. Unprofitable efforts may result from the failure to discover mineral deposits. Even if mineral deposits are found, those deposits may be insufficient in quantity and quality to return a profit from production, or it may take a number of years until production is possible, during which time the economic viability of the project may change. Few properties which are explored are ultimately developed into producing mines.

 

Substantial expenditures are required to establish ore reserves, to extract metals from ores and, in the case of new properties, to construct mining and processing facilities. The economic feasibility of any development project is based upon, among other things, volatile metals prices, estimates of the size and grade of ore reserves, proximity to infrastructures and other resources such as water and power, metallurgical recoveries, production rates and capital and operating costs. Development projects also are subject to the completion of favorable feasibility studies, issuance and maintenance of necessary permits and receipt of adequate financing.

The commercial viability of a mineral deposit, once developed, depends on a number of factors, including: the particular attributes of the deposit, such as size, grade and proximity to infrastructure; government regulations including taxes, royalties and land tenure; land use; importing and exporting of minerals; environmental protection; and mineral prices. Factors that affect adequacy of infrastructure include: reliability of roads, bridges, power sources and water supply; unusual or infrequent weather phenomena; sabotage; and government or other interference in the maintenance or provision of such infrastructure. All of these factors are highly cyclical. The exact effect of these factors cannot be accurately predicted, but the combination may result in not receiving an adequate return on invested capital.

 

Significant investment risks and operational costs are associated with the Company’s exploration, development and mining activities. These risks and costs may result in lower economic returns and may adversely affect Coeur’s business.

 

Coeur’s ability to sustain or increase its present production levels depends in part on successful exploration and development of new ore bodies and expansion of existing mining operations. Mineral exploration, particularly for silver and gold, involves many risks and is frequently unproductive. The economic feasibility of any development project is based upon, among other things, estimates of the size and grade of ore reserves, proximity to infrastructures and other resources (such as water and power), metallurgical recoveries, production rates and capital and operating costs of such development projects, and metals prices. Development projects are also subject to the completion of favorable feasibility studies, issuance and maintenance of necessary permits and receipt of adequate financing.

 

Development projects may have no operating history upon which to base estimates of future operating costs and capital requirements. Development project items such as estimates of reserves, metal recoveries and cash operating costs are to a large extent based upon the interpretation of geologic data, obtained from a limited number of drill holes and other sampling techniques, and feasibility studies. Estimates of cash operating costs are then derived based upon anticipated tonnage and grades of ore to be mined and processed, the configuration of the ore body, expected recovery rates of metals from the ore, comparable facility and equipment costs, anticipated climate conditions and other factors.

 

As a result, actual cash operating costs and economic returns of any and all development projects may materially differ from the costs and returns estimated, and accordingly, the Company’s financial condition and results of operations may be negatively affected.

 

A significant delay or disruption in the Company’s sales of concentrates as a result of the unexpected discontinuation of purchases by its smelter customers could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s operations.

 

The Company currently markets its silver and gold doré and concentrates to third-party smelters and refineries in Mexico, Switzerland, China, the United States and Australia. The loss of any one smelter or refinery customer could have a material adverse effect on the Company if alternative smelters and refineries were unavailable. The Company cannot assure you that alternative smelters or refineries would be available if the need for them were to arise, or that the Company would not experience delays or disruptions in sales that would materially and adversely affect results of operations.

 

Coeur’s silver and gold production may decline in the future, reducing its results of operations and cash flows.

 

The Company’s silver and gold production, unless the Company is able to develop or acquire new properties, will decline over time due to the exhaustion of reserves and the possible closure of mines in response to declining metals prices or other factors. Identifying promising mining properties is difficult and speculative. Coeur encounters strong competition from other mining companies in connection with the acquisition of properties producing or capable of producing silver and gold. Many of these companies have greater financial resources than the Company does. Consequently, Coeur may be unable to replace and expand current ore reserves through the acquisition of new mining properties or interests therein on terms that are considered acceptable. As a result,

Coeur’s revenues from the sale of silver and gold may decline, resulting in lower income and reduced growth. The Company cannot assure you that it would be able to replace the production that would be lost due to the exhaustion of reserves and the possible closure of mines.

 

There are significant hazards associated with the Company’s mining activities, some of which may not be fully covered by insurance.

 

The mining business is subject to risks and hazards, including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, the encountering of unusual or unexpected geological formations, cave-ins, flooding, earthquakes and periodic interruptions due to inclement or hazardous weather conditions. These occurrences could result in damage to, or destruction of, mineral properties or production facilities, personal injury or death, environmental damage, reduced production and delays in mining, asset write-downs, monetary losses and possible legal liability. Insurance fully covering many environmental risks, including potential liability for pollution or other hazards as a result of disposal of waste products occurring from exploration and production, is not generally available to the Company or to other companies in the industry. Any liabilities that the Company incurs for these risks and hazards could be significant and could adversely affect results of operation, cash flows and financial condition.

 

The Company is subject to significant governmental regulations, and related costs and delays may negatively affect its business.

 

Mining activities are subject to extensive federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations governing environmental protection, natural resources, prospecting, development, production, post-closure reclamation, taxes, labor standards and occupational health and safety laws and regulations, including mine safety, toxic substances and other matters. The costs associated with compliance with such laws and regulations are substantial. Possible future laws and regulations, or more restrictive interpretations of current laws and regulations by governmental authorities, could cause additional expense, capital expenditures, restrictions on or suspensions of operations and delays in the development of new properties.

 

Failure to comply with applicable laws, regulations and permitting requirements may result in enforcement actions, including orders issued by regulatory or judicial authorities causing operations to cease or be curtailed, which may require corrective measures including capital expenditures, installation of additional equipment or remedial actions. Parties engaged in mining operations or in the exploration or development of mineral properties may be required to compensate those suffering loss or damage by reason of the mining activities and may be subject to civil or criminal fines or penalties imposed for violations of applicable laws or regulations.

 

Compliance with environmental regulations and litigation based on environmental regulations could require significant expenditures.

 

Environmental regulations mandate, among other things, the maintenance of air and water quality standards and land reclamation, and set forth limitations on the generation, transportation, storage and disposal of solid and hazardous waste. Environmental legislation is evolving in a manner that will require stricter standards and enforcement, increased fines and penalties for non-compliance, more stringent environmental assessments of proposed projects, and a heightened degree of responsibility for mining companies and their officers, directors and employees. The Company may incur environmental costs that could have a material adverse effect on its financial condition and results of operations. Any failure to remedy an environmental problem could require the Company to suspend operations or enter into interim compliance measures pending completion of the required remedy. The environmental standards that ultimately may be imposed at a mine site affect the cost of remediation and could exceed the financial accruals that Coeur has made for such remediation. The potential exposure may be significant and could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.

 

Moreover, governmental authorities and private parties may bring lawsuits based upon damage to property and injury to persons resulting from the environmental, health and safety impacts of prior and current operations, including operations conducted by other mining companies many years ago at sites located on properties that the Company currently or formerly owned. These lawsuits could lead to the imposition of substantial fines, remediation costs, penalties and other civil and criminal sanctions. Substantial costs and liabilities, including for restoring the

environment after the closure of mines, are inherent in the Company’s operations. Coeur cannot assure you that any such law, regulation, enforcement or private claim would not have a negative effect on results of operations, cash flows or financial condition.

 

Some of the Company’s mining wastes currently are exempt to a limited extent from the extensive set of federal Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) regulations governing hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”). If the EPA designates these wastes as hazardous under RCRA, Coeur would be required to expend additional amounts on the handling of such wastes and to make significant expenditures to construct hazardous waste disposal facilities. In addition, if any of these wastes causes contamination in or damage to the environment at a mining facility, that facility could be designated as a “Superfund” site under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (“CERCLA”). Under CERCLA, any owner or operator of a Superfund site since the time of its contamination may be held liable and may be forced to undertake extensive remedial cleanup action or to pay for the government’s cleanup efforts. The owner or operator also may be liable to governmental entities for the cost of damages to natural resources, which could be substantial. Additional regulations or requirements also are imposed on the Company’s tailings and waste disposal areas in Alaska under the federal Clean Water Act (“CWA”) and in Nevada under the Nevada Water Pollution Control Law which implements the CWA.

 

Airborne emissions are subject to controls under air pollution statutes implementing the Clean Air Act in Nevada and Alaska. In addition, there are numerous legislative and regulatory proposals related to climate change, including legislation pending in the U.S. Congress to require reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Adoption of these proposals could have a materially adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations and cash flows.

 

The Company’s ability to obtain necessary government permits to expand operations or begin new operations can be materially affected by third party activists.

 

Private parties such as environmental activists frequently attempt to intervene in the permitting process and to persuade regulators to deny necessary permits or seek to overturn permits that have been issued. Obtaining the necessary governmental permits is a complex and time-consuming process involving numerous jurisdictions and often involving public hearings and costly undertakings. These third party actions can materially increase the costs and cause delays of the permitting process and could cause the Company to not proceed with the development or expansion of a mine.

 

Coeur’s operations in Bolivia are subject to political risks.

 

The Bolivian government adopted a new constitution in early 2009 that strengthened state control over key economic sectors such as mining. The Company cannot assure you that its operations at the San Bartolomé mine in Bolivia will not be affected in the current political environment in Bolivia. On October 14, 2009, the Bolivian state-owned mining organization, COMIBOL, announced by resolution that it was temporarily suspending mining activities above the elevation of 4,400 meters above sea level while stability studies of Cerro Rico mountain are undertaken. The Company holds rights to mine above this elevation under valid contracts backed by Supreme Decree with COMIBOL as well as contracts with local mining cooperatives that hold their rights through COMIBOL. The Company temporarily adjusted its mine plan to confine mining activities to the ore deposits below 4,400 meters above sea level and timely notified COMIBOL of the need to lift the restriction. In March 2010, the San Bartolomé mine began mining operations in high grade material located in the Huacajchi deposit above the 4,400 meter level under an agreement with the Cooperative Reserva Fiscal. Although restriction on mining above the 4,400 meter level continue, the Huacajchi deposit was confirmed to be excluded from the October 2009 resolution. The mine plan adjustment may reduce production until the Company is able to resume mining above 4,400 meters generally. It is uncertain at this time how long the temporary suspension will remain in place. If the restriction is not lifted, the Company may need to write down the carrying value of the asset. It is also unknown if any new mining or investment policies or shifts in political attitude may affect mining in Bolivia.

The Company’s business depends on good relations with its employees.

 

The Company could experience labor disputes, work stoppages or other disruptions in production that could adversely affect the Company. As of December 31, 2010, unions represented approximately 17% of Coeur’s worldwide workforce. The collective bargaining agreement covering the Martha mine expires on June 30, 2011. Additionally, the Company has a labor agreement at its San Bartolomé mine which became effective October 11, 2007, and does not have a fixed term.

 

Third parties may dispute the Company’s unpatented mining claims, which could result in the discovery of defective titles and losses affecting Coeur’s business.

 

The validity of unpatented mining claims, which constitute a significant portion of Coeur’s property holdings in the United States, is often uncertain and may be contested. Although the Company has attempted to acquire satisfactory title to undeveloped properties, in accordance with mining industry practice the Company does not generally obtain title opinions until a decision is made to develop a property. As a result, some titles, particularly titles to undeveloped properties may be defective. Defective title to any of Coeur’s mining claims could result in litigation, insurance claims and potential losses affecting its business as a whole.

 

There may be challenges to the title of any of the claims comprising the Palmarejo mine that, if successful, could impair development and operations. A defect could result in the Company losing all or a portion of its right, title, estate and interest in and to the properties to which the title defect relates.

 

The Company has the ability to issue additional equity securities, which would lead to dilution of its issued and outstanding common stock and may materially and adversely affect the price of its common stock.

 

The issuance of additional equity securities or securities convertible into equity securities would result in dilution of the Company’s existing shareholders’ equity ownership. The Company is authorized to issue, without shareholder approval, 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series, to establish the number of shares to be included in each series and to fix the designation, powers, preferences and relative participating, optional, conversion and other special rights of the shares of each series as well as the qualification, limitations or restrictions on each series. Any series of preferred stock could contain dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption, redemption prices, liquidation preferences or other rights superior to the rights of holders of the Company’s common stock. Coeur’s Board of Directors has no present intention of issuing any preferred stock, but reserves the right to do so in the future and has reserved for issuance a series of preferred stock in connection with its shareholder rights plan. If the Company issued additional equity securities, the price of its common stock may be materially and adversely affected.

 

 

None

 

 

SILVER AND GOLD MINING PROPERTIES

 

The Company’s operating segments include San Bartolomé (Bolivia), Palmarejo (Mexico), Kensington (Alaska, USA), Rochester (Nevada, USA), Martha (Argentina), and Endeavor (New South Wales, Australia). See ‘Item 1A. Risk Factors,’ related to Coeur’s operations in Bolivia and Note T — Segment Reporting, for information relating to its business segments and its domestic and export sales.

 

Mexico — Palmarejo

 

The Palmarejo surface and underground silver and gold mine, and associated milling operation, owned and operated by Coeur Mexican SA de CV (Coeur Mexicana), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company since December 21, 2007, is located in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. Access to the property is provided by air, rail, and all-weather paved and gravel roads from the state capitol of Chihuahua.

In its first full year of operations in 2010, Palmarejo produced 5.9 million ounces of silver and 102,440 ounces of gold. Cash operating costs per ounce and total cash costs per ounce of silver for 2010 were both $4.10. Metal sales in 2010 from Palmarejo totaled $230.0 million, or 45% of the Company’s total metal sales, compared with $90.6 million and 30% of the Company’s total metal sales in 2009. Sales of gold totaled $119.4 million and sales from silver were $110.6 million. Production costs in 2010 totaled $127.7 million while depreciation and depletion expense was $91.5 million. Total capital expenditures in 2010 were $54.2 million.

 

The Company’s property position at Palmarejo consists of 32 mining concessions totaling 46.94 square miles (12,158 hectares). Of the total concessions, 29 concessions consisting of 46.75 square miles (12,109 hectares) are owned 100% by Coeur Mexicana S.A. de C.V. (Coeur Mexicana), formerly Planet Gold S.A. de C.V. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company), and the remaining three concessions, representing 0.19 square miles (48.77 hectares) are partially owned (50 to 60%) by Coeur Mexicana. All of the Company’s ore reserves are located on concessions owned 100% by Coeur Mexicana. All concessions owned by Coeur Mexicana are valid until at least 2029. In addition to Palmarejo, the Company also controls 8,289.7 hectares of concessions at the Yécora exploration-stage property located in Sonora, on the border with Chihuahua, and 7,169.9 hectares of concessions at the La Guitarra exploration-stage property in Chihuahua, south of Palmarejo. All property and equipment are in good operating condition with no major maintenance expected. Power is supplied to the property by the local power utility as well as by generators. Water is supplied to the property by pipeline from the Chinipas River and also from recycled process water collected at site.

 

Commercial production commenced in April 2009. Recovery of gold has been consistent with the initial metallurgical testwork and feasibility study estimates and averaged 91.0% during 2010, up from 88.2% in 2009. The recovery of silver averaged 70% during 2010, which was below feasibility study estimates, but up from 66.3% in 2009. Although the Company will continue pursuing adjustments to the plant to increase silver recovery rates, it now expects silver recoveries average 72% going forward.

 

The Palmarejo mine is located on the western flank of the Sierra Madre Occidental, a mountain range that comprises the central spine of northern Mexico. The north-northwest-trending Sierra Madre Occidental is composed of a relatively flat-lying sequence of Tertiary volcanic rocks that forms a volcanic plateau, cut by numerous igneous intrusive rocks. This volcanic plateau is deeply incised in the Palmarejo mine area, locally forming steep-walled canyons. The Sierra Madre Occidental gives way to the west to an extensional terrain that represents the southward continuation of the Basin and Range Province of the western United States, and then to the coastal plain of western Mexico.

 

The gold and silver deposits at the Palmarejo mine, typical of many of the other silver and gold deposits in the Sierra Madre, are classified as epithermal deposits and are hosted in multiple veins, breccias and fractures. These geologic structures trend generally northwest to southeast and dip either southwest or northeast. The dip on the structures ranges from about 45 degrees to 70 degrees. In the mineralized portions of the structures gold and silver are zoned from top to bottom with higher silver values occurring in the upper parts of the deposit to a gold-rich basal portion, sometimes accompanied by base metal mineralization. The Palmarejo property contains a number of mineralized zones or areas of interest. The most important of these to date is the Palmarejo zone in the far north of the concessions which covers the old Palmarejo gold-silver mine formed at the intersection of the northwest-southeast trending La Prieta and La Blanca gold-silver bearing structures. In addition to Palmarejo, other mineralized vein and alteration systems in the district area have been identified all roughly sub-parallel to the Palmarejo zone. The most significant of these additional targets are the Guadalupe (including Animas) and La Patria vein systems in the southern part of the property which are currently under investigation by the Company’s exploration teams.

 

The Company spent $7.8 million in the Palmarejo district in 2010 to discover new silver and gold mineralization and define new ore reserves. This program consisted of drilling 194,678 feet (59,338 meters) of core. The exploration budget for Palmarejo for 2011 is $7.5 million.

Year-end Proven and Probable Ore Reserves — Palmarejo Mine

 

 

Year-end Mineralized Material — Palmarejo Mine

 

 

Operating Data

 

 

 

 

 

Bolivia — San Bartolomé

 

The San Bartolomé open pit silver mine, and associated milling operation, operated by Empresa Minera Manquiri SA (“Manquiri”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, is located on the flanks of the Cerro Rico Mountain bordering the town of Potosí, Bolivia. Access to the property and the Company’s processing facilities is by paved and all-weather gravel roads leading south-southwest from Potosí.

 

Silver production for 2010 was 6.7 million ounces compared to 7.5 million ounces in 2009. Cash operating costs per ounce for 2010 were $7.87 per ounce compared to $7.80 per ounce in 2009. Total cash costs per ounce (which includes production taxes and royalties) for 2010 were $8.67 per ounce compared to $10.48 per ounce in 2009. Metal sales in 2010 were $143.0 million, representing 28% of the Company’s total metal sales. One hundred percent of these sales were derived from silver. Production costs in 2010 totaled $60 million and depreciation and depletion expense was $19.7 million. Total capital expenditures in 2010 were $6.2 million.

 

Coeur acquired 100% of the equity in Manquiri from Asarco Incorporated (“ASARCO”) on September 9, 1999. Manquiri’s principal asset is the mining rights to the San Bartolomé mine. Silver was first discovered in the area around 1545. Mining of silver and lesser amounts of tin and base metals has been conducted nearly continuously since that time from multiple underground mines driven into Cerro Rico. The prior owner did not conduct any mining or processing of the surface ores at San Bartolomé.

 

The Company completed a preliminary feasibility study in 2000, which concluded that an open pit mine was potentially capable of producing approximately six million ounces of silver annually. In 2003, SRK, an independent consulting firm, was retained to review the reserve/resource estimate to include additional sampling data to incorporate additional resources acquired with the Plahipo project at Cerro Rico. During 2003, Coeur retained Fluor Daniel Wright to prepare an updated feasibility study which was completed at the end of the third quarter of 2004.

The study provides for the use of a cyanide milling flow sheet with a wet pre-concentration screen circuit which will result in the production of a doré that may be treated by a number of refiners under a tolling agreement which results in the return of refined silver to the Company that is readily marketed by metal banks and brokers to the ultimate customer. During 2004, the Company obtained all operating permits and commercial construction activities commenced.

 

The Company’s total capital cost (excluding political risk insurance premiums and capitalized interest) to place the mine into production was $237.9 million. The property, plant and equipment were placed into service in June 2008 and are maintained in good working condition through a regular preventative maintenance program with periodic improvements as required. Power is supplied to the property by the local power utility. Water is supplied to the property by a public water source.

 

In November 2007, Bolivia’s Congress approved a reform to the mining tax code. The Bolivian tax rate on most mining companies has increased from 25.0% to 37.5%. However, mining companies that produce a doré product, as the San Bartolomé mine does, will receive a 5% credit based upon their specific operation. Thus, the tax rate for San Bartolomé is 32.5%.

 

The Company obtained political risk insurance policies from the Overseas Private Insurance Corporation (“OPIC”) and another private insurer. The combined policies are in the amount of $155.0 million and cover Coeur up to the lesser of $131.0 million or 85.0% of any loss arising from expropriation, political violence or currency inconvertibility. The policy costs were capitalized during the development and construction phases and are now included as a cost of inventory produced over the term of the policies which expire in 2019 and 2024.

 

The silver mineralization at San Bartolomé is hosted in unconsolidated sediments (pallacos) and reworked gravel (sucus and troceras) deposits and oxide stockpiles and dumps (desmontes) from past mining that occurred on the flanks of Cerro Rico. Cerro Rico is a prominent mountain in the region that reaches an elevation of over 15,400 feet (over 4,700 meters). It is composed of Tertiary-aged volcanic and intrusive rocks that were emplaced into and over older sedimentary, and volcanic, basement rocks. Silver, along with tin and base metals, is located in multiple veins and vein swarms that occur in a northeast trending belt which transects Cerro Rico. The upper parts of the Cerro Rico mineralized system were subsequently eroded and re-deposited into the flanking gravel deposits. Silver is hosted in all portions of the pallacos, sucus, and troceras with the best grades segregated to the coarser-grained silicified fragments. These deposits lend themselves to simple, free digging surface mining techniques and can be extracted without drilling and blasting. Of the several pallaco deposits which are controlled by Coeur and surround Cerro Rico, three are of primary importance and are known as Huacajchi, Diablo and Santa Rita.

 

The mineral rights for the San Bartolomé mine are held through joint venture and long-term lease agreements with several independent mining cooperatives and the Bolivian state-owned mining organization COMIBOL. Manquiri controls 47.93 square kilometers (11,578 acres) of land at San Bartolomé around Cerro Rico under contracts and concessions and approximately 37.45 square kilometers (8.95 acres) of concessions at the Rio Blanco property, a gold exploration target south of Potosí. The San Bartolomé lease agreements, executed between 1996 and 2003 and with 25 year terms, are generally subject to a 4% production royalty payable partially to the cooperatives and partially to COMIBOL. During 2003, the Company acquired additional mining rights known as the Plahipo project which include the mining rights to oxide dumps adjacent to the original property package. The oxide dumps included in the Plahipo project are subject to a sliding scale royalty payable to COMIBOL that is a function of silver price. The Company incurred royalty payment obligations to COMIBOL and the Cooperatives for these mining rights totaling $5.4 million and $20.0 million for the years ended 2010 and 2009, respectively.

 

On October 14, 2009, COMIBOL announced by resolution that it was temporarily suspending mining activities above the elevation of 4,400 meters above sea level while stability studies of Cerro Rico mountain are undertaken. The Company holds rights to mine above this elevation under valid contracts backed by Supreme Decree with COMIBOL as well as contracts with local mining cooperatives who hold their rights through COMIBOL. The Company temporarily adjusted its mine plan to confine mining activities to the ore deposits below 4,400 meters above sea level and timely notified COMIBOL of the need to lift the restriction. The mine plan has been temporarily adjusted and mining continues on the remainder of the property. In March 2010, San Bartolomé began mining operations in high grade material located in the Huacajchi deposit above the 4,400 meter level under an agreement with the Cooperative Reserva Fiscal, although restrictions on mining above the 4,400 meter level

continue. The Huacajchi deposit was confirmed to be excluded from the October 2009. Access to the Huacajchi deposit and its higher grade material is having beneficial effect on production and cost at the mine. Other mining areas above the 4,400 meter level continue to be suspended. The Company does not use explosives in its surface-only mining activities and is sensitive to the preservation of the mountain under its contracts with the state-owned mining entity and the local cooperatives.

 

In 2010, no exploration work was performed at San Bartolomé. New pits (pozos) were dug to obtain samples for grade control purposes and to further define and expand the ore reserves.

 

Year-end Proven and Probable Ore Reserves — San Bartolomé Mine

 

 

Year-end Mineralized Material — San Bartolomé Mine

 

 

Operating Data

 

 

 

 

 

USA — Alaska-Kensington Mine

 

The Kensington underground gold mine and associated milling facilities are located on the east side of the Lynn Canal about 45 miles north-northwest of Juneau, Alaska. The Kensington mine commenced commercial production on July 3, 2010. The mine is accessed by a horizontal tunnel and utilizes conventional and mechanized underground mining methods. Ore is processed in a flotation mill that produces a concentrate which is sold to third party smelters. Waste material is deposited in an impoundment facility on the property. Power is supplied to the site by on-site diesel generators. Access to the project is by a combination of road vehicles, boat, helicopter, float plane, or boat direct from Juneau.

 

Production during the mine’s initial, partial year was 43,143 ounces of gold. In 2010, the Company conducted exploration to increase the size and geologic continuity of gold mineralization, which is expected to ultimately lead to an increase in ore reserves. In 2010, a total of $1.0 million was spent on this program and was focused on the new Raven zone, west of the currently mined area. Metal sales in 2010 at Kensington were $23.6 million. Production costs were $14.0 million and depreciation and depletion expense was $17.5 million. The Company’s capital expenditures at the Kensington mine totaled approximately $92.7 million in 2010.

 

Coeur Alaska, Inc., (“Coeur Alaska”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, controls two contiguous land groups: the Kensington and Jualin properties. The Kensington property consists of 51 private patented lode and mill-site claims covering approximately 766 acres, 294 federal unpatented lode claims covering approximately 3,127 acres, and eight State of Alaska mining claims covering approximately 95 acres. The Company controls the Jualin Property, under a lease agreement with Hyak Mining Company, through the cessation of mining, so long as the Company makes timely payments pursuant to the lease agreement. The Jualin Property consists of 23 patented lode and mill-site claims covering approximately 383.6 acres, 438 federal unpatented lode claims and one unpatented mill-site claim covering approximately 7,911 acres, and 17 State of Alaska mining claims covering approximately 110 acres. The federal and state claims, as well as the private patented lode and mill-site claims, provide Coeur with the necessary rights to mine and process ore from Kensington. All of the Company’s Alaska ore reserves are located within the patented claims. The unpatented claims and mill site are maintained via annual filings and fees to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which acts as administrator of the claims. State claims are maintained via filings and fees to Alaska Department of Nautral Resources — Juneau Recorder’s Office. Real property taxes to the State of Alaska are paid yearly for the patented claims. Lease payments are paid annually and all leases are in good standing.

 

Coeur Alaska is obligated to pay 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 $400 per ounce gold prices to a maximum of 2.5% at gold prices above $475 per ounce, with the royalty to be capped at 1.0 million ounces of production.

On June 22, 2009, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision that had invalidated the previously issued Section 404 Permit for the tailings facility for the Kensington gold mine.

 

Following the U.S. Supreme Court decision, on August 14, 2009, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers re-activated the Company’s 404 permit, clearing the way for construction at the tailing facility to continue. Production started on July 3, 2010.

 

The Kensington ore deposit consists of multiple precious metals bearing mesothermal, quartz, carbonate and pyrite vein swarms and discrete quartz-pyrite veins hosted in the Cretaceous age Jualin diorite. Gold occurs as native grains in quartz veins and is associated with pyrite and various gold-telluride-minerals associated with the pyrite mineralization.

 

Year-end Proven and Probable Ore Reserves — Kensington Mine

 

 

Year-end Mineralized Material — Kensington Mine

 

 

Operating Data

 

 

 

USA — Nevada-Rochester Mine

 

The Rochester mine and associated heap leach facilities, is an open pit silver and gold mine, located in Pershing County, Nevada, which is located approximately 25 miles of paved and all-weather gravel road northeast of the town of Lovelock. The Company owns 100% of the Rochester Mine through the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Coeur Rochester, Inc. (“Coeur Rochester”). The mine consists of the main Rochester deposit and the adjacent Nevada Packard deposit, due south of Rochester.

 

Production at the Rochester mine in 2010 was approximately 2.0 million ounces of silver and 9,641 ounces of gold, compared to approximately 2.2 million ounces of silver and 12,663 ounces of gold in 2009. Production was lower due to decreased ounces recovered from the ore on leach pad. Cash operating costs per ounce of silver increased to $2.93 per ounce in 2010, compared to $1.95 per ounce in 2009. Total cash costs per ounce of silver (which includes production taxes and royalties) were $3.78 per ounce in 2010 compared to $2.58 per ounce in 2009. This increase was primarily due the decrease in ore produced from the current leach pad, combined with a lack of incremental ore production in 2010. Rochester’s total metal sales in 2010 totaled $54.3 million, or approximately 11% of the Company’s total metal sales. Approximately 78% of Rochester’s metal sales were derived from silver, while 22% were derived from gold. Production costs totaled $24.8 million in 2010 and depreciation and depletion expenses were $1.9 million, compared to $24.2 million and $1.9 million in 2009. The Company’s capital expenditures at the Rochester mine totaled approximately $2.3 million in 2010 and $0.3 million in 2009. The Company plans capital expenditures at the Rochester mine of $26.8 million in 2011, primarily for construction of a new leach pad and related infrastructure. Construction is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2011. This extension will increase total average annual silver and gold production to over 2.4 million ounces and 35,000 ounces, respectively, over several years.

 

Coeur Rochester controls 541 U.S. Federal unpatented claims (including 54 mill sites), 23 patented claims, and leases an additional 53 unpatented claims, totaling approximately 7,200 acres. All of the Company’s mineral reserves are located within the claims. The unpatented claims and mill sites are maintained via annual fees to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and to Pershing County, which acts as administrator of the claims. Real property taxes to the State of Nevada are paid yearly for the patented claims. Lease payments are paid annually; all leases are in good standing.

 

The Company acquired the Rochester property from ASARCO in 1983 and commenced mining in 1986. No mining or processing was conducted at Rochester by the prior owner. The Company acquired its initial interest in

the adjacent Nevada Packard property in 1996, completed the full purchase in 1999 and commenced mining in 2003. Very limited mining and processing was conducted at Nevada Packard by the prior owner. Collectively, the Rochester and Nevada Packard properties comprise the Company’s Rochester silver and gold mining and processing operation.

 

The Rochester mine is fully supported with electricity, supplied by a local power company on their public grid, telephone and radio communications, production water wells, and processing, maintenance, warehouse, and office facilities. All of these facilities are in good operating condition with no major maintenance expected. The mine utilizes the heap leaching process to extract both silver and gold from ore mined using conventional open pit methods.

 

Gold and silver are recovered by heap leaching of crushed open-pit ore placed on pads located east of the Rochester mining area. Based upon actual operating experience and metallurgical testing, the Company estimates ultimate recovery rates from the crushed ore of between 59.0% and 63.0% for silver, depending on the ore being leached, and 93.0% for gold. See Note C — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to our financial statements included herein, for further discussion.

 

In August 2007, the Company determined that the ore reserves at Rochester were fully depleted and therefore ceased mining and crushing operations at the Rochester mine. The Company expects to continue residual heap leach activities through 2014 on this ore.

 

In 2008, the Company commenced studies to investigate the potential to recommence mining and leaching of new material and in 2009 and 2010 completed feasibility studies demonstrating the viability of an expansion of mining and leaching operations at its Rochester mine through 2017. The Company prepared an Amended Plan of Operations for resumption of mining within the existing and permitted Rochester pit and construction of an additional heap leach pad, all within the currently permitted mine boundary. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) deemed this plan complete in August 2009 under federal regulations and initiated the National Environmental Policy Act process. The BLM issued a positive Decision Record (DR) for the mine to extend silver and gold mining operations by several years with new production ounces expected to begin being recovered in the fourth quarter of 2011.

 

At Rochester, silver and gold mineralization is hosted in folded and faulted volcanic rocks of the Rochester Formation and overlying Weaver Formation. Silver and gold, consisting of silver sulfosalt minerals, argentite, silver-bearing tetrahedrite and minor native gold, are contained in zones of multiple quartz veins and veinlets (vein and vein swarms and stockworks) with variable amounts of pyrite.

 

The Company is obligated to pay a net smelter royalty interest only when the average quarterly market price of silver equals or exceeds $23.02 per ounce indexed for inflation ($22.87 per ounce in 2010 and $22.61 per ounce in 2009) up to a maximum rate of 5% to ASARCO, the prior owner. Royalty expense was $0.2 million, nil and nil for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively.

 

In 2010, exploration expenditures of $0.2 million funded 13,980 feet (4,261 meters) of angled reverse circulation drilling at the Nevada Packard deposit area.

Year-end Proven and Probable Ore Reserves — Rochester Mine

 

 

Year-end Mineralized Material — Rochester Mine

 

Operating Data

 

 

 

 

Argentina — Martha Mine

 

The Martha underground silver and gold mine, and associated milling operation, owned and operated by Coeur Argentina S.R.L., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, is located in the Santa Cruz Province of southern Argentina. Access to the property is provided by all-weather gravel roads leading 30 miles northeast of the town of Gobernador Gregores.

 

Production at the Martha mine in 2010 was approximately 1.6 million ounces of silver and 1,838 ounces of gold compared to 3.7 million ounces of silver and 4,709 ounces of gold in 2009. The 57.5% decrease in silver production was primarily due to a 48.3% decrease in tons milled as a result of the reduction in mining operations in 2010. Cash operating costs per ounce for 2010 were $13.16 per ounce compared to $6.19 per ounce in 2009. Total cash costs per ounce of silver (which includes production taxes and royalties) were $14.14 in 2010 compared to $6.68 in 2009. The increase in total cash costs per ounce was attributed to the decrease in silver production as compared to 2009 due to a significant decrease in tons milled in 2010. Metal sales in 2010 totaled $53.9 million at Martha. Approximately 94% of these metal sales were derived from silver, with the balance coming from gold. Production costs totaled $27.0 million and depreciation and depletion expenses were $8.5 million, compared with $18.0 million and $7.4 million in 2009. Total capital expenditures at the Martha mine in 2010 were $0.1 million.

 

The mineral rights for the Martha property are fully-owned by Coeur Argentina S.R.L. Mineral rights owned by Coeur Argentina S.R.L. in the Santa Cruz Province (excluding options on Joaquin and Satélite) total 184 square miles (47,660 hectares) of exploration concessions (claims), 256.3 square miles (66,380 hectares) of discovery concessions, and 3.4 square miles (874 hectares) of exploitation concessions. Martha is centered on the exploitation concessions, which fully cover the area of the mine infrastructure and the ore reserves reported herein. Concessions do not have an expiration date; subject only to required annual fees. Surface rights covering the Martha deposit are controlled by the 137.8 square mile (35,705-hectare) Cerro Primero de Abril Estancia which is owned by Coeur Argentina S.R.L. Included on the estancia is a 60-person camp, mine and exploration offices, and assay laboratory.

 

The Company acquired the property in 2002 through the purchase of a subsidiary of Yamana Resources Inc. for $2.5 million. The prior owner conducted minor underground mining on the near-surface portion of the Martha vein from late 2000 to mid 2001. The Company is obligated to pay a 2.0% net smelter royalty on silver and gold production to Royal Gold Corporation granted by Yamana Resources. In addition, the Company is subject to a 3.0% net proceeds royalty payable to the Province of Santa Cruz. The Company incurred royalty expense totaling $1.5 million, $1.8 million and $1.9 million for the years ended 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively.

 

Prior to 2008, ore from the Martha mine was trucked approximately 600 miles by road for processing at the Company’s previously owned Cerro Bayo mill located approximately 270 miles away. In 2007, the Company commenced the construction of a 240 tonne per day flotation mill. The mill was completed and commenced operating in December 2007 and produces a flotation concentrate. In 2008, concentrate began to be shipped to a third-party smelter located in Mexico. The property and equipment are maintained in good working condition through a regular preventive maintenance program with periodic improvements as required. Power is provided by Company-owned diesel generators.

 

At Martha, silver and gold mineralization is hosted in epithermal quartz veins and veinlets within generally sub-horizontal volcanic rocks of the Jurassic-aged Chon Aike Formation. The veins and veinlets occur as sub-parallel clusters largely trending west-northwest and dipping steeply to the southwest. The main ore minerals of silver and gold are silver sulfosalt minerals, argentite, electrum (a naturally-occurring gold and silver alloy) and native silver.

 

During 2010, the Company spent $0.5 million to test extensions of the R4, Catalina, Betty Oeste and Betty Sur ore-bearing structures with drilling of 2,217 meters (7,274 feet) of new core drilling. The 2011 budget for exploration at Martha is $0.3 million.

Year-end Proven and Probable Ore Reserves — Martha Mine

 

 

Year-end Mineralized Material — Martha Mine

 

 

Operating Data

 

 

 

Australia — New South Wales — Endeavor Mine

 

The Endeavor mine, is an underground silver and base metal operation, and associated mill facility, located in north-central New South Wales, Australia, about 447 miles (720 kilometers) from Sydney. Access to the mine is by paved roads 30 miles (18 kilometers) to the northwest from the community of Cobar.

 

Production at the Endeavor mine in 2010 was 566,134 ounces of silver compared to 461,800 ounces of silver in 2009. The increase in silver production was due to an 18.2% increase in tons milled combined with a 17.4% increase in ore grades as compared to 2009. Cash operating costs and total cash costs per ounce of silver produced were $10.15 in 2010 compared to $6.80 in 2009. This increase was due primarily to the price participation component of the transaction and increased refining costs due to silver deduction retained by the refiner.

 

Metal sales at the Endeavor mine in 2010 were $10.6 million, all of which was derived from silver. Production costs totaled $4.1 million and depreciation and depletion costs were $2.0 million. The Company incurred no capital expenditures at the Endeavor mine in 2010.

 

The ore reserves at Endeavor are covered by five consolidated mining leases issued by the state of New South Wales to Cobar Operations Pty. Limited (“Cobar”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBH Resources Ltd. (“CBH”). The leases form a contiguous block of 10,121 acres in size and expire between 2019 and 2027. Following the completion of the acquisition of all of CBH’s issued ordinary shares on the 23^rd of September, 2010, CBH Resources Limited is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Toho Zinc Co. Ltd, a company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

 

The Endeavor mine has been in production since 1983. On September 12, 2003, CBH acquired the Elura mine and processing facilities from Pasminco and changed the name to the Endeavor mine. On May 23, 2005, CDE Australia Pty. Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Coeur (“CDE Australia”), acquired all of the silver production and reserves, up to a maximum 17.7 million payable ounces, contained at the Endeavor Mine, which is owned and operated by CBH, for $44.0 million including transaction fees. Under the terms of the original agreement, CDE Australia paid Cobar $15.4 million of cash at the closing. In addition, CDE Australia agreed to pay Cobar approximately $26.5 million upon the receipt of a report confirming that the reserves at the Endeavor mine are equal to or greater than the reported ore reserves for 2004. In addition, CDE Australia originally committed to pay Cobar an operating cost contribution of $1.00 for each ounce of payable silver plus a further increment when the silver price exceeds $5.23 per ounce. This further increment was to have begun on the second anniversary of this agreement and is 50% of the amount by which the silver price exceeds $5.23 per ounce. A cost contribution of $0.25 per ounce is also payable by CDE Australia in respect of new ounces of proven and probable silver reserves as they

are discovered. During the first quarter of 2007, $2.1 million was paid for additional ounces of proven and probable silver reserves under the terms of the contract. This amount was capitalized as a cost of the mineral interests acquired and is being amortized using the units of production method. The Company is not required to contribute to ongoing capital costs at the mine.

 

On March 28, 2006, CDE Australia reached an agreement with CBH to modify the terms of the original silver purchase agreement. Under the modified terms, CDE Australia owns all silver production and reserves up to a total of 20.0 million payable ounces, up from 17.7 million payable ounces in the original agreement. The silver price-sharing provision was deferred until such time as CDE Australia had received approximately two million cumulative ounces of silver from the mine or June 2007, whichever was later. In addition, the silver price-sharing threshold increased to $7.00 per ounce, from the previous level of $5.23 per ounce. The conditions relating to the second payment were also modified and tied to certain paste fill plant performance criteria and mill throughput tests. In January 2008, the mine met the criteria for payment of the additional $26.2 million. This amount was paid on April 1, 2008, plus accrued interest at the rate of 7.5% per annum from January 24, 2008. Expansion of the ore reserve will be required to achieve the maximum payable ounces of silver production as set forth in the modified contract. It is expected that future expansion to the ore reserve will occur as a result of the conversion of portions of the property’s existing inventory of mineralized material and future exploration discoveries near the mine.

 

The mine employs bulk mining methods and utilizes a conventional flotation mill to produce a concentrate that is sold to a third-party smelter. Silver recovery averaged approximately 44.3% in 2010 and 49.9% in 2009. Power to the mine and processing facilities is provided by the grid servicing the local communities. The property and equipment are maintained in good working condition, by CBH, through a regular preventive maintenance program with periodic improvements as required.

 

At Endeavor, silver, lead, zinc and lesser amounts of copper mineralization are contained within sulfide lenses hosted in fine-grained sedimentary rocks of the Paleozoic-aged Amphitheatre Group. Sulfide lenses are elliptically-shaped, steeply-dipping to the southwest and strike to the northwest. Principal ore minerals are galena, sphalerite and chalcopyrite. Silver occurs with both lead- and zinc-rich sulfide zones.

 

CBH conducts regular exploration to define new reserves at the mine from both underground and surface core drilling platforms. For fiscal year ended June 30, 2010, which is the fiscal year used by the operator (CBH), the exploration expenditure at the mine was $0.6 million. Budgeted exploration for 2011 is approximately $1.3 million.

 

Year-end Proven and Probable Ore Reserves — Endeavor Mine

 

Year-end Mineralized Material — Endeavor Mine

 

 

Operating Data (Coeur’s Share)

 

 

 

 

Discontinued Operations

 

Australia — New South Wales — Broken Hill Mine

 

Effective July 1, 2009, the Company sold to Perilya Broken Hill Ltd. its 100% interest in silver contained at the Broken Hill mine for $55.0 million in cash. As a result of this transaction, the Company realized a gain on the sale in the third quarter of 2009 of approximately $25.5 million, net of income taxes. Coeur originally purchased this interest from Perilya Broken Hill Ltd. in September 2005 for $36.9 million. This transaction closed on July 30, 2009.

 

Silver production in 2009 from the Broken Hill mine amounted to approximately 0.8 million ounces of silver compared to 1.4 million ounces of silver in 2008. The decrease in silver production was due to the sale of the Company’s interest in the silver production from the Broken Hill mineral interests on July 1, 2009. The cash cost per ounce of silver production, which includes the operating cost contribution and smelting, refining and transportation

costs, was $3.40 in 2009 compared to $3.41 in 2008. Results for the Broken Hill mine are included in Note G - Discontinued Operations And Assets And Liabilities Held For Sale.

 

Year-end Proven and Probable Ore Reserves — Broken Hill Mine

 

 

Year-end Mineralized Material — Broken Hill Mine

 

 

Operating Data (Coeur’s share)

 

 

 

 

 

Chile — Cerro Bayo Mine

 

In August 2010, the Company sold its subsidiary Compañía Minera Cerro Bayo Ltda. (“Minera Cerro Bayo”), which controls the Cerro Bayo mine in southern Chile, to Mandalay Resources Corporation (“Mandalay”). Under the terms of the agreement, the Company received the following from Mandalay in exchange for all of the outstanding shares of Minera Cerro Bayo: (i) $6.0 million in cash; (ii) 17,857,143 common shares of Mandalay; (iii) 125,000 ounces of silver to be delivered in six equal quarterly installments commencing in the third quarter of 2011, which had an estimated fair value of $2.3 million; (iv) a 2.0% Net Smelter Royalty (NSR) on production from Minera Cerro Bayo in excess of a cumulative 50,000 ounces of gold and 5,000,000 ounces of silver, which had an estimated fair value of $5.4 million; and (v) existing value-added taxes collected from the Chilean government in excess of $3.5 million. As part of the transaction, Mandalay agreed to pay the next $6.0 million of reclamation costs associated with Minera Cerro Bayo’s nearby Furioso property. Any reclamation costs above that amount will be shared equally by Mandalay and the Company. The Company realized a loss on the sale of approximately $2.1 million, net of income taxes. Results for the Cerro Bayo mine are included in Note G — Discontinued Operations And Assets And Liabilites Held For Sale.

Year-end Proven and Probable Ore Reserves — Cerro Bayo Mine

 

 

Year-end Mineralized Material — Cerro Bayo Mine

 

 

Operating Data

 

 

 

SILVER AND GOLD DEVELOPMENT PROPERTIES

 

The Company had no development properties at December 31, 2010.

 

EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY

 

Coeur, either directly or through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, owns, leases or has interests in certain exploration-stage mining properties located in the United States, Chile, Argentina, Tanzania, Bolivia, and Mexico. Exploration and reserve development expenditures of $18.0 million, $15.8 million and $19.3 million were incurred by the Company in 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively.

 

The main components of the 2010 program included:

 

 

Coeur plans to spend $20.7 million in exploration during 2011 with approximately 84% of the budget earmarked for expansion of ore reserves and mineralized material at or near its existing operations at San Bartolomé (Bolivia), Martha (Argentina), Palmarejo (Mexico), Kensington (Alaska), Rochester (Nevada), and on its large exploration land holdings in Santa Cruz, Argentina.

Mexico

 

Exploration in Mexico was focused primarily in the Palmarejo district in the state of Chihuahua. A total of $8.1 million was spent on the program in 2010 on mapping, sampling, drill target generation and drilling to find and define new silver and gold mineralization. A total of 59,338 meters (194,678 feet) was completed at Palmarejo consisting of 34,498 meters (113,182 feet) on surface and underground platforms around the current Palmarejo surface and underground mine. The remainder was devoted to the Guadalupe deposit area and other, new, targets in the Palmarejo district. The budget for 2011 for exploration in Mexico is similar to 2010 at $8.5 million of which nearly 89% is to be allocated to Palmarejo.

 

In 2010 the company agreed to sell its interest in 8 mining concessions at the El Realito property, which is located about 30 kilometers south of the Palmarejo mill facilities, for a total of $0.5 million and a graduated net smelter return royalty.

 

USA — Kensington

 

Exploration in 2010 consisted of drilling 35 core holes, totaling 21,539 feet (6,565 meters), at Kensington. This work was devoted to the Raven vein which is parallel to and approximately 2,000 feet (600 meters) west of the main Kensington mine area. The Company plans for an additional drilling program in 2011 on Raven and other targets with a budget of $2.9 million.

 

USA — Rochester

 

The Company conducted a drilling program at the Nevada Packard deposit area in 2010. This program, amounting to 13,980 feet (4,261 meters) of angled, reverse circulation drill holes, was focused on testing northern extensions of the main mineralized trends in the Nevada Packard deposit. The Company has allocated $0.4 million for exploration in 2011 at the greater Rochester property, including follow-up on 2010 drilling results at Nevada Packard.

 

Chile — Other Properties

 

The 2011 exploration budget for Chile is expected to be $0.4 million.

 

In 2010 the Company agreed to sell its wholly-owned Puchuldiza gold property in northern Chile for a total of $1.5 million cash, 500,000 paid up shares of Southern Legacy Inc., and a 1.5% net smelter return royalty on future mineral production with a cap of $5.0 million.

 

Argentina — Martha Mine

 

In 2010, the Company’s exploration efforts at the Martha Mine consisted of 7,274 feet (2,217 meters) of core drilling in several locations around the mine.

 

Argentina — Other Properties

 

The Company also continued exploration in other parts of the Santa Cruz Province. Activities focused on the Joaquin, Tornado and Satélite properties. A total of over 62,228 feet of drilling (18,967 meters) was completed on these three areas.

 

Drilling at Joaquin during 2010 continued to return encouraging results on two targets: La Negra and La Morocha. Joaquin is located about 80 kilometers north of the Martha mine, and the Company has an option to earn up to a 71% managing interest in a joint venture with property owners Mirasol Resources Ltd. Additional exploratory and definition drilling will continue in 2011 on in this property. In 2010, the company met its obligations, under its agreement with Mirasol, to earn an initial 51% joint venture interest in the 92+ square mile (24,000+ hectare) property.

 

The Company has budgeted $6.1 million for exploration during 2011 in Argentina, including on Martha, Joaquin, Tornado, and Satélite.

Africa, Tanzania

 

During 2010 the company continued to wind-down its activities in Tanzania.

 

 

For a discussion of legal proceedings, see Note U — Litigation and Other Events to our financial statements included herein.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Company’s common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX”). The Company voluntarily ceased to list its common stock on the Australian Stock Exchange (“ASX”) effective December 14, 2010. The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, the high and low closing sales prices of the common stock as reported by the NYSE:

 

 

The Company has not paid per share cash distributions or dividends on its common stock since 1996. Future distributions or dividends on the common stock, if any, will be determined by the Company’s Board of Directors and will depend upon the Company’s results of operations, financial conditions, capital requirements and other factors.

 

On February 25, 2011, there were outstanding 89,517,575 shares of the Company’s common stock which were held by approximately 3,042 stockholders of record.

STOCK PERFORMANCE CHART

 

COMPARISON OF 5 YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN*
AMONG COEUR D’ALENE MINES CORPORATION,
S&P 500 INDEX AND PEER GROUP INDEX

 

The following performance graph compares the performance of the Company’s common stock during the period beginning December 31, 2005 and ending December 31, 2010 to the S&P 500 and a Peer Group Index consisting of the following companies: Agnico Eagle Mines, Goldcorp, Hecla Mining Co., IAMGold, Kinross Gold Corp., Northgate Minerals, Pan American Silver Corp., Centerra Gold, Inc, and Stillwater Mining Co. for the same period. The graph assumes a $100 investment in the Company’s Common Stock and in each of the indexes at the beginning of the period, and a reinvestment of dividends paid on such investments throughout the period.