COEUR D ALENE MINES CORP
8-K, 1999-09-09
GOLD AND SILVER ORES
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                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                               Washington, D.C.

                                   FORM 8-K

                                CURRENT REPORT


                    Pursuant to Section 13 or 15 (d) of the
                      Securities and Exchange Act of 1934


Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): September 9, 1999


                        COEUR D'ALENE MINES CORPORATION
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
            (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

             Idaho                 1-8641         82-0109423
 ----------------------------   ------------    --------------
 (State or other jurisdiction   (Commission     (IRS Employer
       of incorporation)        File Number)    Identification
                                                 Number)

         400 Coeur d'Alene Mines Bldg.
         505 Front Avenue
         Coeur d'Alene, Idaho                         83814
   ----------------------------------------        ----------
   (Address of principal executive offices)        (zip code)

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

                                Not Applicable
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
         (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)


<PAGE>

ITEM 5.     OTHER EVENTS

      On  September  9,  1999,  Coeur  d'Alene  Mines  Corporation   ("Coeur")
consummated  its  acquisition  of  certain  silver  mining  assets  of  ASARCO
Incorporated  ("Asarco") in exchange for the issuance of 7.125 million  shares
of Coeur's Common Stock.  The acquisition was effected  pursuant to an Amended
and Restated  Transaction  Agreement between Coeur and Asarco, dated as of May
13,  1999 and  amended  and  restated  as of June 22,  1999 (the  "Transaction
Agreement"),  a copy of which is included as an exhibit  hereto.  The acquired
silver mining assets do not constitute a "significant amount" of assets within
the meaning of Item 2 of Form 8-K and  Instruction 4 thereto.  The transaction
was approved by Coeur's shareholders at Coeur's Annual Meeting of Shareholders
held on September 8, 1999. At the closing of the  transaction  on September 9,
1999, Coeur and Asarco entered into a Shareholder  Agreement,  a form of which
is an exhibit to the Transaction  Agreement.  A copy of Coeur's press release,
dated September 9, 1999,  announcing  consummation of the acquisition is filed
as an exhibit to this report.

Item 7.     Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhibits

      (c)   EXHIBITS.  The following exhibit is filed herewith:

      Exhibit
      Number                           Description
      -------                          -----------

       2(a)       Amended and  Restated  Transaction  Agreement by and between
                  Asarco  Incorporated  and Coeur d'Alene  Mines  Corporation,
                  dated May 13, 1999 and  amended and  restated as of June 22,
                  1999.  (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit A to the
                  Registrant's  Proxy Statement,  dated July 28, 1999, used in
                  connection   with  the   Registrant's   Annual   Meeting  of
                  Shareholders held on September 8, 1999.)

       10(a)      Shareholder  Agreement  (dated as of September 9, 1999),  by
                  and between  Asarco  Incorporated  and Coeur  d'Alene  Mines
                  Corporation.  (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit B
                  to the Registrant's  Proxy  Statement,  dated July 28, 1999,
                  used in connection with the  Registrant's  Annual Meeting of
                  Shareholders held on September 8, 1999.)

       99(a)      Press  Release of Coeur  d'Alene  Mines  Corporation,  dated
                  September 9, 1999.


                                      2

<PAGE>

                                  SIGNATURES


      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant  has duly  caused  this  report to be  signed on its  behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.



                                               COEUR D'ALENE MINES CORPORATION
                                               (Registrant)


Dated: September 9, 1999

                                               By: /s/GEOFFREY A. BURNS
                                                   --------------------
                                                   Geoffrey A. Burns
                                                   Vice President and
                                                   Chief Financial Officer



                                                                 EXHIBIT 99(A)


                                 PRESS RELEASE


             COEUR D'ALENE MINES CORPORATION CONSUMMATES PURCHASE
               OF SILVER MINING ASSETS FROM ASARCO INCORPORATED.

      Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, September 9, 1999. Coeur d'Alene Mines Corporation
(NYSE:CDE)  announced today that it has consummated its acquisition of certain
silver  properties and assets from ASARCO  Incorporated  (NYSE:AR) in exchange
for 7.125 million  shares of Coeur Common  Stock.  The  properties  and assets
acquired include:

      *     the 50%  interest  in  Silver  Valley  Resources  Corporation  not
            already owned by Coeur;

      *     a 100% interest in the San Bartolome silver project in Bolivia;

      *     1.5  million  common  shares and  500,000  common  share  purchase
            warrants in Pan American Silver Corp. (TSE:PAA); and

      *     a 20% net profit royalty in Pan American Silver Corp's  Quiruvilca
            Mine in Peru.

      Based on the  closing  price of Coeur's  common  stock on May 13,  1999,
which was the date of the transaction  agreement between Coeur and ASARCO, the
purchase price for the silver properties and assets purchased is approximately
$33.4 million. The transaction,  which was approved by Coeur's shareholders at
its Annual Meeting of Shareholders  held on September 8, 1999,  gives ASARCO a
19.3%  interest  in Coeur after  giving  effect to the  conversion  of Coeur's
outstanding  MARCS  into  common  stock  on  March  15,  2000.  As part of the
transaction, ASARCO has nominated two members to Coeur's Board of Directors.

      Dennis E. Wheeler,  Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive
Officer of Coeur,  stated:  "the silver  properties  and assets  acquired from
ASARCO increase Coeur's near-term  production profile,  add substantial silver


<PAGE>

reserve and resource  ounces and provide  exciting  future  growth  prospects.
After  adjusting  for the value of the Pan  American  shares,  Coeur  acquired
approximately  132 million  ounces of silver  resources at a purchase price of
less than $.20 per ounce. This transaction  solidifies and establishes Coeur's
position as the leader in two of the world's most productive silver regions."

      Coeur expects to enjoy the following  benefits as a result of purchasing
the 50% of Silver Valley Resources that it does not already own:

      *     immediate  increase  of 1.8  million  ounces in Coeur's  estimated
            annual silver production;

      *     addition of 16.2  million  ounces of silver to Coeur's  proven and
            probable  reserves  and  6.0  million  ounces  to  Coeur's  silver
            resources;

      *     excellent  potential to further  increase  reserves and  resources
            through systematic exploration;

      *     potential  to increase  production  at the Galena Mine and thereby
            reduce cash costs; and

      *     consolidation of Coeur's ownership position and control of Idaho's
            Silver Valley.

      Coeur plans to embark on extensive  optimization  and exploration at the
Silver  Valley  Resources   properties  in  an  effort  to  add  reserves  and
potentially increase production.

      The San Bartolome  silver  project is located on the flanks of the Cerro
Rico  Mountain  near  Potosi,  Bolivia.  Based  on an  independent  geological
evaluation, San Bartolome has a silver resource of approximately 110.0 million
silver ounces  contained in gravel-like  deposits (35 million tons grading 3.1
ounces per ton).  ASARCO,  which  controlled  the San  Bartolome  project  for
several  years,  previously  completed  extensive  exploration,  assaying  and
resource delineation and development, including a pre- feasibility study.

      Dennis  Wheeler  stated  that "The San  Bartolome  property  is a superb
silver asset with  exceptional  upside  potential.  Only four of the project's
seven known deposits have been explored to date and further  exploration could


<PAGE>

result in a significant  growth of silver  resources.  It is expected that the
deposits  will  be  receptive  to  surface  mining  methods  and   preliminary
metallurgical  testing  indicates the silver is amenable to conventional  heap
leach solution processing."

      The 1.5  million  common  shares and 500,000  warrants  of Pan  American
Silver  Corp.  represent  approximately  5%  fully  diluted  ownership  of Pan
American.  The closing price of Pan American Silver Corp.  common stock on the
Toronto  Stock  Exchange on  September 7, 1999,  was CDN $7.80 per share.  The
warrants have an exercise  price of CDN $7.50 per share and expire on December
31, 1999.

      THIS PRESS RELEASE CONTAINS  FORWARD-LOOKING  STATEMENTS RELATING TO THE
COMPANY'S  SILVER  MINING   BUSINESS.   THE  UNITED  STATES  PRIVATE  SECURITY
LITIGATION   REFORM  ACT  OF  1995   PROVIDES  A  "SAFE  HARBOR"  FOR  CERTAIN
FORWARD-LOOKING  STATEMENTS.  SILVER  RESERVE  AND  RESOURCE  DATA,  AND OTHER
STATEMENTS RELATING TO EXPECTATIONS IN THIS DOCUMENT, ARE BASED ON INFORMATION
THE COMPANY BELIEVES REASONABLE,  BUT INVOLVE SIGNIFICANT  UNCERTAINTIES AS TO
FUTURE  GOLD AND  SILVER  PRICES,  COSTS,  ORE  GRADES,  ESTIMATION  OF SILVER
RESERVES AND RESOURCES,  MINING AND PROCESSING CONDITIONS,  CHANGES THAT COULD
RESULT FROM THE  COMPANY'S  FUTURE  ACQUISITION  OF NEW MINING  PROPERTIES  OR
BUSINESSES,  THE RISKS AND HAZARDS INHERENT IN THE MINING BUSINESS  (INCLUDING
ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS,  INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS,  WEATHER OR GEOLOGICALLY RELATED
CONDITIONS),  REGULATORY  AND  PERMITTING  MATTERS,  AND RISKS INHERENT IN THE
OWNERSHIP AND OPERATION OF, OR INVESTMENT IN, MINING  PROPERTIES OR BUSINESSES
IN  FOREIGN  COUNTRIES.  ACTUAL  RESULTS  COULD  VERY  SIGNIFICANTLY  FROM THE
ESTIMATES  PRESENTED.  READERS  ARE  CAUTIONED  NOT TO PUT UNDUE  RELIANCE  ON
FORWARD-LOOKING  STATEMENTS. THE COMPANY DISCLAIMS ANY INTENT OR OBLIGATION TO
UPDATE  PUBLICLY THE  FORWARD-LOOKING  STATEMENTS,  WHETHER AS A RESULT OF NEW
INFORMATION, FUTURE EVENTS OR OTHERWISE.



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