CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 184,359	$ 1,663,170
Accounts receivable	0	24,642
Inventories (Note 3)	0	450,951
Stockpiles and mineralized material on leach pads (Note 3)	0	1,322,211
Assets held for sale, Net (Note 6)	5,894,220	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets (Note 4)	1,885,792	2,188,053
Total current assets	7,964,371	5,649,027
MINERAL RIGHTS AND PROPERTIES, Net (Note 5)	7,205,081	7,205,081
PROPERTIES, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, Net (Note 6)	15,148,567	26,596,859
RECLAMATION BOND DEPOSIT (Note 7)	2,622,544	2,642,804
RETIREMENT OBLIGATION ASSET (Note 8)	617,126	1,107,120
OTHER ASSETS	285,342	12,000
TOTAL ASSETS	33,843,031	43,212,891
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable	804,551	1,964,371
Accrued expenses (Note 9)	1,135,934	1,639,526
Long-term debt and capital lease obligations – current portion (Note 10)	483,669	8,538,336
Total current liabilities	2,424,154	12,142,233
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES:
Long-term debt and capital lease obligations (Note 10)	8,986,626	4,759,213
Long-term reclamation liability (Note 8)	7,353,346	6,827,568
Other liabilities	662,316	724,407
Total long-term liabilities	17,002,288	12,311,188
Total liabilities	19,426,442	24,453,421
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Note 18)
STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY:
Common stock, $.000666 par value, 3,950,000,000 shares authorized, 185,363,676 and 159,917,711 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively	123,453	106,505
Additional paid-in capital	226,321,375	217,716,500
Accumulated deficit	(212,028,239)	(199,063,535)
Total stockholders’ equity	14,416,589	18,759,470
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY	$ 33,843,031	$ 43,212,891

Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of liabilities incurred (and for which invoices have typically been received) and payable to vendors for goods and services received that are used in an entity's business. Used to reflect the current portion of the liabilities (due within one year or within the normal operating cycle if longer).

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount due from customers or clients, within one year of the balance sheet date (or the normal operating cycle, whichever is longer), for goods or services (including trade receivables) that have been delivered or sold in the normal course of business, reduced to the estimated net realizable fair value by an allowance established by the entity of the amount it deems uncertain of collection.