ORGANIZATION AND DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Organization And Description Of Business	NOTE 1 – ORGANIZATION AND DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS Applied Minerals, Inc. (the “Company”) is the owner of the Dragon Mine located in the Tintic Mining District of the State of Utah from where it produces halloysite clay and iron oxide. The Company is currently selling its DRAGONITE halloysite clay product regularly to four customers. Several prospective customers are conducting either commercial-scale trials or field trials for an array of products that are expected to use DRAGONITE as a functional additive. In October 2019 the Company entered into an agreement to supply a manufacturer of cement with up to 30,000 tons AMIRON iron oxide per year over a two-year period. Applied Minerals, Inc. is a publicly traded company incorporated in the state of Delaware. The common stock trades on the OTC Bulletin Board under the symbol “AMNL.” Status of the Company for SEC Reporting Purposes The Company is classified as an “exploration stage” company for purposes of Industry Guide 7 of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Under Industry Guide 7, companies engaged in significant mining operations are classified into three categories, referred to as “stages” - exploration, development, and production. Exploration stage includes all companies that do not have established reserves in accordance with Industry Guide 7. Such companies are deemed to be “in the search for mineral deposits.” Notwithstanding the nature and extent of development-type or production-type activities that have been undertaken or completed, a company cannot be classified as a development or production stage company unless it has established reserves in accordance with Industry Guide 7. Exploration Agreement On December 22, 2017, the Company and Continental Mineral Claims, Inc. (“CMC”) entered into an Exploration Agreement with Option to Purchase (“Agreement”). The Company granted to CMC the exclusive right and option to enter upon and conduct mineral exploration activities (the “Exploration License”) for Metallic Minerals on the Company’s Dragon Mine minesite in Utah (the “Mining Claims”). Metallic Minerals are defined to include minerals with a high specific gravity and metallic luster, such as gold, silver, lead, copper, zinc, molybdenum, titanium, tungsten, uranium, tin, iron, etc., but shall exclude any such Metallic Minerals that are intermingled within any economically-recoverable, non-metallic mineral deposits located at or above an elevation of 5,590 feet above sea level. Non-metallic minerals include clay and iron oxide, the minerals mined by the Company. The Company believes that all economic recoverable non-metallic mineral deposits are well above 5,590 feet above sea level. The Exploration License is for a period of ten years. In consideration of the Exploration License CMC paid the Company $350,000 upon the execution of the agreement and paid it $150,000 on the first anniversary of the Exploration License in December 2018. Per the agreement CMC was obligated to pay the Company $250,000 on or before each subsequent anniversary during the Exploration License term following the first anniversary of the Effective Date of the Agreement unless the Exploration License was terminated earlier by CMC by exercising the option or failing to make the required payment for the Exploration License. On March 25, 2020, the Company and Tintic Copper and Gold, Inc. (CMC’s successor) (“Tintic”) agreed to lower the exercise price of the Option to $1,050,000 and Tintic immediately exercised the Option. The proceeds from the exercise of the Option are presented as Other Income. The Company also provided Tintic with a Right of First Offer , which will expire on December 21, 2027 and can be extended to December 21, 2032 for a payment of $250,000 by Tintic to the Company. Upon the exercise of the option, the Company retained the all rights and title to (1) the surface interest (with exception of those rights associated with the Metallic Rights), and (2) all non-metallic minerals (expressly including all industrial minerals including clays and iron oxides). Upon the exercise of the option the Company retained protections against unreasonable interference of its current and future mining operations by CMC. CMC may not do anything that may, at the Company’s determination, adversely impact the Company’s Mining Operations. “Mining Operations” shall mean the activities incident to mineral extraction, permitting, and any operations by CMC or the Company relating to the removal of minerals, respectively, that are or may reasonably be conducted on the Mining Claims, including the exploration for, and development, active mining, removing, producing and selling of any minerals, including the Metallic Minerals. The Agreement states that the parties understand that the Company was willing to enter into the Agreement only if it was assured that CMC would not have any right to unreasonably interfere with the Company’s current mining operations and possible future Mining Operations on the Mining Claims. Impact of COVID–19 Pandemic on Financial Statements In December 2019, a novel strain of COVID-19 was reported in China. Since then, COVID-19 has spread globally, to include Canada, the United States and several European countries. The spread of COVID-19 from China to other countries has resulted in the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring the outbreak of COVID-19 as a “pandemic,” or a worldwide spread of a new disease, on March 11, 2020. Since then m any countries around the world imposed quarantines and restrictions on travel and mass gatherings to slow the spread of the virus and have closed non-essential businesses. The effects of the COVID-19 restrictions adversely affected our business in 2020 and 2021 as certain customers delayed purchases of our DRAGONITE halloysite clay products. As countries, including the U.S., begin to ease restrictions certain of our customers may resume their previously planned purchases of our DRAGONITE halloysite clay products.

Applied Minerals, Inc. (the “Company”) is the owner of the Dragon Mine located in the Tintic Mining District of the State of Utah from where it produces halloysite clay and iron oxide. The Company is currently selling its DRAGONITE halloysite clay product regularly to four customers. Several prospective customers are conducting either commercial-scale trials or field trials for an array of products that are expected to use DRAGONITE as a functional additive. In October 2019 the Company entered into an agreement to supply a manufacturer of cement with up to 30,000 tons AMIRON iron oxide per year over a two-year period.

Exploration stage includes all companies that do not have established reserves in accordance with Industry Guide 7. Such companies are deemed to be “in the search for mineral deposits.” Notwithstanding the nature and extent of development-type or production-type activities that have been undertaken or completed, a company cannot be classified as a development or production stage company unless it has established reserves in accordance with Industry Guide 7.

On December 22, 2017, the Company and Continental Mineral Claims, Inc. (“CMC”) entered into an Exploration Agreement with Option to Purchase (“Agreement”). The Company granted to CMC the exclusive right and option to enter upon and conduct mineral exploration activities (the “Exploration License”) for Metallic Minerals on the Company’s Dragon Mine minesite in Utah (the “Mining Claims”). Metallic Minerals are defined to include minerals with a high specific gravity and metallic luster, such as gold, silver, lead, copper, zinc, molybdenum, titanium, tungsten, uranium, tin, iron, etc., but shall exclude any such Metallic Minerals that are intermingled within any economically-recoverable, non-metallic mineral deposits located at or above an elevation of 5,590 feet above sea level. Non-metallic minerals include clay and iron oxide, the minerals mined by the Company. The Company believes that all economic recoverable non-metallic mineral deposits are well above 5,590 feet above sea level. The Exploration License is for a period of ten years.

In consideration of the Exploration License CMC paid the Company $350,000 upon the execution of the agreement and paid it $150,000 on the first anniversary of the Exploration License in December 2018. Per the agreement CMC was obligated to pay the Company $250,000 on or before each subsequent anniversary during the Exploration License term following the first anniversary of the Effective Date of the Agreement unless the Exploration License was terminated earlier by CMC by exercising the option or failing to make the required payment for the Exploration License.

On March 25, 2020, the Company and Tintic Copper and Gold, Inc. (CMC’s successor) (“Tintic”) agreed to lower the exercise price of the Option to $1,050,000 and Tintic immediately exercised the Option. The proceeds from the exercise of the Option are presented as Other Income. The Company also provided Tintic with a Right of First Offer

which will expire on December 21, 2027 and can be extended to December 21, 2032 for a payment of $250,000 by Tintic to the Company.

Upon the exercise of the option, the Company retained the all rights and title to (1) the surface interest (with exception of those rights associated with the Metallic Rights), and (2) all non-metallic minerals (expressly including all industrial minerals including clays and iron oxides).

Upon the exercise of the option the Company retained protections against unreasonable interference of its current and future mining operations by CMC. CMC may not do anything that may, at the Company’s determination, adversely impact the Company’s Mining Operations. “Mining Operations” shall mean the activities incident to mineral extraction, permitting, and any operations by CMC or the Company relating to the removal of minerals, respectively, that are or may reasonably be conducted on the Mining Claims, including the exploration for, and development, active mining, removing, producing and selling of any minerals, including the Metallic Minerals. The Agreement states that the parties understand that the Company was willing to enter into the Agreement only if it was assured that CMC would not have any right to unreasonably interfere with the Company’s current mining operations and possible future Mining Operations on the Mining Claims.

In December 2019, a novel strain of COVID-19 was reported in China. Since then, COVID-19 has spread globally, to include Canada, the United States and several European countries. The spread of COVID-19 from China to other countries has resulted in the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring the outbreak of COVID-19 as a “pandemic,” or a worldwide spread of a new disease, on March 11, 2020.

Since then

any countries around the world imposed quarantines and restrictions on travel and mass gatherings to slow the spread of the virus and have closed non-essential businesses.

The effects of the COVID-19 restrictions adversely affected our business in 2020 and 2021 as certain customers delayed purchases of our DRAGONITE halloysite clay products. As countries, including the U.S., begin to ease restrictions certain of our customers may resume their previously planned purchases of our DRAGONITE halloysite clay products.