Liquidity, Capital Resources and Going Concern (Details) - USD ($)				1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Jun. 10, 2016	May 06, 2016	Feb. 11, 2016	Feb. 28, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Cash and cash equivalents						$ 3,415,000	$ 921,000	$ 3,415,000	$ 921,000	$ 4,077,000	$ 8,579,000
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents								(662,000)	(7,658,000)
Shutdown and care and maintenance costs						456,000	393,000	1,589,000	393,000
Exploration expenditures						927,000	615,000	2,865,000	2,851,000
General and administrative expenses						897,000	$ 1,047,000	3,141,000	$ 3,375,000
(Decrease) in deferred revenue								(500,000)
Net revenue from lease								3,300,000
Proceeds from sale of non-strategic mining assets								900,000
Proceeds from issuance of common stock, net of issue costs		$ 3,600,000						3,599,000
Registered offering stock units (in shares)		8,000,000
Sale price (in dollars per shares)		$ 0.50
Gross proceeds from common stock sale		$ 4,000,000
Equity issue costs		$ 400,000
Deferred revenue										500,000
Sentient Loan
Amount of debt converted to equity	$ 1,100,000		$ 3,900,000
Amount of accrued interest converted to equity	$ 34,000		$ 100,000
Equity shares issued upon conversion of debt	4,011,740		23,355,000
Debt outstanding	$ 0					$ 0		0
Forecast
Cash and cash equivalents					$ 3,000,000
General and administrative expenses					700,000
Net revenue from lease					1,200,000
Proceeds from sale of non-strategic mining assets				$ 600,000	200,000
Net cash flow					1,800,000
Other exploration and property holding costs					500,000
Velardena properties
Shutdown and care and maintenance costs								1,600,000
Velardena properties | Forecast
Shutdown and care and maintenance costs					400,000
El Quevar Project
Maintenance and property holding costs								$ 300,000
El Quevar Project | Forecast
Maintenance and property holding costs					$ 200,000
Oxide Plant Lease Agreement | Velardena properties
Deferred revenue										$ 500,000
2016 Warrants
Number of common shares which can be purchased with each warrant		0.75
Exercise price of warrants (in dollars per share)		$ 0.75
Warrant becomes exercisable		6 months
Term of warrants		5 years