Consolidated Statements of Stockholder's Equity (Deficiency) and Comprehensive Income (Loss) (USD $)	Total	Settlement of Debt	Cash	Resource property	Employees and Directors	Consulting Services	Finder Fee	Payment of expenses	Issuance During Period 1st Settlement of Debt	Issuance During Period 1st Cash	Issuance During Period 2nd Settlement of Debt	Issuance During Period 2nd Cash	Issuance During Period 3rd Settlement of Debt	Issuance During Period 3rd Cash	Common Stock	Common Stock Settlement of Debt	Common Stock Cash	Common Stock Resource property	Common Stock Finder Fee	Common Stock Payment of expenses	Common Stock Issuance During Period 1st Settlement of Debt	Common Stock Issuance During Period 1st Cash	Common Stock Issuance During Period 2nd Settlement of Debt	Common Stock Issuance During Period 2nd Cash	Common Stock Issuance During Period 3rd Settlement of Debt	Common Stock Issuance During Period 3rd Cash	Additional paid-in capital	Additional paid-in capital Settlement of Debt	Additional paid-in capital Cash	Additional paid-in capital Resource property	Additional paid-in capital Employees and Directors	Additional paid-in capital Consulting Services	Additional paid-in capital Finder Fee	Additional paid-in capital Payment of expenses	Additional paid-in capital Issuance During Period 1st Settlement of Debt	Additional paid-in capital Issuance During Period 1st Cash	Additional paid-in capital Issuance During Period 2nd Settlement of Debt	Additional paid-in capital Issuance During Period 2nd Cash	Additional paid-in capital Issuance During Period 3rd Settlement of Debt	Additional paid-in capital Issuance During Period 3rd Cash	Comprehensive (loss)	Advances for Stock Subscriptions	Advances for Stock Subscriptions Issuance During Period 1st Cash	Advances for Stock Subscriptions Issuance During Period 2nd Cash	Advances for Stock Subscriptions Issuance During Period 3rd Cash	Accumulated (deficit) during exploration stage	Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
Beginning Balance at Oct. 09, 1995
Issuance of common stock (in shares)																11,461,153
Issuance of common stock		$ 11,461														$ 11,461
Ending Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 1995															11,461,153
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 1995	11,461														11,461
Adjustment for reverse stock split (in shares)															(7,640,766)
Adjustment for reverse stock split	(7,641)														(7,641)
Issuance of common stock (in shares)																	5,800,000	300,000
Issuance of common stock			347,561	3,000													5,800	300											341,761	2,700
Components of comprehensive income (loss):
Net Income (loss)	(361,208)																																								(361,208)					(361,208)
Total comprehensive (loss)																																									(361,208)
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 1996	(6,827)														9,920												344,461																			(361,208)
Ending Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 1996															9,920,387
Issuance of common stock (in shares)																	750,000
Issuance of common stock			745,158														750												744,408
Components of comprehensive income (loss):
Net Income (loss)	(615,880)																																								(615,880)					(615,880)
Total comprehensive (loss)																																									(615,880)
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 1997	122,451														10,670												1,088,869																			(977,088)
Ending Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 1997															10,670,387
Issuance of common stock (in shares)																96,105						200,000		71,667		143,333
Issuance of common stock		68,697								250,000		53,750		107,500		96						200		72		143		68,601								249,800		53,678		107,357
Components of comprehensive income (loss):
Net Income (loss)	(1,151,604)																																								(1,151,604)					(1,151,604)
Total comprehensive (loss)																																									(1,151,604)
Grant of options					518,900	172,100																									518,900	172,100
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 1998	141,794														11,181												2,259,304																			(2,128,692)
Ending Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 1998															11,181,492
Issuance of common stock (in shares)																231,286	22,871		25,000
Issuance of common stock		160,382	15,000				20,312									231	23		25									160,151	14,977				20,287
Cash advanced on stock subscriptions	425,000																																									425,000
Components of comprehensive income (loss):
Net Income (loss)	(855,391)																																								(855,391)					(855,391)
Total comprehensive (loss)																																									(855,391)
Grant of options						29,500																										29,500
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 1999	(63,403)														11,461												2,484,219															425,000				(2,984,083)
Ending Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 1999															11,460,649
Issuance of common stock (in shares)																199,000						350,000		550,000
Issuance of common stock		99,500														199						350		550				99,301								174,650		249,450					(175,000)	(250,000)
Cancellation of shares (in shares)															(90,706)
Cancellation of shares	(56,691)														(91)												(56,600)
Exercise of options (in shares)															405,000
Exercise of options	4,050														405												3,645
Spin-off of Aurora Metals (BVI) Limited															316,498
Components of comprehensive income (loss):
Net Income (loss)	(677,705)																																								(677,705)					(677,705)
Total comprehensive (loss)																																									(677,705)
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2000	(377,751)														12,874												3,271,163																			(3,661,788)
Ending Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2000															12,873,943
Components of comprehensive income (loss):
Net Income (loss)	128,545																																								128,545					128,545
Unrealized holding losses on available-for-sale securities	(141,928)																																								(141,928)						(141,928)
Total comprehensive (loss)																																									(13,383)
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2001	(391,134)														12,874												3,271,163																			(3,533,243)	(141,928)
Ending Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2001															12,873,943
Issuance of common stock (in shares)																3,708,038
Issuance of common stock		355,200														3,708												351,492
Components of comprehensive income (loss):
Net Income (loss)	(137,329)																																								(137,329)					(137,329)
Unrealized holding losses on available-for-sale securities	141,928																																								141,928						141,928
Total comprehensive (loss)																																									4,599
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2002	(31,335)														16,582												3,622,655																			(3,670,572)
Ending Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2002															16,581,981
Issuance of common stock (in shares)																2,752,450	100,000
Issuance of common stock		117,558	25,000													2,752	100											114,806	24,900
Components of comprehensive income (loss):
Net Income (loss)	(96,404)																																								(96,404)					(96,404)
Total comprehensive (loss)																																									(96,404)
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2003	14,819														19,434												3,762,361																			(3,766,976)
Ending Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2003															19,434,431
Issuance of common stock (in shares)																	100,000
Issuance of common stock			22,500														100												22,400
Imputed interest	1,560																										1,560
Components of comprehensive income (loss):
Net Income (loss)	(223,763)																																								(223,763)					(223,763)
Total comprehensive (loss)																																									(223,763)
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2004	(184,884)														19,534												3,786,321																			(3,990,739)
Ending Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2004															19,534,431
Issuance of common stock (in shares)																3,684,091	13,000,000
Issuance of common stock		162,500	650,000													3,684	13,000											158,816	637,000
Components of comprehensive income (loss):
Net Income (loss)	(457,271)																																								(457,271)					(457,271)
Unrealized holding losses on available-for-sale securities	(4,614)																																								(4,614)						(4,614)
Total comprehensive (loss)																																									(461,885)
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2005	165,731														36,218												4,582,137																			(4,448,010)	(4,614)
Ending Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2005															36,218,522
Issuance of common stock (in shares)																			250,000			8,000,000		1,000,000
Issuance of common stock							175,000			3,890,000		500,000							250			8,000		1,000									174,750			3,882,000		499,000
Components of comprehensive income (loss):
Net Income (loss)	(5,463,855)																																								(5,463,855)					(5,463,855)
Foreign currency translation adjustments	(3,692)																																								(3,692)						(3,692)
Reclassification adjustment for losses on available-for-sale securities included in net loss	4,614																																								4,614						4,614
Total comprehensive (loss)																																									(5,462,933)
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2006	(732,202)														45,468												9,137,887																			(9,911,865)	(3,692)
Ending Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2006															45,468,522
Issuance of common stock (in shares)																250,000						500,000		5,000,000		4,000,000
Issuance of common stock		50,000								250,000		1,250,000		800,000		250						500		5,000		4,000		49,750								249,500		1,245,000		796,000
Stock option compensation expense	454,295																										454,295
Components of comprehensive income (loss):
Net Income (loss)	(3,259,732)																																								(3,259,732)					(3,259,732)
Foreign currency translation adjustments	(65,255)																																								(65,255)						(65,255)
Total comprehensive (loss)																																									(3,324,987)
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2007	(1,252,894)														55,218												11,932,432																			(13,171,597)	(68,947)
Ending Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2007															55,218,522
Issuance of common stock (in shares)																			250,000		2,603,333
Issuance of common stock							25,000		156,200										250		2,603												24,750		153,597
Components of comprehensive income (loss):
Net Income (loss)	(520,105)																																								(520,105)					(520,105)
Foreign currency translation adjustments	36,259																																								36,259						36,259
Total comprehensive (loss)																																									(483,846)
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2008	(1,555,540)														58,071												12,110,779																			(13,691,702)	(32,688)
Ending Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2008															58,071,855
Issuance of common stock (in shares)																			420,000		5,000,000	3,000,000	100,000	1,666,667	150,000
Issuance of common stock							42,000		1,753,616	258,000	17,999	500,000	35,761						420		5,000	3,000	100	1,667	150								41,580		1,748,616	255,000	17,899	498,333	35,611
Components of comprehensive income (loss):
Net Income (loss)	(1,779,477)																																								(1,779,477)					(1,779,477)
Foreign currency translation adjustments	(60,171)																																								(60,171)						(60,171)
Total comprehensive (loss)																																									(1,839,648)
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2009	(787,812)														68,408												14,707,818																			(15,471,179)	(92,859)
Ending Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2009															68,408,522
Issuance of common stock (in shares)			1,126,111														14,109,446		500,000	200,000	160,500		325,400
Issuance of common stock			3,895,000				150,000	60,000	48,150		97,620						14,110		500	200	161		325						3,880,890				149,500	59,800	47,989		97,295
non cash property acquisition in June 2010 at $0.40 per share (in shares)															5,000,000
non cash property acquisition in June 2010 at $0.40 per share	2,000,000														5,000												1,995,000
Components of comprehensive income (loss):
Net Income (loss)	(2,302,083)																																								(2,302,083)					(2,302,083)
Foreign currency translation adjustments	(198)																																								(198)						(198)
Total comprehensive (loss)																																									(2,302,281)
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2010	3,160,677														88,704												20,938,292																			(17,773,262)	(93,057)
Ending Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2010															88,703,868
Issuance of common stock (in shares)																			450,000		150,000	1,671,000	10,937,721	8,000,000
Issuance of common stock									24,500	167,100	218,754	320,000		20,000					450		150	1,671	10,938	8,000									(450)		24,350	165,429	207,816	312,000							20,000
Stock option compensation expense	393,557																										393,557
Components of comprehensive income (loss):
Net Income (loss)	(4,627,338)																																								(4,627,338)					(4,627,338)
Foreign currency translation adjustments	22,532																																								22,532						22,532
Total comprehensive (loss)																																									(4,604,806)
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2011	$ (300,218)														$ 109,913												$ 22,040,994															$ 20,000				$ (22,400,600)	$ (70,525)
Ending Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2011															109,912,589