Business and Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2022
Business and Significant Accounting Policies
Business And Company Formation	Solitario Zinc Corp. (“Solitario,” or the “Company”) is an exploration stage company as defined by rules issued by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Solitario was incorporated in the state of Colorado on November 15, 1984 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Crown Resources Corporation ("Crown"). In July 1994, Solitario became a publicly traded company on the Toronto Stock Exchange through its initial public offering. Solitario has been actively involved in mineral exploration since 1993. Solitario’s primary business is to acquire exploration mineral properties or royalties and/or discover economic deposits on its mineral properties and advance these deposits, either on its own or through joint ventures, up to the development stage. At that point, or sometime prior to that point, Solitario would likely attempt to sell its mineral properties, pursue their development either on its own or through a joint venture with a partner that has expertise in mining operations, or create a royalty with a third party that continues to advance the property. Solitario is primarily focused on the acquisition and exploration of precious metal, zinc and other base metal exploration mineral properties. In addition to focusing on its mineral exploration properties and the evaluation of mineral properties for acquisition, Solitario also evaluates potential strategic transactions for the acquisition of new precious and base metal properties and assets with exploration potential or business combinations that Solitario determines to be favorable to Solitario. Solitario has recorded revenue in the past from the sale of mineral properties, including the sale of certain mineral royalties. Revenues and / or proceeds from the sale or joint venture of properties or assets, although significant when they occur, have not been a consistent annual source of cash and would only occur in the future, if at all, on an infrequent basis. Solitario currently considers its carried interest in the Florida Canyon project in Peru, its interest in the Lik project in Alaska, and its Golden Crest project in South Dakota to be its core mineral property assets. Nexa Resources, Ltd. (“Nexa”), Solitario’s joint venture partner, is continuing the exploration and furtherance of the Florida Canyon project and Solitario is monitoring progress at Florida Canyon. Solitario is working with its 50% joint venture partner in the Lik deposit, Teck American Incorporated, a wholly owned subsidiary of Teck Resources Limited (both companies are referred to as “Teck”), to further the exploration and evaluate potential development plans for the Lik project. Solitario is conducting mineral exploration on its Golden Crest project on its own. Solitario anticipates using its cash and short-term investments, in part, to fund costs and activities to further the exploration of the Florida Canyon, Lik and Golden Crest projects, and to potentially acquire additional mineral property assets. The fluctuations in precious metal and other commodity prices contribute to a challenging environment for mineral exploration and development, which has created opportunities as well as challenges for the potential acquisition of early-stage and advanced mineral exploration projects or other related assets at potentially attractive terms. The accompanying interim condensed consolidated financial statements of Solitario for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 are unaudited and are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“generally accepted accounting principles”). They do not include all disclosures required by generally accepted accounting principles for annual financial statements, but in the opinion of management, include all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of results which may be achieved in the future or for the full year ending December 31, 2022. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto which are included in Solitario’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021. The accounting policies set forth in those annual financial statements are the same as the accounting policies utilized in the preparation of these financial statements, except as modified for an appropriate interim financial statement presentation.
Risk And Uncertainties	Solitario faces risks related to health epidemics and other outbreaks of communicable diseases, which could significantly disrupt its operations and may materially and adversely affect its business and financial condition. Solitario’s business still could be adversely impacted by the effects of the coronavirus (“COVID-19”) or other epidemics or pandemics. Solitario continues to evaluate the effects of COVID-19 on its operations and at times during the pandemic has taken pro-active steps to address the impacts on its operations, including at times reducing costs, in response to the economic uncertainty associated with potential risks from COVID-19. These prior cost reductions included implementing salary reductions and evaluating and reducing certain planned 2021 exploration programs through its joint venture partners at the Florida Canyon and Lik exploration projects. Also, Solitairo has evaluated the potential impacts on its ability to access future traditional funding sources on the same or reasonably similar terms as in past periods. Solitario will continue to monitor the effects of COVID-19 on its operations, financial condition, and liquidity. However, the extent to which COVID-19 ultimately impacts Solitario’s business, including our exploration and other activities and the market for our securities, will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted at this time, and include the duration, severity and scope of any new outbreak and the actions taken to contain or treat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Financial Reporting	The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Solitario and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and are expressed in US dollars.
Cash Equivalents	Cash equivalents include investments in highly liquid money-market securities with original maturities of three months or less when purchased. As of September 30, 2022, $225,000 of Solitario’s cash is held in brokerage accounts and foreign banks, which are not covered under the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) rules for the United States.
Short-term Investments	As of September 30, 2022, Solitario has $4,650,000 of its current assets in United States Treasury Securities (“USTS”) with maturities of 15 days to 15 months. In addition, at September 30, 2022, Solitario has one bank certificate of deposit (“CD”) with a face value of $250,000 recorded at its fair value of $248,000. The CD has a maturity of three months. The USTS and CD are recorded at their fair value, based upon quoted market prices. The USTS are not covered under the FDIC insurance rules for United States deposits. Solitario’s USTS and CD are highly liquid and may be sold in their entirety at any time at their quoted market price and are classified as a current asset.
Financial Statement Classification	Solitario separately shows its classification of changes in the fair value of its short-term investment in USTS and CDs as unrealized gain or loss on short-term investments in the statement of operations rather than a portion of interest and dividend income (net). During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 the non-cash decrease in the fair value of Solitario’s short-term investments, due primarily to changes in interest rates on held securities, was $22,000 and $120,000, respectively. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 the non-cash decrease in the fair value of its short-term investments, due primarily to changes in interest rates on held securities, was $21,000 and $77,000, respectively. The 2021 income statement and cash flows have been reclassified for comparability to the 2022 presentation. Total other income (expense) and net cash used in operations in 2021 was not impacted by the reclassification.
Earnings Per Share	The calculation of basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share is based on the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021. Potentially dilutive shares related to outstanding common stock options of 5,431,250 and 5,513,000, respectively, for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021 were excluded from the calculation of diluted loss per share because the effects were anti-dilutive.

Business and Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2022

Business and Significant Accounting Policies

Solitario Zinc Corp. (“Solitario,” or the “Company”) is an exploration stage company as defined by rules issued by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Solitario was incorporated in the state of Colorado on November 15, 1984 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Crown Resources Corporation ("Crown"). In July 1994, Solitario became a publicly traded company on the Toronto Stock Exchange through its initial public offering. Solitario has been actively involved in mineral exploration since 1993. Solitario’s primary business is to acquire exploration mineral properties or royalties and/or discover economic deposits on its mineral properties and advance these deposits, either on its own or through joint ventures, up to the development stage. At that point, or sometime prior to that point, Solitario would likely attempt to sell its mineral properties, pursue their development either on its own or through a joint venture with a partner that has expertise in mining operations, or create a royalty with a third party that continues to advance the property. Solitario is primarily focused on the acquisition and exploration of precious metal, zinc and other base metal exploration mineral properties. In addition to focusing on its mineral exploration properties and the evaluation of mineral properties for acquisition, Solitario also evaluates potential strategic transactions for the acquisition of new precious and base metal properties and assets with exploration potential or business combinations that Solitario determines to be favorable to Solitario.

Solitario has recorded revenue in the past from the sale of mineral properties, including the sale of certain mineral royalties. Revenues and / or proceeds from the sale or joint venture of properties or assets, although significant when they occur, have not been a consistent annual source of cash and would only occur in the future, if at all, on an infrequent basis.

Solitario currently considers its carried interest in the Florida Canyon project in Peru, its interest in the Lik project in Alaska, and its Golden Crest project in South Dakota to be its core mineral property assets. Nexa Resources, Ltd. (“Nexa”), Solitario’s joint venture partner, is continuing the exploration and furtherance of the Florida Canyon project and Solitario is monitoring progress at Florida Canyon. Solitario is working with its 50% joint venture partner in the Lik deposit, Teck American Incorporated, a wholly owned subsidiary of Teck Resources Limited (both companies are referred to as “Teck”), to further the exploration and evaluate potential development plans for the Lik project. Solitario is conducting mineral exploration on its Golden Crest project on its own.

Solitario anticipates using its cash and short-term investments, in part, to fund costs and activities to further the exploration of the Florida Canyon, Lik and Golden Crest projects, and to potentially acquire additional mineral property assets. The fluctuations in precious metal and other commodity prices contribute to a challenging environment for mineral exploration and development, which has created opportunities as well as challenges for the potential acquisition of early-stage and advanced mineral exploration projects or other related assets at potentially attractive terms.

The accompanying interim condensed consolidated financial statements of Solitario for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 are unaudited and are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“generally accepted accounting principles”). They do not include all disclosures required by generally accepted accounting principles for annual financial statements, but in the opinion of management, include all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of results which may be achieved in the future or for the full year ending December 31, 2022.

These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto which are included in Solitario’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021. The accounting policies set forth in those annual financial statements are the same as the accounting policies utilized in the preparation of these financial statements, except as modified for an appropriate interim financial statement presentation.

Risk And Uncertainties

Solitario faces risks related to health epidemics and other outbreaks of communicable diseases, which could significantly disrupt its operations and may materially and adversely affect its business and financial condition.

Solitario’s business still could be adversely impacted by the effects of the coronavirus (“COVID-19”) or other epidemics or pandemics. Solitario continues to evaluate the effects of COVID-19 on its operations and at times during the pandemic has taken pro-active steps to address the impacts on its operations, including at times reducing costs, in response to the economic uncertainty associated with potential risks from COVID-19. These prior cost reductions included implementing salary reductions and evaluating and reducing certain planned 2021 exploration programs through its joint venture partners at the Florida Canyon and Lik exploration projects. Also, Solitairo has evaluated the potential impacts on its ability to access future traditional funding sources on the same or reasonably similar terms as in past periods. Solitario will continue to monitor the effects of COVID-19 on its operations, financial condition, and liquidity. However, the extent to which COVID-19 ultimately impacts Solitario’s business, including our exploration and other activities and the market for our securities, will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted at this time, and include the duration, severity and scope of any new outbreak and the actions taken to contain or treat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Financial Reporting

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Solitario and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and are expressed in US dollars.

Cash Equivalents

Cash equivalents include investments in highly liquid money-market securities with original maturities of three months or less when purchased. As of September 30, 2022, $225,000 of Solitario’s cash is held in brokerage accounts and foreign banks, which are not covered under the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) rules for the United States.

Short-term Investments

As of September 30, 2022, Solitario has $4,650,000 of its current assets in United States Treasury Securities (“USTS”) with maturities of 15 days to 15 months. In addition, at September 30, 2022, Solitario has one bank certificate of deposit (“CD”) with a face value of $250,000 recorded at its fair value of $248,000. The CD has a maturity of three months. The USTS and CD are recorded at their fair value, based upon quoted market prices. The USTS are not covered under the FDIC insurance rules for United States deposits. Solitario’s USTS and CD are highly liquid and may be sold in their entirety at any time at their quoted market price and are classified as a current asset.

Financial Statement Classification

Solitario separately shows its classification of changes in the fair value of its short-term investment in USTS and CDs as unrealized gain or loss on short-term investments in the statement of operations rather than a portion of interest and dividend income (net). During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 the non-cash decrease in the fair value of Solitario’s short-term investments, due primarily to changes in interest rates on held securities, was $22,000 and $120,000, respectively. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 the non-cash decrease in the fair value of its short-term investments, due primarily to changes in interest rates on held securities, was $21,000 and $77,000, respectively. The 2021 income statement and cash flows have been reclassified for comparability to the 2022 presentation. Total other income (expense) and net cash used in operations in 2021 was not impacted by the reclassification.

Earnings Per Share

The calculation of basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share is based on the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021. Potentially dilutive shares related to outstanding common stock options of 5,431,250 and 5,513,000, respectively, for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021 were excluded from the calculation of diluted loss per share because the effects were anti-dilutive.