Note 1 - Organization and Business	12 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2018
Notes to Financial Statements
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure [Text Block]	1. Organization and Business Contango ORE, Inc. (“CORE” or the “Company”) is a Houston-based company that engages in the exploration in Alaska for gold and associated minerals through a joint venture company, Peak Gold, LLC (the “Joint Venture Company”). The Company was formed on September 1, 2010 as a Delaware corporation for the purpose of engaging in the exploration in the State of Alaska for gold ore and associated minerals. The Company currently has two wholly owned subsidiaries, AU CORE, Inc. and CORE Alaska, LLC. AU CORE, Inc. historically owned unpatented mining claims. Those claims were transferred to the Joint Venture Company in January 2015. CORE participates in the Joint Venture Company through its wholly owned subsidiary, CORE Alaska, LLC. The Company is still in an exploration stage. The Company’s fiscal year end is June 30. On November 29, 2010, Contango Mining Company (“Contango Mining”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Contango Oil & Gas Company (“Contango”), assigned its properties and certain other assets and liabilities to Contango. Contango contributed the properties and $3.5 million of cash to the Company, in exchange for approximately 1.6million shares of the Company’s common stock, which were distributed to Contango’s shareholders of record. The above transactions occurred among companies under common control and were accounted for as transactions among entities under common control, in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 805, “Business Combinations” whereby the acquired assets and liabilities were recognized in the financial statements at their carrying amounts. The properties contributed by Contango included: (i) a 100% leasehold interest in an estimated 675,000 acres (the “Tetlin Lease”) from the Tetlin Village Council, the council formed by the governing body for the Native Village of Tetlin, an Alaska Native Tribe (the “Tetlin Village Council”); and (ii) approximately 18,021 acres in unpatented mining claims from the state of Alaska for the exploration of gold ore and associated minerals. If any of the properties are placed into commercial production, the Joint Venture Company would be obligated to pay a 3.0% production royalty to Royal Gold, Inc. (“Royal Gold”). On September 29, 2014, Juneau Exploration L.P. (“JEX”) sold its 3.0%production royalty to Royal Gold. See Note 12 - Related Party Transactions. In September 2012, the Company and JEX entered into an Advisory Agreement in which JEX assisted the Company in acquiring 474 unpatented state of Alaska mining claims consisting of 71,896 acres for the exploration of gold ore and associated minerals in exchange for a 2.0% production royalty on properties acquired after July 1, 2012. On September 29, 2014, JEX sold its 2.0% production royalty to Royal Gold and the Company terminated its Advisory Agreement with JEX. See Note 9 - Related Party Transactions. If any properties acquired after July 1, 2012 are placed into commercial production, the Joint Venture Company would be obligated to pay Royal Gold a 2.0%production royalty. On September 29, 2014, the Company entered into a Master Agreement (the “Master Agreement”) with Royal Gold, pursuant to which the parties agreed, subject to the satisfaction of various closing conditions, to form a joint venture to advance exploration and development of the Peak Gold Joint Venture Property, prospective for gold ore and associated minerals (the “Transactions”). The Transactions closed on January 8, 2015 ( the “Closing”). In connection with the Closing, the Company contributed its Tetlin Lease and state of Alaska mining claims near Tok, Alaska (the “Peak Gold Joint Venture Property”), together with other property, to the Joint Venture Company, a newly formed limited liability company. The Joint Venture Company is managed according to the JV LLCA between subsidiaries of Royal Gold and the Company. At the Closing, Royal Gold made an initial investment of $5 million to fund exploration activity. The initial $5.0 million did not give Royal Gold an equity stake in the Joint Venture Company. As of June 30, 2018, Royal Gold has contributed $31.7 million (including its initial $5.0 million investment) to the Joint Venture Company and earned a 40.0% interest in the Joint Venture Company. The proceeds of Royal Gold’s investment have been used by the Joint Venture Company for additional exploration of the Peak Gold Joint Venture Property. Royal Gold serves as the Manager of the Joint Venture Company and manages, directs, and controls operations of the Joint Venture Company. The Company has completed eight years of exploration efforts on the Peak Gold Joint Venture Property, which has resulted in identifying two mineral deposits (Peak and North Peak) and several other gold, silver, and copper prospects. The Joint Venture Company has completed one phase of drilling in 2018 on the Peak Gold Joint Venture Property. The Joint Venture Company has approved an exploration budget for calendar 2018 of $9.1 million. As of June 30 2018, $4.6 million of the approved budget had been spent. On November 10, 2017, subsidiaries of Royal Gold and the Company entered into Amendment No. 1 to the JV LLCA, which, among other things, amended the JV LLCA to add certain claims, previously purchased by the Joint Venture Company. The claims that were added consist of 541 unpatented state of Alaska mining claims over 84,840 acres for the exploration of gold ore and associated minerals (the “New Properties”). In return for locating the New Properties and incurring all related expenses, the Joint Venture Company granted to a subsidiary of Royal Gold a 3.0% production royalty on (i) the New Properties, (ii) prior to October 31, 2018, any additional properties contributed to the Joint Venture Company, and (iii) subsequent to October 31, 2018, any additional properties contributed to the Joint Venture Company if Royal Gold earns a 40.0% interest in the Joint Venture Company (all such properties subject to the 3.0% production royalty, “Additional Properties”). Royal Gold has earned a 40.0% membership interest in the Joint Venture Company by making the full $30.0 million investment pursuant to the JV LLCA, and therefore the subsidiary of Royal Gold will continue to receive the 3.0% production royalty on the Additional Properties after October 31, 2018.

Organization and Business

Contango ORE, Inc. (“CORE” or the “Company”) is a Houston-based company that engages in the exploration in Alaska for gold and associated minerals through a joint venture company, Peak Gold, LLC (the “Joint Venture Company”). The Company was formed on

September

2010

as a Delaware corporation for the purpose of engaging in the exploration in the State of Alaska for gold ore and associated minerals. The Company currently has

two

wholly owned subsidiaries, AU CORE, Inc. and CORE Alaska, LLC. AU CORE, Inc. historically owned unpatented mining claims. Those claims were transferred to the Joint Venture Company in

January 2015.

CORE participates in the Joint Venture Company through its wholly owned subsidiary, CORE Alaska, LLC.

The Company is still in an exploration stage. The Company’s fiscal year end is

June

30.

November

29,

2010,

Contango Mining Company (“Contango Mining”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Contango Oil & Gas Company (“Contango”), assigned its properties and certain other assets and liabilities to Contango. Contango contributed the properties and

$3.5

million of cash to the Company, in exchange for approximately

1.6million

shares of the Company’s common stock, which were distributed to Contango’s shareholders of record. The above transactions occurred among companies under common control and were accounted for as transactions among entities under common control, in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”)

805,

“Business Combinations” whereby the acquired assets and liabilities were recognized in the financial statements at their carrying amounts.

The properties contributed by Contango included: (i) a

100%

leasehold interest in an estimated

675,000

acres (the “Tetlin Lease”) from the Tetlin Village Council, the council formed by the governing body for the Native Village of Tetlin, an Alaska Native Tribe (the “Tetlin Village Council”); and (ii) approximately

18,021

acres in unpatented mining claims from the state of Alaska for the exploration of gold ore and associated minerals. If any of the properties are placed into commercial production, the Joint Venture Company would be obligated to pay a

3.0%

production royalty to Royal Gold, Inc. (“Royal Gold”). On

September 29, 2014,

Juneau Exploration L.P. (“JEX”) sold its

3.0%production

royalty to Royal Gold. See Note

- Related Party Transactions.

September 2012,

the Company and JEX entered into an Advisory Agreement in which JEX assisted the Company in acquiring

474

unpatented state of Alaska mining claims consisting of

71,896

acres for the exploration of gold ore and associated minerals in exchange for a

2.0%

production royalty on properties acquired after

July 1, 2012.

September 29, 2014,

JEX sold its

2.0%

production royalty to Royal Gold and the Company terminated its Advisory Agreement with JEX. See Note

- Related Party Transactions. If any properties acquired after

July

2012

are placed into commercial production, the Joint Venture Company would be obligated to pay Royal Gold a

2.0%production

royalty.

September

29,

2014,

the Company entered into a Master Agreement (the “Master Agreement”) with Royal Gold, pursuant to which the parties agreed, subject to the satisfaction of various closing conditions, to form a joint venture to advance exploration and development of the Peak Gold Joint Venture Property, prospective for gold ore and associated minerals (the “Transactions”). The Transactions closed on

January 8, 2015 (

the “Closing”).

In connection with the Closing, the Company contributed its Tetlin Lease and state of Alaska mining claims near Tok, Alaska (the “Peak Gold Joint Venture Property”), together with other property, to the Joint Venture Company, a newly formed limited liability company. The Joint Venture Company is managed according to the JV LLCA between subsidiaries of Royal Gold and the Company. At the Closing, Royal Gold made an initial investment of

million to fund exploration activity. The initial

$5.0

million did

not

give Royal Gold an equity stake in the Joint Venture Company. As of

June 30, 2018,

Royal Gold has contributed

$31.7

million (including its initial

$5.0

million investment) to the Joint Venture Company and earned a

40.0%

interest in the Joint Venture Company. The proceeds of Royal Gold’s investment have been used by the Joint Venture Company for additional exploration of the Peak Gold Joint Venture Property. Royal Gold serves as the Manager of the Joint Venture Company and manages, directs, and controls operations of the Joint Venture Company.

The Company has completed

eight

years of exploration efforts on the Peak Gold Joint Venture Property, which has resulted in identifying

two

mineral deposits (Peak and North Peak) and several other gold, silver, and copper prospects. The Joint Venture Company has completed

one

phase of drilling in

2018

on the Peak Gold Joint Venture Property. The Joint Venture Company has approved an exploration budget for calendar

2018

$9.1

million. As of

June 30 2018,

$4.6

million of the approved budget had been spent.

November 10, 2017,

subsidiaries of Royal Gold and the Company entered into Amendment

No.

to the JV LLCA, which, among other things, amended the JV LLCA to add certain claims, previously purchased by the Joint Venture Company. The claims that were added consist of

541

unpatented state of Alaska mining claims over

84,840

acres for the exploration of gold ore and associated minerals (the “New Properties”). In return for locating the New Properties and incurring all related expenses, the Joint Venture Company granted to a subsidiary of Royal Gold a

3.0%

production royalty on (i) the New Properties, (ii) prior to

October 31, 2018,

any additional properties contributed to the Joint Venture Company, and (iii) subsequent to

October 31, 2018,

any additional properties contributed to the Joint Venture Company if Royal Gold earns a

40.0%

interest in the Joint Venture Company (all such properties subject to the

3.0%

production royalty, “Additional Properties”). Royal Gold has earned a

40.0%

membership interest in the Joint Venture Company by making the full

$30.0

million investment pursuant to the JV LLCA, and therefore the subsidiary of Royal Gold will continue to receive the

3.0%

production royalty on the Additional Properties after

October 31, 2018.