XML 16 R6.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.24.2
Business and Significant Accounting Policies
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2024
Business and Significant Accounting Policies  
Business and Significant Accounting Policies

1. Business and Significant Accounting Policies

 

Business and company formation

 

Solitario Resources 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 or prior to development, 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 has never developed a 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 from time to time 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 potentially 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 zinc project in Peru (the “Florida Canyon Project”), its interest in the Lik zinc project in Alaska (the “Lik Project”), and its Golden Crest project in South Dakota (the “Golden Crest Project”) 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 Project, 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. During the six months ended June 30, 2024, Solitario began work on a new early-stage project, the Cat Creek project (the “Cat Creek Project”) in Colorado. Solitario is conducting mineral exploration on its Golden Crest Project and the Cat Creek 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 its core mineral projects, the Florida Canyon, Lik and Golden Crest, as well as its Cat Creek Project, 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 six months ended June 30, 2024 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, 2024.

 

These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto which are included in Solitario’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 filed with the SEC on March 22, 2024 (the “2023 Annual Report”). The accounting policies set forth in those annual financial statements are the same as the accounting policies utilized in the preparation of these condensed consolidated financial statements, except as modified for appropriate interim financial statement presentation.

 

Recent accounting pronouncements

 

In August 2023, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2023-05, Business Combinations - Joint Venture Formations (Subtopic 805-60): Recognition and Initial Measurement, which clarifies the business combination accounting for joint venture formations. The amendments in the ASU seek to reduce diversity in practice that has resulted from a lack of authoritative guidance regarding the accounting for the formation of joint ventures in separate financial statements. The amendments also seek to clarify the initial measurement of joint venture net assets, including businesses contributed to a joint venture. The guidance is applicable to all entities involved in the formation of a joint venture. The amendments are effective for all joint venture formations with a formation date on or after January 1, 2025. Early adoption and retrospective application of the amendments are permitted. Solitario does not anticipate early adoption. Solitario is evaluating the new guidance and has not yet determined the impact of ASU 2023-05 on its condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures, amending income tax disclosure requirements for the effective tax rate reconciliation and income taxes paid. The amendments in ASU 2023-09 are effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024 and are applied prospectively. Early adoption and retrospective application of the amendments are permitted. Solitario does not anticipate early adoption. Solitario does not expect the adoption of ASU No. 2023-09 to have a material impact on its consolidated financial position or results of operations.

 

Risks and Uncertainties

 

Solitario is subject to various risks and uncertainties that are specific to the nature of its business and the exploration of its mineral properties. Solitario also faces various macro-economic risks and uncertainties, such as risks related to health epidemics, pandemics, and other outbreaks or resurgences of communicable diseases, the occurrence of natural disasters, rising geopolitical tension and instability, acts of war or terrorism, global economic uncertainty, inflationary pressures, increased interest rates, and volatility and disruption in national and international financial markets. These risks and uncertainties could significantly disrupt Solitario’s operations and may materially and adversely affect its business and financial condition. Certain of these risks and uncertainties are discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of our 2023 Annual Report and under the heading “Forward-Looking Statements” in Item 2(l) of Part I of this report.

 

Financial reporting

 

The condensed 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 condensed 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 June 30, 2024, $14,000 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.

 

Money Market Funds

 

Solitario invests in money market funds that seek to maintain a stable net asset value. These funds invest in high-quality, short-term, diversified money market instruments, short-term treasury bills, federal agency securities, certificates of deposits, and commercial paper. Solitario includes its money market funds in short-term investments. Solitario believes the redemption value of these funds is likely to be the fair value, which is represented by the net asset value. Redemption is permitted daily without written notice. Solitario’s money market funds of $8,048,000 and $7,738,000, respectively, at June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 are included in short-term investments.

 

Restricted Cash

 

Restricted cash represents investments in certificates of deposit and are restricted primarily for reclamation funding or surety bonds. Restricted cash and cash equivalents balances are carried at fair value. Non-current restricted cash is reported in a separate line on the condensed consolidated balance sheets and totaled $100,000 at June, 30, 2024. Total cash and restricted cash at June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 was $276,000 and $200,000, respectively.

 

Short-term investments

 

All of Solitario’s short-term investments at June 30, 2024 consist of its investment in a money market account held in a brokerage firm. At December 31, 2023 Solitario’s short term investments included a money market account of $7,738,000 and United States Treasury Securities (“USTS”) of $698,000 with maturities between one and two months.

 

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 six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023. Potentially dilutive shares related to outstanding common stock options of 5,903,500 and 3,778,500, respectively, for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 and outstanding common stock options of 5,340,000 and 5,390,000, respectively, for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 were excluded from the calculation of diluted loss per share because the effects were anti-dilutive.