A publicly traded mining company has an opportunity to develop a mine in the Northwest Territories and must determine the financial viability of doing so. In order to determine the attractiveness of the project, the company must evaluate the net present value of the opportunity, given variables that are volatile and uncertain, such as commodity prices and foreign exchange rates. The company must also consider a number of qualitative consideration .....more

The controller of a publicly traded mining company must make a series of recommendations the chief executive officer and chief financial officer of the company as the company prepares to adopt international financial reporting standards (IFRS). Major decisions revolve around accounting for the company's fixed assets and mining properties. Specifically whether to capitalize or expense certain items, whether to record certain assets at their values .....more

Barrick Gold, the largest gold producer in the world, has taken steps to eliminate its longstanding gold hedging program. In its early years, Barrick’s hedging program was a key factor allowing the firm to grow amidst falling gold prices. But Barricks management team faced questions about its hedging program when gold prices started to rise in the 2000s. The case allows students to review Barrick’s hedging program and consider the impact of its .....more

Shenzhen Zhongjin Lingnan Nonfemet Co. (SZLN) is a Chinese company that is contemplating the purchase of an Australian mining company. The management of SZLN must assess the merits of the acquisition, the offer to be made, how it is to be financed and the political implications of the purchase for both the governments of China and Australia.

GVM Exploration Limited's (GVM) $2 million environmental assessment project at Grizzly Valley was disrupted by a road blockade set up by a small group of local First Nation people. How GVM handled this situation would not only affect the progress of the Grizzly Valley project but also other ongoing projects. The case challenges students to address an emergent situation. Students will need to think through the short-term and long-term implications .....more

Quantec Geoscience is a leading global supplier of geophysical services to the mineral exploration industry. It developed TITAN 24, an award-winning highly innovative technology for deep earth imaging. TITAN 24 provided geophysical information with higher clarity at greater depths (up to 2,000 metres versus 400 of existing methods) to enable better targeting of drilling. However, by mid-2004, TITAN was far short of its sales targets. Mining companies, .....more

This case is an up-close look at the management of a large mining and smelting alliance in Australia. One partner is American, the other Australian. Although it is an equally owned venture, the Australians are the "lead" partners, but they are not doing a very good job. The Americans are frustrated by this, but uncertain as to how to influence their partner. The Americans also have been frustrated in their attempts to introduce a new technology .....more

Teck Cominco is an integrated natural resource group with activities in mining, smelting and refining ores. A number of complaints of ill health by contract workers at one of the plants lead to medical tests. The test results revealed elevated levels of thallium. Concerned about employee safety, plant management immediately shut down the operation until it was safe for workers. The operations manager must plan how he will handle the media over the .....more

A Canadian company is considering the acquisition (via a license agreement) of a new technology developed by a German company. The Canadian company must decide whether it should acquire the technology, and if it does, the price and terms of the agreement.

A young entrepreneur has recently taken over control of the company, a subsidiary of Try Recycling. Try Aggregates (Try) mines grade-A gravel, grade-B gravel and sand from its pit in Ontario. The entrepreneur is faced with several decisions related to product/markets, business systems, and in bound and out bound phases of the value chain which will shape the company's financial future. The key strategic and operational decisions included: (1) .....more