This undated negotiation exercise documents the issues surrounding BHP Billiton’s all-cash bid for Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc. This negotiation involves multiple stakeholders including representatives from both companies, the provincial government of Saskatchewan, and the Canadian federal government. It makes for an engaging exercise; students can explore the complications that arise during political negotiations, with primarily conflicting .....more

<p style = "color:rgb(197,183,131);"> <strong> AWARD WINNER - 2024 Fox International Case Writing Competition</strong> </p><br>In 2018, Andes Mendiak Exploration Corp., a Canadian-listed junior mining exploration company that specialized in gold and copper, was facing significant ethical and operational challenges. The company was operating in Ecuador, a country with stringent environmental regulations, bureaucratic .....more

In May 2023, the Canadian Competition Bureau launched an investigation into greenwashing allegations by Greenpeace Canada, an international environmental agency group, against Pathways Alliance, a coalition consisting of the six largest Canadian oil sands companies with a shared goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.<br><br>It is now October 2023. As a representative of the Bureau, you are tasked with assessing whether Pathways .....more

<p style = "color:rgb(197,183,131);"> <strong> AWARD WINNER - The Case Hub Case Writing Competition 2024 </strong> </p><br> The chief executive officer of Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma’aden) commented in 2022 that the company intended to become an ESG (environmental, social, and governance) role model and example for the world. Ma’aden was the largest multi-commodity and mining company in the Middle East .....more

In September 2022, the chief executive officer (CEO) and founder of Maximum Quality Equipment (Maximum), was trying to decide whether to invest in a joint venture company to operate a quarry that would extract and sell rock armour. The joint venture company, Island Development Corporation (IDC), had secured a 25-year mineral production sharing agreement with the Philippine government. IDC would purchase equipment and extract rock armour in Chiquita .....more

This case study explores the decision-making process for a firm considering entry into the low-carbon fuel production industry. We use a decision tree model to evaluate the alternatives to select the best alternative. It encompasses both quantitative analyses, including present value, net present value, and expected monetary value, and qualitative factors, such as supply management and location criteria impacting the decision. Students will learn .....more

In August 2020, Sterlite Copper, a mining company in India, was shut down for good by the Madras High Court following a lengthy legal battle with the local Indian community, who accused the mine of environmental pollution. This verdict was a blow for Anil Agarwal, the executive chairman of the mine’s parent company, Vedanta Resources Limited (VRL), because the mine’s closing not only caused serious economic losses but also damaged VRL’s reputation .....more

Vedanta Limited (VEDL), an Indian conglomerate, operated in natural resources business segments, including aluminum, power, steel, oil and gas, and base metals segments such as copper, zinc, lead, silver. In September 2023, the company’s market value was approximately half of its intrinsic value, as its individual business segments were estimated to be worth significantly more operating independently.<br><br>The chair of VEDL needed to .....more

In February 2019, D. K. Ram, the executive director of liquid petroleum gas at Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), read a newspaper headline in his office in Mumbai. The paper reported that two delivery boys had been killed while returning to a distributor of BPCL after delivering gas cylinders. Ram thought of the risks to the safety of delivery people who were transporting cash they had collected from customers. He wondered whether BPCL .....more

This case addresses managing critical mineral supply chains by focusing on cobalt used in lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries and the impact of mining operations in Central Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Minespider, a Berlin-based start-up, tackled these issues with a blockchain platform. Following blockchain’s evolution since Bitcoin in 2009 and Ethereum in 2015, Minespider developed the digital battery passport (DBP). .....more