Geomechanics.io

  • Free Tools
Sign UpLog In
Built byBoxcut Studio

Geomechanics.io

Geomechanics, Streamlined.

© 2026 Geomechanics.io. All rights reserved.

Geomechanics.io

CMRR-ioGEODB-ioHYDROGEO-ioQCDB-ioFree Tools & CalculatorsBlogLatest Industry News

Industries

MiningConstructionTunnelling

Company

Terms of UsePrivacy PolicyLinkedIn
    Projects
    Op-Ed
    Sustainability
    Safety

    Blind spots in the rush for critical minerals: key project risks for engineers

    May 16, 2026|

    Reviewed by Joe Ashwell

    Blind spots in the rush for critical minerals: key project risks for engineers

    First reported on MINING.com

    30 Second Briefing

    Nearly half of 72 recent mining projects missed delivery deadlines and about 62% of permitting delays were linked to environmental concerns or community opposition, with social conflict costing up to US$20 million per week in lost production. As Washington deploys more than US$30 billion in loans and strategic initiatives to rewire critical mineral supply chains, Andrew Bogrand of Oxfam argues that weak traceability, poor Indigenous engagement and attacks on human rights defenders are now core supply risks. He calls for binding use of IRMA and IFC Performance Standards, free, prior and informed consent, and full mine-to-market transparency.

    Technical Brief

    • Social licence is framed as an ongoing operational requirement, not a one-off permitting hurdle.
    • Free, prior and informed consent is singled out as essential where deposits overlap Indigenous lands.
    • Weak traceability and inconsistent reporting of attacks on human rights defenders are identified as explicit supply-chain risks.
    • Early-stage risk mapping, community engagement and long-term relationship building are proposed as core project design activities.

    Our Take

    The International Finance Corporation appears repeatedly in our database across critical minerals deals, including recent support for First Quantum’s Taca Taca copper project and Rio Tinto’s Rincon lithium brine project in Argentina, signalling that IFC performance standards are becoming a de facto benchmark for large-scale copper and lithium financing.

    With more than US$30 billion in US-backed loans and initiatives targeting critical minerals and energy infrastructure, the US and Canada entries in our coverage show a financing environment where projects that mishandle permitting and community issues risk being sidelined in favour of IFC-aligned assets in Latin America and Africa.

    The study’s estimate of up to US$20 million per week in lost production from social conflict is consistent with other safety- and sustainability-tagged pieces in our mining corpus, where community-related stoppages routinely erase the economic gains from accelerated permitting for copper and lithium projects.

    Geotechnical Software for Modern Teams

    Centralise site data, logs, and lab results with GEODB-io, CMRR-io, and HYDROGEO-io.

    No credit card required.

    • Save and export unlimited calculations
    • Advanced data visualisation
    • Generate professional PDF reports
    • Cloud storage for all your projects

    Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.

    Related Articles

    Expander pivot pins: reducing long-term maintenance costs for mine fleets
    Mining
    about 4 hours ago

    Expander pivot pins: reducing long-term maintenance costs for mine fleets

    Hidden costs from traditional pivot pin maintenance on haul trucks, forestry harvesters and excavators are driving interest in Expander System’s oversized pivot pins with tapered sleeves, according to Nord-Lock Group head of sales Robin Persson. The retrofit design allows installation in worn pivot eyes without line boring or welding, using conical sleeves to create full-surface contact and reduce clearance growth. For mine maintenance teams, this can cut repeated pin replacement shutdowns and lower life-cycle costs on high-load joints such as dump body hinges, loader booms and articulation points.

    Canadian Chrome Company First Nations committee: M&A risk notes for project teams
    Mining
    about 4 hours ago

    Canadian Chrome Company First Nations committee: M&A risk notes for project teams

    Canadian Chrome Company has formed a three-person First Nations steering committee, including former Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Okimaw-Hall and former Marten Falls Chief Lawrence Baxter, to advise on its Ring of Fire chromite, nickel, copper and platinum assets in Ontario’s James Bay Lowlands. The committee will provide Indigenous perspectives to prospective buyers or partners ahead of any sale or merger involving CCC’s 90% interest in the Koper Lake project and 30% in the Big Daddy project. Both projects remain at pre‑PFS stage, with no new economic analysis disclosed.

    Boron One Serbia PEA update: economics and design notes for mine planners
    Mining
    about 4 hours ago

    Boron One Serbia PEA update: economics and design notes for mine planners

    Boron One’s updated PEA for the Piskanja underground boron project in southern Serbia lifts the after-tax IRR to 89% and NPV (10% discount) to US$558.8 million, with unchanged initial capex of US$79.9 million and a sub‑one‑year payback, but shortens mine life to 13 years and trims average annual EBITDA to US$87.7 million. The plan now targets average yearly output of 157,600 tonnes of colemanite, 83,800 tonnes of ulexite and 25,000 tonnes of boric acid, at all‑in sustaining costs of US$231.44 per tonne. The revised study incorporates new geotechnical testing, a 3D resource model by borate type and a binding offtake for at least 25,000 tonnes of boron products per year, subject to permitting and plant qualification.

    Related Industries & Products

    Mining

    Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.

    Construction

    Quality control software for construction companies with material testing, batch tracking, and compliance management.

    CMRR-io

    Streamline coal mine roof stability assessments with our cloud-based CMRR software featuring automated calculations, multi-scenario analysis, and collaborative workflows.

    HYDROGEO-io

    Comprehensive hydrogeological testing platform for managing, analysing, and reporting on packer tests, lugeon values, and hydraulic conductivity assessments.

    GEODB-io

    Centralised geotechnical data management solution for storing, accessing, and analysing all your site investigation and material testing data.

    AllGeotechnicalInfrastructureHazardsEnvironmental