The licence looks valid. The geological report is promising. The local partner has photographs of trucks, crushers and a busy site. What the photographs do not show is that the licence was issued in breach of local rules, a neighbouring community disputes the boundaries, and the partner has sold the same stake to two other investors.
Mining combines high-value assets, remote locations, complex licensing and exposure to some of the world's most challenging jurisdictions. Our mining due diligence and mining investigation services help mining companies, commodity traders, refiners, investors and lenders understand who they are dealing with, what they are buying and where their minerals really come from. As an international investigation firm headquartered in Dubai and backed by the 30+ years of GREVESGROUP®, we investigate in more than 100 countries, including key mining regions across Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe.
Investigation Challenges in Mining
- Licence and title risk: permits obtained improperly, overlapping claims and disputed ownership
- Partner and promoter fraud: exaggerated assets, double-selling of stakes and hidden liabilities
- Corruption risk in licensing, export permits and relations with local officials
- Mineral supply chain risk: gold, cobalt, tin, tantalum and tungsten linked to conflict, illegal mining or forced labour
- Theft of ore, concentrate and finished product along the chain from pit to port
- Community and environmental disputes that threaten operations and reputation
- Sanctions exposure in trading, shipping and counterparties
Our Investigation Services for Mining
Due Diligence
Our mining partner due diligence investigates project sponsors, joint venture partners, promoters, contractors and offtakers: beneficial ownership, track record, litigation, political connections and reputation. For acquisitions and investments, we add mining licence verification support, checking the history of the licence, the holder and any competing claims with local sources, alongside your lawyers' legal review.
Corporate Investigation
When fraud or corruption is suspected, our corporate investigators examine improper payments, diversion of revenues, fake contractors, inflated costs and conflicts of interest at site or head office level.
Private Investigation
Our theft of ore investigations trace losses of ore, concentrate, gold and equipment through the chain from mine to smelter, refinery or port, identifying the people and buyers involved. Discreet field enquiries and lawful surveillance support these cases.
Background Check
We screen site managers, security heads, procurement staff and senior appointments, and verify the credentials of geologists, consultants and technical experts engaged on projects.
Claim Investigation
We support insurers and operators on equipment loss, cargo theft, political risk and property damage claims, verifying events on the ground in remote locations.
Brand Protection
Refiners, bullion brands and branded mineral products are counterfeited and impersonated. We investigate fake bars, forged assay certificates and misuse of refinery names.
IP Investigation
We investigate infringement of patented mining and processing technology and misuse of equipment brands in local markets.
Process Service
Disputes with partners, contractors and offtakers often move to arbitration or foreign courts. We serve documents internationally, including in countries where service is difficult, and trace parties who have moved.
Mineral Supply Chain and Responsible Sourcing Due Diligence
Buyers of minerals are expected to know where their material comes from. The OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas sets the standard, and regulations such as the EU Conflict Minerals Regulation, together with refinery accreditation schemes, apply it in practice. Our mineral supply chain due diligence and responsible sourcing due diligence investigate suppliers, aggregators, exporters and mine sites, checking ownership, origin claims, links to armed groups or illegal mining, and labour practices. For gold supply chain investigations, we verify the origin of doré and scrap, the intermediaries involved and the plausibility of declared volumes. Our findings support refiners, traders and manufacturers in meeting their due diligence obligations.
Working in Remote and High-Risk Areas
Many mining projects sit far from capitals, in areas with limited records and complex local politics. Desk research alone often gives a misleading picture. Our in-country investigators travel to project areas where it is safe and lawful to do so, speak with community sources, local officials and industry contacts, and verify on the ground whether a project is what it claims to be. We assess safety carefully and never put investigators or sources at unreasonable risk.
Community, Environmental and Reputational Risk
Many mining projects fail not because of geology but because of people. Disputes with local communities over land, water and jobs can halt operations, and allegations of environmental damage or abuses by security providers can follow a company and its investors for years. Before investing or buying material, clients use our investigators to understand how a project is viewed locally, whether there are outstanding disputes or grievances, and whether partners and contractors have a history of conflict. These insights help investors price risk and help operators engage early.
Organisations We Support
Mining companies and junior explorers, commodity traders, gold refiners and bullion dealers, manufacturers sourcing minerals, private equity and resource funds, banks and lenders financing mining projects, and the law firms advising them.
Typical Engagements
The scenarios below are illustrative examples of the kind of work we carry out in this sector.
Pre-investment check
A resource fund is offered a stake in a gold project. Our investigation finds the licence holder has sold overlapping interests to other investors and faces a court claim from former partners. The fund declines.
Gold supplier verification
A refiner receives material from a new exporter claiming artisanal origin in one country. Our enquiries show the exporter's volumes far exceed plausible local production, pointing to material from a high-risk neighbouring area.
Concentrate losses
A mine's concentrate shipments are consistently lighter on arrival at port. Investigation identifies a trucking subcontractor diverting product to an informal buyer.
Contractor corruption
Allegations suggest a site manager awarded haulage contracts to a relative's company. Investigation confirms the link and the inflated rates charged.
What You Receive
Clear reports with ownership and licence findings, supply chain maps, site and source findings, red flags, risk ratings and practical recommendations.
How We Work with Mining Clients
We work with investment, compliance, legal, security and procurement teams. Engagements range from single due diligence reports before a deal to ongoing supplier verification programmes for traders and refiners. Every engagement starts with a confidential briefing and an agreed scope, and field work is planned with safety and legality in mind.
Why Mining Companies Choose Risk Investigators
High-risk jurisdiction experience
Investigators who work in difficult markets with limited public records.
Ground truth
Field verification of sites, owners and supply chains.
Compliance-ready findings
Reports aligned to responsible sourcing and anti-corruption expectations.
Group experience
GREVESGROUP® has conducted investigations for more than 30 years.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does mining due diligence include?
Mining due diligence investigates the project sponsors, partners and licence holders, their ownership, track record, litigation, political links and reputation, and supports verification of licences and competing claims on the ground.
What is mineral supply chain due diligence?
It is the process of verifying where minerals come from and who handles them, to identify risks such as conflict financing, illegal mining, forced labour and corruption, in line with the OECD guidance.
Can you verify the origin of gold?
We investigate the exporters, aggregators and sources behind gold supply, check whether declared origins and volumes are plausible, and identify links to high-risk areas.
Can you check whether a mining licence is valid?
We support your lawyers by investigating the licence history, the holder and any competing claims or disputes through records and local enquiries. Legal opinions on validity come from your counsel.
Do you investigate theft of ore and concentrate?
Yes. We trace losses through the chain from mine to port, identifying the people, transporters and buyers involved.
Do you work in conflict-affected areas?
We conduct compliance-focused investigations in high-risk areas where it is safe and lawful to do so, with careful risk assessment for investigators and sources.
Can you screen commodity traders and offtakers?
Yes. We investigate traders and offtakers for ownership, sanctions exposure, litigation, reputation and links to high-risk supply chains.
Can you assess community disputes around a mining project?
Yes. Our investigators speak with local sources and review records to identify land disputes, grievances and conflicts that could affect operations or investment.