BQCIS — Mining & MineralsIndependent verification from exploration to market settlement |
The mining and minerals sector underpins global industries — from early-stage geological exploration to refined commodities traded on international markets. Each phase carries technical, commercial, and regulatory risks that demand independent oversight. BQCIS provides impartial inspection, statistically representative sampling, accredited laboratory testing, and third-party certification to safeguard integrity, accelerate shipments, and protect stakeholder value.
Quick Navigation
- Why BQCIS
- Exploration Services
- Representative Sampling
- Laboratory & Metallurgical
- Production & Processing
- Inspection & Supervision
- Trade & Commercial
- EHS & Sustainability
- Certification & Auditing
- Logistics & Supply Chain
- Digital & Data
- Training & Consultancy
- Mine Closure
- Governance & Customs
- Social & ESG
- Tailings Facilities
- Carbon & Emissions
- Forensic & Legal
- Deliverables
Mining Operations — From exploration to shipment verification
Inspection Checklist
Why BQCIS in Mining
Impartial oversight, traceability, and arbitration defensibility. Our inspection and reporting methodologies reduce disputes, safeguard commercial value, and are recognized by regulators and exchanges worldwide. Read More →
Exploration Services
BQCIS provides impartial oversight throughout the mineral exploration phase, ensuring that sampling, testing, and reporting are conducted with the highest levels of integrity. Our inspectors safeguard transparency, reduce investor risk, and ensure compliance with ISO, ASTM, and international mining codes (JORC, NI 43-101, SAMREC).
What We Cover
- Geological Mapping & Survey Validation
- Independent verification of geophysical data & structural interpretation
- Sampling Program Oversight (soil, trench, drill core)
- Chain of Custody & Data Integrity assurance
- Drill Core Logging & Storage verification
- Laboratory Testing Supervision (XRF, ICP-MS, Fire Assay)
- Mineral Resource Estimation Support
- Environmental & Social Compliance verification
On-site inspection — Exploration verification
Exploration Checklist
Investor Assurance
Transparent reporting packages provide defensible, arbitration-ready results for financiers, regulators, and stakeholders. Read More →
Representative Sampling & Preparation
At the heart of reliable mineral trade is proper sampling. BQCIS ensures that every increment taken from stockpiles, barges, or conveyors reflects the true quality and composition of the lot. Sampling is not just a technical requirement — it is the single largest factor influencing accuracy in commercial settlements.
Our methods are aligned with ISO 12743 and ASTM standards, ensuring data integrity and defensibility. By eliminating bias at the source, we help protect both buyers and sellers from costly disputes.
- Stratified increments designed to represent full lot variability
- Sealed custody protocols to ensure tamper-proof handling
- Reduction & compositing via riffle splitters and rotary dividers
- Moisture determination with ASTM-validated methods (TML/FMP)
- Duplicate, umpire, and reserve splits for arbitration or recheck
With BQCIS oversight, every certificate issued is backed by traceable, defensible, and internationally recognized practices — protecting your cargo and financial exposure. Read More →
Samples prepared for independent inspection
Sampling Checklist
Arbitration Support
BQCIS ensures results are arbitration-ready, recognized under GAFTA and FOSFA frameworks. Read More →
Laboratory & Metallurgical Services
BQCIS offers independent laboratory services and on-site metallurgical testing, ensuring that analytical results are accurate, reproducible, and defensible. All tests follow ISO, ASTM, and internationally recognized standards for trade and settlement.
- Assaying: Fire Assay, ICP-OES/ICP-MS, AAS, XRF for gold, silver, PGMs, and base metals.
- Mineralogical Studies: XRD and SEM/EDS to characterize ore mineralogy.
- Physical Testing: Density, hardness, moisture, grindability (Bond Work Index).
- Metallurgical Testing: Flotation, leaching, hydrometallurgy, pyrometallurgy.
- Environmental Testing: Acid rock drainage (ARD) & metal leaching studies for EHS compliance.
Samples collected — Prepared for laboratory testing
Lab Services Checklist
QA/QC Validation
Laboratory results are delivered with full QA/QC validation, ensuring defensibility in trade, customs, and arbitration. Learn More →
Production & Processing Support
BQCIS provides impartial oversight and technical validation during the mineral production and processing stages, where operational efficiency and accurate reporting directly impact financial outcomes. We supervise metallurgical trials, validate blending procedures, and monitor process optimization to ensure compliance with international standards and contractual specifications.
Our approach reduces settlement disputes, protects commercial value, and ensures sustainable practices across water, energy, and waste management systems. Independent monitoring builds trust with financiers, regulators, and downstream buyers.
- Metallurgical Testing — flotation, leaching, hydrometallurgy, pyrometallurgy.
- Ore Sorting & Blending — validation of grade, moisture, and impurity targets.
- Process Optimization Studies — monitoring recoveries, yields, and penalties.
- On-Site Laboratory Setup — portable labs for rapid decision making.
- Sustainable Operations — oversight of energy, water, and waste efficiency.
Processing oversight — Monitoring beneficiation & recovery
Processing Checklist
Sustainability Assurance
Verification ensures production... Read More →
Inspection & Supervision Services
Independent supervision of mineral shipments ensures both quantity and quality compliance. BQCIS inspectors provide defensible verification from mine face to port loading, minimizing disputes and safeguarding stakeholder trust.
Stockpile supervision — Independent measurement and verification
Supervision Checklist
Dispute Prevention
Accurate, transparent supervision reduces disputes and accelerates settlements. Read More →
Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS)
The mining industry operates under strict EHS requirements. BQCIS provides independent verification of environmental, safety, and occupational health practices to ensure compliance and sustainability. Our audits include monitoring air, water, and soil quality, as well as worker safety protocols and community risk assessments. This impartial oversight supports transparency, reduces liability, and promotes long-term operational sustainability.
EHS verification — Safety and environmental oversight
EHS Checklist
Sustainability Assurance
Independent EHS oversight builds trust with regulators, communities, and financiers by demonstrating sustainable operations. Read More →
Trade & Commercial Services
BQCIS provides independent verification for mineral and metal trades, giving confidence to buyers, sellers, and financiers. Our oversight spans pre-shipment, loading, and discharge points to ensure fairness in every transaction. By applying internationally accepted sampling and assaying protocols, we deliver impartial results that all parties can trust.
BQCIS reports are aligned with GAFTA and FOSFA requirements. Our assurance packages accelerate customs clearance and strengthen market credibility, making BQCIS a trusted partner in global commodity settlement.
Independent trade oversight — Commercial verification in action
Trade Checklist
Commercial Confidence
Independent third-party oversight ensures fairness in settlement and mitigates risk for both buyers and sellers. Read More →
Certification & Auditing
BQCIS provides independent certification and auditing services to enhance credibility, ensure compliance, and reduce regulatory risks across mining operations. Our programs are benchmarked against global standards and widely recognized by regulators, financiers, and exchanges. Through impartial audits, we help mining companies demonstrate transparency, secure investor confidence, and achieve market acceptance.
On-site audit — Certification verification
Certification Checklist
Market Credibility
Certification improves trust with clients, regulators, and financiers by ensuring internationally accepted compliance. Read More →
Logistics & Supply Chain
We secure and monitor the mineral supply chain from mine to end-market. Independent chain-of-custody systems prevent tampering, smuggling, and misreporting while increasing trust with buyers, customs, and financiers. Our oversight frameworks ensure transparent tracking, defensible reporting, and international compliance.
- Cargo sealing & tamper-proof tagging with QR validation.
- GPS-enabled tracking of bulk shipments.
- Warehouse & terminal audits with photographic logs.
- Draft surveys at ports ensuring trade settlement fairness.
- Supply chain visibility aligned with EITI transparency standards.
Secure logistics — Tracking and audits
Logistics Checklist
Trade Settlement Integrity
Reliable logistics oversight ensures commercial fairness and strengthens confidence in bulk trade transactions. Read More →
Digital & Data Services
BQCIS integrates advanced digital platforms, AI, and secure data governance to enhance inspection operations.
- Data-Driven Intelligence: Real-time dashboards, analytics, and anomaly detection.
- Digital Trust: Cybersecurity, compliance audits, and continuous monitoring.
- Automation & AI: Automated reporting, AI document review, predictive insights.
- Transparent Collaboration: Client portals, blockchain-secured audit trails, and system interoperability.
- Innovation: IoT monitoring, AR-enabled inspections, and drone-assisted surveys.
Result: Faster, more reliable, and future-ready inspections with enhanced trust, transparency, and efficiency. Every inspection is backed by secure digital evidence, ensuring results are traceable, auditable, and arbitration-ready. BQCIS delivers not just inspection reports — but actionable digital intelligence for global trade and compliance.
Inspector uses a digital tablet to record equipment performance data during an underground mining inspection
Digital Checklist
Why It Matters
Digital platforms reduce errors, accelerate reporting, and build trust by ensuring every data point is secure and verifiable. Read More →
Training & Consultancy
BQCIS supports capacity building and provides expert advisory services to strengthen client operations across the mining lifecycle.
Our consultants and trainers ensure compliance, efficiency, and long-term sustainability in mining projects. Training programs are tailored to the technical, safety, and ESG requirements of global operations.
- Technical Training — sampling, assay techniques, QA/QC protocols.
- Exploration & Resource Management Consulting.
- Risk Assessment & Mitigation Strategies tailored for operations.
- Feasibility & Scoping Studies for project evaluation.
- Compliance Consulting — alignment with ISO, ESG, and financial reporting rules.
Rock examination — Hands-on technical training
Training Checklist
Capacity Building
Our training and consultancy services build long-term operational excellence, ensuring sustainability and compliance across global mining projects. Read More →
Resource Governance Transparency
Transparency in resource governance is critical to reducing corruption, strengthening accountability, and promoting sustainable development. BQCIS provides governments, civil society, and financiers with impartial verification tools that ensure revenue streams are properly tracked and publicly reported.
- EITI Compliance Audits — Verification of Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) reporting requirements.
- Revenue Tracking & Royalties — Independent validation of production data against royalty and tax records.
- Local Content Audits — Monitoring of local workforce participation and procurement compliance.
- Smuggling & Under-Reporting Investigations — Audit trails for illegal export prevention.
- Governance Verification Support — Assistance for governments and civil society groups in monitoring contracts and revenue flows.
Transparent reporting frameworks ensure equitable resource distribution and reduce investor risk. Read More →
Mineral samples — Governance and transparency verification
Governance Transparency Checklist
Why Transparency Matters
Transparent governance reduces corruption, ensures fair distribution of mining revenues, and improves investor confidence. Read More →
Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) Inspection
BQCIS provides impartial inspections of tailings storage facilities (TSF) to ensure geotechnical stability, environmental safety, and compliance with international mining standards. Our oversight minimizes risk of dam failures and enhances accountability to regulators, financiers, and local communities.
- Geotechnical Monitoring — Regular inspections for seepage, settlement, and slope stability.
- Drone & Satellite Audits — Remote sensing for surface changes and leakage detection.
- Seepage & Structural Integrity — Evaluation of containment systems for long-term safety.
- Environmental Sampling — Water and soil testing for heavy metals and acid drainage.
Our TSF inspections support compliance with the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM). Read More →
Mineral & mining samples — Used for TSF audit verification
TSF Checklist
Why TSF Audits Matter
Regular inspections prevent environmental disasters and ensure compliance with international standards. Read More →
Carbon & Emissions Audits
BQCIS supports the mining sector in measuring, reporting, and verifying carbon footprints and air quality emissions. Our services align with global climate frameworks, helping companies manage Scope 1–3 emissions and develop credible decarbonization strategies. Independent verification ensures defensibility of climate disclosures and improves stakeholder confidence.
- Emissions Monitoring — Dust, CO₂, SOx/NOx tracking through accredited testing.
- Carbon Footprint Assessment — Life-cycle emissions analysis for mining operations.
- Decarbonization Strategies — Pathways for meeting Paris Agreement and investor requirements.
- ESG Climate Reporting — Independent verification of corporate climate disclosures.
Verified carbon and emissions audits ensure transparency and access to sustainable financing. Read More →
Carbon audit — Emissions monitoring in mining
Carbon Audit Checklist
Climate Assurance
Independent emissions verification supports ESG credibility and global investor confidence. Read More →
Forensic & Legal Support
BQCIS provides independent forensic and legal support services for mining disputes, fraud detection, and arbitration. Our chain-of-custody processes and defensible reporting strengthen cases in arbitration, litigation, and regulatory hearings.
- Arbitration Evidence — Defensible laboratory and inspection reports for arbitration panels.
- Fraud Detection — Detection of falsified sampling, certificates, or weighbridge records.
- Chain-of-Custody Audits — Verified seals, custody logs, and digital records admissible in court.
- Legal Compliance Verification — Ensuring conformity with trade, export, and safety regulations.
Our impartial verification improves the credibility of legal proceedings and strengthens compliance with international arbitration frameworks. Read More →
Forensic audits — Evidence in arbitration & compliance
Forensic Checklist
Legal Confidence
Impartial forensic verification strengthens regulatory trust and arbitration outcomes. Read More →
Deliverables: Evidence Pack
Every BQCIS engagement delivers a transparent, defensible Evidence Pack designed to provide counterparties, banks, and regulators with full confidence in reported results.
- Sampling Plans & Maps — Lot identification, increment frequency, contamination controls.
- Composite & Reduction Records — Sealed split registries for buyer, seller, and umpire labs.
- Assay & Moisture Reports — With method statements, instrument IDs, QA/QC summaries.
- Draft Surveys & Weight Calculations — Correlated with weighbridge tickets & certificates.
- Photo & Seal Logs — Time-stamped, geo-tagged integrity records.
Evidence Packs are QR-secured, arbitration-ready, and compatible with client and bank systems. Read More →
Evidence Pack — Comprehensive mining verification
Deliverables Checklist
Why Evidence Packs Matter
Evidence Packs strengthen trade negotiations, accelerate financing approvals, and resolve disputes quickly. Read More →
Case Studies — Mining & Minerals
Independent verification by BQCIS has resolved complex disputes in metals and minerals trading. Our evidence packs, standardized protocols, and impartial assays ensure defensible outcomes in arbitration and commercial settlements.
- Copper Concentrate Moisture Disputes — KF triplicate testing reduced variance to below ±0.2%.
- Iron Ore Draft Surveys — Independent surveys reconciled ±0.5% weight variance.
- Lithium Blending Optimization — Real-time blending stabilized contract-grade lithium shipments.
Explore more documented results in our Mining Case Studies Library.
Sample-based case study evidence
Case Study Highlights
Stakeholder Confidence
Transparent results reduce disputes and build trust across buyers, sellers, and financiers. Read More →
Mine Closure & Rehabilitation
Mine closure is one of the most critical phases of the mining lifecycle, requiring long-term environmental stewardship, community engagement, and transparent accountability. Poorly managed closure can leave behind safety risks, legacy contamination, and unresolved disputes with regulators or financiers. BQCIS provides independent verification that closure plans and rehabilitation actions meet global benchmarks and deliver measurable, sustainable outcomes.
Our experts monitor landform stability, revegetation programs, and water quality baselines to ensure disturbed ecosystems are progressively restored. Independent audits verify that tailings dams are safely capped, waste rock dumps are stabilized, and post-closure liabilities are clearly documented for regulators and financiers. By providing defensible closure data, we reduce future litigation risks and safeguard the credibility of mining operators.
BQCIS also validates community transition programs, ensuring employment, infrastructure, and social benefits continue after mining ceases. Our impartial reports help operators demonstrate compliance with environmental permits, ESG frameworks, and investor requirements. Every closure verification is backed by auditable evidence packs, giving stakeholders confidence that operations have left a safe, sustainable legacy.
- Progressive rehabilitation monitoring of land and water systems.
- Independent verification of tailings capping and waste storage facilities.
- Community consultation and ESG compliance checks.
- Post-closure monitoring with documented audit trails.
- Alignment with ICMM Mine Closure Framework.
Mine closure — Environmental rehabilitation in progress
Closure Checklist
Why Closure Audits Matter
Closure verification ensures mines leave a safe and sustainable legacy for communities and the environment. Read More →
Governance & Customs Verification
BQCIS supports transparent customs verification and governance frameworks across mineral supply chains. Independent audits reduce smuggling risks, improve revenue collection, and build trust with regulators and financiers.
- Customs inspection support with QR-linked verification.
- Cross-border cargo audits aligned with international trade protocols.
- Revenue tracking matched with production and export data.
- Anti-smuggling investigations with photographic and GPS evidence packs.
Customs governance — Anti-smuggling oversight
Governance Checklist
Why Governance Matters
Transparent customs oversight prevents leakage, improves public trust, and supports fair trade. Read More →
Aligned With
Key Areas of Mining & Minerals Assurance
On-site Mine Inspection & Supervision
Sample Collection & Integrity Verification
Samples Prepared for Laboratory Assay
Environmental Monitoring & ESG Audits
Explore More Industries
Compliance & Standards References
- ISO Standards — HSSE, custody transfer & laboratory testing
- ASTM Methods — Sampling, calibration & verification protocols
- IMO Guidelines — Marine surveys & safety compliance
- NFPA Standards — Fire protection & emergency readiness
- BQCIS Digital Assurance Hub — Client dashboards & QR-secured reports
- BQCIS Client Portal — Report archives & KPIs
- Case Studies — Practical inspection examples