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Medium Profitability Capacity Expansion Merger & Acquisition

Digging for Gold

#Energy

Practice this intermediate profitability case interview question in the Energy sector. Includes detailed problem prompt, clarifying questions, structured framework, and expert recommendation. Part of ProHub's 835+ consulting case library.

ProHub Comment

This is a commodity market expansion case requiring analysis of supply curve dynamics, price impact, and NPV calculations. The candidate must recognize that increasing supply in a commodity market shifts the supply curve, reducing price for all producers, and calculate whether volume gains offset margin compression. The case tests quantitative ability, market structure understanding, and competitive strategy thinking.

Estimated Time 26 minutes
Difficulty Medium
Source Darden
10 / 100
Our client is an Australian mining company, whose main product is Gold, which it sells exclusively to China. This company is the largest producer in volume in the Chinese market with 200 tons sold each year. It is also the lowest cost producer at $1000 per ounce of production costs. We estimate the total Chinese demand for Gold today to be around 1500 tons per year. Our client has won a concession to mine a new site adjacent to its biggest mine, and increases production to 300 tons per year (i.e. 100 additional tons per year). Is this worth doing?

Clarifying Information

  1. Board typically approves projects with payback in less than 5 years. You can use payback with no discounting for your math
  2. Mine is adjacent to the original mine and has
  3. Consider that the market will remain flat at 1500 tons per year for the foreseeable future
  4. Prompt to wait until we dive into case ($750M)
  5. Prompt to wait until we dive into case (same, $1000/oz)
Mock Interview
Interviewer

Our client is an Australian mining company, whose main product is Gold, which it sells exclusively to China. This company is the largest producer in volume in the Chinese market with 200 tons sold each year. It is also the lowest cost producer at $1000 per ounce of production costs. We estimate the total Chinese demand for Gold today to be around 1500 tons per year. Our client has won a concession to mine a new site adjacent to its biggest mine, and increases production to 300 tons per year (i.e. 100 additional tons per year). Is this worth doing?

You

Thanks. Before analyzing, I'd like to clarify a few key questions...

Interviewer

Good question. Let me provide some background information...

You

Based on this, I suggest analyzing from these dimensions...

AI Score
Structure Analysis Communication Business Sense Quantitative
Practicing...
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Practice this case with AI Mock Interview

An Australian gold mining company plans to expand production from 200 to 300 tons annually by developing an adjacent mine. The key challenge is determining if the 100-ton capacity increase justifies the $600M investment when increased supply will push down the market price. Analysis shows a 5-year payback as price drops from $1,200 to $1,150 per ounce while volume increases 50%, generating additional $150M annual profit.

Key Insights:

  1. In commodity markets, price is set by the marginal (last) ton demanded; adding supply shifts the entire supply curve rightward, lowering equilibrium price
  2. Expansion viability requires calculating incremental profit (volume increase benefit minus price decrease cost) and comparing against upfront investment
  3. Competitive response is constrained by barriers to entry; competitor needs 75% capacity increase to trigger further price decline, limiting competitive threat
  4. Must convert between units correctly (oz/lb, lb/ton) and use undiscounted payback analysis per company criteria

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