Arquivos MINING - Core Case

Critical minerals: before the mine, the race runs through data

With US$21.3 billion in investments planned through 2030 and a new national policy for the sector, Brazil is stepping up the race for lithium, copper, nickel, graphite, niobium and rare earths. But turning geological potential into a mining project requires something less visible: preserving the identity, integrity and traceability of the information produced by drilling. That is where sample control technologies, such as Smart Case, are gaining ground in mineral exploration.

In September 2026, when Brazil established its National Policy on Critical and Strategic Minerals, a word rarely associated with the traditional image of mining appeared several times in the new framework: traceability.

Law 15,506 calls for the creation of a system capable of tracking the critical minerals chain, recording transactions and the agents involved, and keeping auditable information on origin, composition and destination. Identification mechanisms must be secure, verifiable and technologically capable of preserving data integrity. Regulations have yet to define how this will work in practice.

The law looks at the mineral’s production chain. However, long before a ton of lithium, copper or rare earth concentrate needs to be traced, there is another object whose identity must be preserved: the sample that proves these minerals exist in a given area.

At this stage, new discussions are emerging around the modernization of core sheds, which are becoming essential to the technological development of mining.

Brazil has reasons to pay attention to the topic. The Brazilian Mining Institute (IBRAM) estimates US$76.9 billion in investments in the sector between 2026 and 2030. Of that total, US$21.3 billion is tied to the group IBRAM classifies as critical minerals, including copper, nickel, rare earths, graphite, lithium, niobium and zinc. Copper projects alone account for US$8.6 billion; nickel, US$4.7 billion; rare earths, US$2.4 billion; and lithium, about US$1.2 billion.

This interest is backed by a significant mineral base. USGS data show that Brazil accounted for approximately 93% of global niobium production in 2024, was the sixth-largest lithium producer, and ranked among the leading producers of graphite and nickel.

None of these positions diminishes the importance of drilling, the essential procedure for investigating the subsurface through the extraction and analysis of samples that identify and qualify mineral deposits.

The critical mineral starts as information

In mineral exploration, a diamond drill cuts through rock and recovers continuous cylinders: the drill cores. They allow the geologist to observe lithology, alteration, structures, mineralization and other features that, combined with laboratory analyses, feed geological models and future resource estimates.

The economic result may only appear years later. The information starts in that cylinder of rock.

That is why the problem is not just pulling a sample out of the ground. It is preserving the link between which rock was taken, from which hole, at what depth, how it was handled, which part went for analysis and which part remained in storage.

The main international mineral reporting systems address this issue explicitly. The JORC Code includes among its criteria sample security, audits and reviews of sampling techniques, and mechanisms to prevent transcription or keying errors from compromising the database used in resource estimation.

In the Canadian system, NI 43-101F1 sets aside specific items for sample preparation, analysis and security, as well as data verification. The Canadian Institute of Mining’s best practice guidelines go further and recommend that the chain of custody of samples be established and recorded.

This changes the way we look at a core library. It is not simply a warehouse of boxes holding old rocks. It is a physical archive of a project’s geology, one that is also being digitized.

“Considering that the main asset of these exploration projects is drilling, and considering that investors want some degree of reliability and certainty that there is, in fact, ore there before they commit capital, we start from the premise that your set of drill holes and cores is the greatest asset of these projects. And if we are saying the core is all that, why do we sometimes neglect the way we store it? Smart Case is an evolution of the box, and that is where we come in, precisely to address this pain point: the lack of reliability in how the collection is stored, where the cores are and how to prove the steps that were taken. It is a core logistics management software — not a geological database — where we store and manage when the hole was drilled, where it was delivered, the backlog, the team’s activities and final storage. A project where everything is well stored, with digital and reliable information, will add value when seeking investment or selling the asset. Without this management, the investor cannot audit, which greatly increases the project’s risk or may even require re-drilling at an extremely high cost.” – Marcéu Barreto, geologist, MBA in Project Management and Technology Projects Manager at Core Case, explains the role of this technological transformation and the value of the geological collection for the market.

When each box gets an identity

Core Case started in 2010 manufacturing core boxes for drill samples. The most technologically interesting step in its trajectory came when the container stopped being treated merely as a storage object and began to carry a digital identity as well.

With Smart Case, according to the manufacturer, each box can leave the factory with a unique QR Code and RFID tag. These identifiers are linked to Manager, Core Case’s software that records information on drill holes, cores, inventory, consumption, movements and core shed activities. The system runs in the cloud and can be accessed via web and mobile app.

The difference seems small until you picture an exploration campaign with tens of thousands of meters drilled and thousands of boxes moved between the drill pad, the logging shed, the cutting/sampling area, storage and the historical archive.

In the conventional process, part of this information may depend on handwritten numbers, labels, spreadsheets and successive transcriptions. Every human intervention adds a chance of error: a swapped box, a mistyped ID, an interval linked to the wrong record, or simply a sample that takes a long time to locate years later.

The logic behind Smart Case is to create a persistent association between the physical container and its electronic record.

The QR Code makes it possible to access the box’s individual identity visually. RFID adds radio-frequency identification. Manager organizes the information layer linked to these identifiers. Rather than thinking of it simply as “a box with a chip”, then, the relevant concept is the connection between object, identity and database.

The solution aligns with a broader trend in mining: digitizing stages that remained analog even after the adoption of 3D modeling, remote sensing, geological databases and increasingly sophisticated software.

Technology does not turn bad data into good data

This advance calls for an important distinction.

Core Case states that Smart Case strengthens QA/QC practices and supports requirements related to NI 43-101 and JORC. “Supports” is the right verb.

None of these reporting systems requires RFID, QR Codes or any particular box. Nor do they certify validation mechanisms as “JORC compliant” or “NI 43-101 compliant”.

Electronic identification does not fix poorly planned drilling. It does not make an unrepresentative sample representative. It does not automatically detect a core recovery problem, it does not replace standards, blanks and duplicates in the lab, and it does not interpret the geology.

What it can do is strengthen another component of the process: documenting identity and movement, reducing certain manual transcriptions, and making the connection between a physical sample and its associated information more structured.

This boundary matters because it allows the technology to be assessed for what it actually delivers.

CIM guidelines state that the chain of custody of samples must be established and recorded. JORC asks how sample security is ensured and how transcription errors are prevented from corrupting the data. The Canadian form requires the Qualified Person (QP) to assess the adequacy of security, preparation and verification procedures. A digital identification system can help answer part of these questions – but responsibility still lies with the technical process and the professionals who carry it out.

Why this matters even more for critical minerals

The growth of critical minerals adds scale to the challenge.

A new generation of projects is being evaluated in Brazil precisely as investors, governments and consuming industries pay closer attention to origin, security of supply, processing, environmental and social criteria, and the reliability of supply chains.

Law 15,506 reflects part of this movement. Article 44 establishes that the future Brazilian system must record transactions, allow information to be audited and use secure identification mechanisms. It also allows for technological solutions to ensure data integrity, traceability and tamper-proofing.

It would be incorrect to say that this provision applies to Smart Case. The traceability created by the law is aimed at the critical minerals production chain, while Core Case’s technology operates at an earlier stage, related to drill cores and drilling information.

The overlap reveals a broader transformation. Across different parts of mining, there is a growing demand to know what a material is, where it came from, where it has been and what information is associated with it.

For the mineral product, this becomes a regulatory and commercial requirement. In exploration, it shows up as sample security, chain of custody and data integrity. The technological logic is similar, even when the systems are different.

The box as data infrastructure

Core Case did not start as a software company. It started by manufacturing the box that holds the rock, injection-molded from recycled plastic. By adding RFID, QR Codes and a management platform, it began operating at the boundary between industrial product and information infrastructure.

The move is representative of a broader shift among mining suppliers. Equipment is no longer evaluated solely by its mechanical function and is now expected to generate, carry or organize data.

A drill rig produces performance data. Process equipment is fitted with sensors. Fleets are monitored in real time. Stockpiles, tailings dams and slopes are tracked remotely. Digitizing the core box brings the core shed into this same process.

This does not mean every operation needs to adopt RFID, or that Smart Case is the only way to organize a core library. Nor is there, in the public sources consulted, any independent study quantifying how much the system reduces errors or increases productivity in a real mining operation.

This gap prevents commercial benefits from being translated into substantiated results.

But it does not eliminate the technological question the product raises: in an industry that will invest billions of dollars in new deposits, does it still make sense to let a long-lived geological asset depend on predominantly manual identification and handling processes?

The race begins before the mine

The discussion on critical minerals usually ends with reserves, production, refining, batteries, permanent magnets and geopolitics. These are the points of greatest economic visibility.

Mining, however, begins much earlier.

It begins when a company decides where to drill. It continues when the rig recovers the rock, when the geologist logs the core, when part of it goes to the lab and when the results are incorporated into the database. It is from this sequence that the information used to determine whether there is a mineral resource capable of sustaining a venture is born. Smart Case occupies one part of this system, and its emergence is telling.

By giving a core box a digital identity, Core Case brings technology to a stage that for decades was treated essentially as physical storage. It does not make the deposit bigger, it does not improve the grade and it does not guarantee financing. It makes it possible to organize, in a different way, the relationship between the rock and the information that describes its history.

Before a critical mineral becomes a resource, a reserve, a concentrate or a strategic product, it must become reliable geological data. And in an increasingly digital mining industry, even the box where that evidence is stored is becoming part of the technology.

Article originally published by The Mining portal. R ead it here.

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Paddling to the Los Angeles Paralympic Games: How Flavio Reitz Built a Successful Career in Paracanoeing

With gold at the Brazilian Championship and 3rd place in the world rankings, the athlete sponsored by Core Case shows that results in the water are the product of a heavy training routine and discipline.

*Flavio Reitz in Lagoa Santa. (Photo: Reproduction/Canoagem Brasileira).*

In September, Flavio Reitz crossed the finish line of the KL2 200m category in Lagoa Santa (MG) with a time of 40s69, securing another Brazilian title for his record. But for those who only see the medal on the podium, the journey there involved a lot of hard work and dedication.

Just one week before paddling in Minas Gerais, Flavio competed at the World Championships in Poland (where he placed 4th). In the same cycle, he brought home silver from the World Cup in Montreal, Canada. This streak of results placed the Itajaí native in 3rd position in the International Canoe Federation (ICF) world rankings with 3,710 points, a decisive step in the race for a spot at the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.

The 2026 Brazilian Sprint Canoe and Paracanoe Championship was held in Lagoa Santa (MG) between September 3 and 6, bringing together over 500 athletes from across the country. (Photo: Reproduction/Canoagem Brasileira).

The Routine Behind the 40 Seconds

Those who follow the trips with the Brazilian National Team on social media can hardly imagine the daily training load. Flavio makes a point of managing expectations:

*Athletes at the 2026 Brazilian Sprint Canoe and Paracanoe Championship (Photo: Reproduction/Canoagem Brasileira).*

“We end up showing a certain glamour on social media with travel, the Brazilian national team, national and international competitions, but in daily life, it’s a completely different story. It’s a daily routine for most of the year, Monday to Friday, and during some periods on Saturdays as well. We go out on the water to paddle every morning. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons are reserved for strength training in the gym. During some periods, on Tuesday afternoons, I also paddle to complement and add a bit more volume. On Thursday afternoons, there is swimming to complement cardio. The interval between workouts is meant for resting so I can perform well in the next session.”

Cool Mind Under Pressure

*Reitz wrapped up his participation in the championship on a high note in the KL2 200m category, setting a time of 40s69. (Photo: Reproduction/Canoagem Brasileira).*

In a 200-meter race that lasts about 40 seconds, any mistake at the start costs you the race.

“I won’t say there’s no nervousness or butterflies in the stomach, but we learn to master and turn that adrenaline and anxiety into something positive so we don’t start feeling sluggish or sleepy and miss the timing. The race is extremely fast, so any error can be critical between fighting for a medal or finishing in the back of the pack. Being alert, focused, aware of your capabilities, and executing in the race what you trained for is the key, always seeking your best performance.”

From High Jump to Paracanoeing

Flavio competed in three Paralympic Games in the high jump before switching to paracanoeing. Changing disciplines meant re-educating his body and changing his training mindset.

“After 12 years practicing track and field, specifically the high jump, making a transition like that demands resilience and persistence. Especially regarding the body parts used in the process: before, I used mainly my legs; today, I use mainly my arms and torso. So this shift required special attention.”

*Flavio Reitz competed track and field for 12 years before switching to canoeing. (Photo: Reproduction/Brazilian Paralympic Committee)*

“We end up realizing that canoeing has a different physical and psychological strain. The moment you are in contact with nature, you don’t control it; it controls you, and you are forced to adapt to the wind, currents, waves, and debris in the water. Unlike track and field, where the surface is always the same and at most wet from rain, in canoeing, the wind and water level end up interfering. Understanding that we are in a different environment was, I believe, the main point for us to evolve physically and mentally.”

Focus on Los Angeles 2028

Aiming for his fourth Paralympic appearance, Flavio and his coaching staff are focusing their planning on the international qualification cycle, which runs through May 2028.

*Paracanoe World Cup at the Olympic course in Montreal. (Photo: Reproduction/Canoagem Brasileira).*

“The 2027 competitions (World Championship, World Cups, and Pan American Games) add crucial points. The top 10 in the rankings secure the country’s slot for the Games. The goal is to meet the criteria and make the final list to represent Brazil in Los Angeles.”

Support from Core Case

To dedicate himself exclusively to his training routine and top-tier equipment, Flavio highlights the importance of sponsorship from brands like Core Case.

*Flavio Reitz with Edson Onofri and Pedro Onofri in Lagoa Santa. (Photo: Reproduction/Core Case).*

“Being supported by a company of Core Case’s stature means, first and foremost, recognition of my journey, overcoming my amputation, and being a high-performance athlete capable of representing the country in major competitions. This kind of support from private companies—companies that also value the sporting and social aspects—is of paramount importance. It gives us a foundation so we can focus solely on training; the background, the structure for nutrition, supplementation, uniforms, and equipment are all backed by companies like Core Case”.

*Behind the scenes at the tournament in Lagoa Santa. (Photo: Reproduction/Core Case).*

The partnership reinforces Core Case’s commitment to promoting transformative initiatives that connect innovation and perseverance.

ESG from the beginning.

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Core storage: same goal, a more efficient way

Storing drill core requires more than simply finding enough space.

With traditional wooden core boxes, many operations also need racks, structures, covers, additional materials and labour to keep samples organized and protected over time. Storage can quickly become more than a single step. It can require an entire infrastructure around it.

With Core Case, the approach can be simpler and more flexible.

Trays can arrive stacked on pallets, be placed in a prepared area and protected according to site conditions, without requiring the same level of permanent infrastructure.

This reduces steps, simplifies deployment and allows the storage system to adapt more easily to the needs of each project.

Every additional structure means more time, more resources and more maintenance.

Beyond the initial investment, teams also need to build, organize, protect and maintain those structures, especially in operations exposed to cold, snow, rain or changing field conditions.

The more complex the system, the more steps the operation needs to absorb.

The goal remains the same: keep drill core safe, organized and protected.

The difference lies in how much time, infrastructure and effort are required to get there.

Less structure. Fewer steps. More flexibility for the operation.

Same goal. A better way.

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See how Core Case brings more efficiency to core storage.

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From case to data: how traceability is changing sample management in mining

For a long time, drill core storage was mainly a conversation about space, organization and physical preservation.

Those elements are still essential.

But increasingly data-driven mining operations have added another layer to the discussion.

Today, it is not enough to know that a sample has been stored.

Operations may also need to know where it is, how it has moved and what information is connected to it.

As projects grow, so can the number of samples, cases, records and movements that need to be managed.

In that environment, better-organized information can support sample location, inventory and tracking.

Technology does not replace field work.

It gives the operation greater visibility into it.

Today, it is not enough to know that a sample has been stored. Operations may also need to know where it is, how it has moved and what information is connected to it.

QR Codes and RFID allow a physical core box to be connected to digital information.

At Core Case, that concept is part of Smart Case, which can be integrated with Manager, the company’s software for tracking and managing drilling samples throughout the operation.

This means storage no longer needs to exist in isolation.

It can become part of a broader flow of information.

Why does traceability matter?

A drill core sample may remain valuable for many years.

New analyses may be performed.

New questions may emerge.

And existing information may gain new relevance.

That is why protecting the physical sample and keeping its data organized are two parts of the same mission.

The case protects the sample.

Traceability helps protect the story behind it.

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Aligned core boxes – secure core samples.

This type of stacking can compromise safety in the core shack, hinder movement, and occupy far more space than necessary. Moreover, the uneven pressure on the bottom cases drastically reduces their lifespan, directly impacting the preservation of stored drill core samples.

Core Case boxes are engineered to eliminate all of these problems.

With perfect alignment, they interlock precisely to form a stable and secure structure. This stability enables large-volume storage with improved ergonomics and safety, optimizing physical space and reducing operational risks.

The lightweight materials, combined with the durability of the components, make handling easier without compromising strength.

The difference is striking when you look at a neatly organized stockpile of Core Case boxes. The alignment reflects professionalism, control, and care for the stored material. But the benefit goes far beyond appearance. Every detail of the design is built to protect core samples over time, avoiding deformation, minimizing wear, and preserving the integrity of geological data.

Choosing Core Case is an investment in the longevity of your projects.

No one takes care of your cores like Core Case.

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ISO 14001 at Core Case: 16 years of practice, now with international certification

The achievement came on May 17, 2026, the first day of the XII SIMEXMIN, in Ouro Preto.

When Core Case was founded in 2010, choosing recycled polypropylene over wood was already a public decision. For sixteen years, that choice has guided every box manufactured, every partnership, and every square centimeter of the operation. On May 17, 2026, the first day of the XII SIMEXMIN in Ouro Preto, that commitment earned formal recognition from one of the most respected certifications in the world for environmental management: ISO 14001.

What ISO 14001 is

ISO 14001 is the international standard that defines the requirements for an Environmental Management System. Published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and updated in 2015, it is the global benchmark for systematized environmental management. The standard requires an organization to identify its environmental impacts, plan concrete actions to reduce them, monitor the results, and continuously improve the process.

Rather than a one-time certificate, ISO 14001 attests to a living, auditable, and demanding system, with accountability from leadership and the entire value chain held to the same criteria. It is widely required across supply chains in sectors such as mining, energy, heavy industry, and infrastructure.

Why the certification matters for Core Case

For Core Case, ISO 14001 was not a starting point. It was the recognition of a journey. The certification confirms, under internationally recognized external audit, that the brand’s way of operating, built since 2010, meets the most demanding environmental management requirements in the world.

In practice, ISO 14001 brings even more structure to how that environmental commitment translates into every process of the company: from manufacturing to transport, from supplier selection to partnerships with mining companies. Every stage now falls under a system of continuous measurement, with targets, indicators, and periodic audits.

And it positions Core Case as part of the transformation the global mining industry is living today: the transition toward an industry that does not simply extract, but extracts responsibly.

Why the certification matters for Core Case clients

When a mining company chooses Core Case as a supplier of core storage solutions, it gains a link in the chain that holds the same international standard the company itself must meet.

This makes environmental compliance easier in tenders and contracts, strengthens the mining company’s own ESG reporting, meets audit requirements from stakeholders and investors, and reduces reputational risk across the supply chain. In a sector where every link in the chain counts toward the final client’s sustainability report, having an ISO 14001 supplier is an operational and financial advantage.

And it signals something important to everyone in the field: the box carrying the core sample was produced under a management system that respects the same planet its operation explores.

ESG from the beginning. Now, certified.

ISO 14001 is not the end. It is the recognition of a sixteen-year journey and the starting point for the next stage. Core Case continues developing materials, expanding international partnerships, and investing in technologies such as the Smart Case, with RFID traceability. Always within the same principle that has driven the brand since 2010: a product that respects those in the field and respects the place the operation extracts from.

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PDAC 2026: When Nostalgia Meets the Future of Mining in Toronto

PDAC 2026 welcomed 32,155 participants from around the world, marking the highest participation in the event’s history. Amidst this record-breaking global audience, Core Case established its presence with two strategic booths, capturing the attention of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) with a presence that combined digital technology, nostalgia, and rugged engineering.

Check out the details of our journey across the two pavilions:

North Building: The “BACK TO THE CORE” Phenomenon and Connection to the Future.

In the North Building, nostalgia took centre stage in our BACK TO THE CORE campaign. The iconic DeLorean DMC-12 attracted visitors of all ages and nationalities, drawn by memories of an era that envisioned the future. The car served as more than an exhibit—it became a bridge connecting geologists, executives, and students to Core Case’s mission.

This emotional connection opened the door to meaningful conversations about the technological reality that Core Case already delivers today. We demonstrated how Smart Case transforms drill core sample storage into an intelligent, digital process. With integrated QR Code and RFID technology, our core boxes enable total control from extraction through to the core library, eliminating manual errors, ensuring data security, and guaranteeing full traceability. Manufactured from 100% recycled plastic, these solutions prove that operational efficiency and ESG commitment are inseparable realities in modern mining.

The video connects with Back to the Future, telling the story of a boy who watched his father work tirelessly with Wooden Core Boxes near the drilling site. Inspired by what he saw every day, he imagined stepping into the car of the future to transform drill core sample storage forever. That vision became reality: he became a geologist and brought the world’s most advanced and sustainable core box solution to life.

South Building: ABITIBI Series — Raw Power for Real Field Challenges

While the North Building vibrated with nostalgia and digital innovation, our booth in the South Building commanded respect with the raw engineering of the ABITIBI Series. If the North Building represented connection, the South emphasized durability and resistance for the planet’s most extreme drilling operations.

We presented the ABITIBI Series — named in tribute to Canada’s Abitibi Greenstone Belt — as our definitive answer for those operating in inhospitable environments. Engineered for unwavering robustness, it withstands thermal variations from -40°C* to +50°C, guaranteeing the integrity of drill core samples where wood fails. The ABITIBI surpasses traditional Wooden Core Boxes with technical superiority, which suffer from moisture and accelerated degradation in severe climates. Even with its focus on extreme resistance, the ABITIBI maintains Core Case’s technological DNA, remaining fully compatible with the Smart Case system to ensure that physical durability is matched by full traceability.

About SMART CASE

Both spaces showcased the Smart Case GII: in the South with the ABITIBI Series — Core Case’s most resistant core box — and in the North with the GII Smart Case. All Core Case core boxes can be upgraded into a Smart Case, delivering full drill core sample traceability.

Core Case’s Legacy at PDAC 2026

Our participation in Toronto demonstrated that the future of mining demands solutions that are both intelligent and resilient. Whether through emotional and digital connection in the North Building or by overcoming geographical limits with ABITIBI in the South Building, Core Case continues to lead the sector’s transformation with technology, durability, and ergonomics.

Driven by the dedication and technical expertise of our team, Core Case achieved success at PDAC 2026. Partners and visitors from around the globe were welcomed. In the North Building, Vanessa, Marcéu, and Eduardo led the BACK TO THE CORE experience.

In the South Building, Adriano Schwab and Kevin Palmer led demonstrations of the ABITIBI Series, detailing the technical performance of the Generation II line in the harshest environments.

The operation was guided by the strategic leadership of Core Case founders, Flávio and Daniel, who moved between both halls, reinforcing the executive team’s commitment to innovation and direct engagement with the global market.

We thank each of them for sharing their expertise and for excellently representing the Core Case mission in Toronto.

We appreciate all partners and visitors who made our booths among the most talked-about highlights of the event. The future of drill core sample storage is here and it delivers real advantages for geologists across the industry.

*Note: We expose our trays to temperatures from -40ºC* to +50ºC for 24 hours. –40°C performance validation program in progress.

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Core box lids: the 1:15 ratio (up to 15x fewer lids) that simplifies drill core logistics

In Canada, many drilling operations still rely on wooden core boxes to store and ship drill core samples. That setup carries an often-overlooked cost driver: the lid. In the traditional model, crews typically work with a strict rule—one box requires one lid to keep ground and air transport secure. In other words, a 1:1 ratio. The outcome stays simple and expensive: as your box count grows, your lid count grows with it. You buy more lids, you store more lids, you handle more lids, and you ship more lids. Lids take up space, add weight, and increase operational complexity.

The issue isn’t “having a lid.” The issue is how the industry has gotten used to using the lid: in practice, it ends up behaving like a “second core box” inside the logistics flow. In Canada, wooden core boxes make this especially clear. To keep ground and air transport secure, many operations work with a strict 1:1 ratio — one lid per box — and that “lid” often functions like another box, which doubles shipped volume and the number of items teams must manage. To keep everything closed in transit, a common workaround is using a strap. It holds, but it adds steps, increases handling, and doesn’t always improve the experience once the box reaches inspection. In the end, what should be a direct process — close, ship, open, and analyze — becomes a sequence of adjustments, strapping, checks, and rework. And the critical point remains the same: teams need to remove the lid easily when they analyze samples later in the warehouse, without relying on improvised fixes that slow the workflow. As a result, the lid stops being simple protection and becomes a second inventory item, increasing material needs and storage footprint. In volume-driven operations — especially across long distances — that creates a compounding effect: more lids mean more shipped volume, more idle space, and more handling.

Core Case changes the logic by keeping the lid in its proper role: a cover—never a box. That approach lets you operate with a smarter standard: one lid for every 15 boxes. When you move from 1:1 to 1:15, you use up to 15x fewer lids for the same number of boxes. In percentage terms, that shift cuts lid requirements by about 93.33% (because 1 − (1/15) = 14/15 ≈ 0,9333 = 93,33%), when your operation can apply that ratio.

Even if you keep the same number of boxes, you eliminate the “extra” built into the system: lid volume drops sharply. That’s where efficiency becomes tangible. You coordinate fewer items, you take up less space, and you reduce handling across the workflow. In the end, you reduce steps, save time, and lower the chance of process failures—without changing what truly matters in the field: protecting the drill core samples, maintaining organization, and preserving transport integrity.

Every operation has its own math—routes, shipping frequency, how many boxes stay in rotation, the flow between field and base, and internal storage standards. That’s why you get the best outcome when you treat the ratio as a logistics design lever, not a generic number. can help you model your operation with real inputs, define how many lids you actually need, and quantify the impact on volume, complexity, and cost when you move away from the traditional model.

Want us to calculate this for your operation? Contact Core Case.

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2026: Forests or Wooden Core Boxes?

This image hurts, and it needs to hurt.

On one side, life pulsates. A complete ecosystem, with trees that took decades to grow, serving as home to countless species. On the other side, the cold and silent result of a choice: piles of wood and an emptiness where a forest once stood.

When we talk about replacing Wooden Core Boxes with sustainable solutions, we are not talking about a “green marketing gimmick” or a passing trend. We are talking about the image above. About trees on the ground, animals without habitat, and the burden of an industry that, in the middle of 2025, still treats forests as disposable raw material.

Drilling mining, by its nature, already carries an immense environmental liability. It is an impactful activity, and everyone in the sector knows it. That is precisely why the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) agenda has become a pillar of survival, reputation, and long-term viability.

So, how can we justify investing millions in impact mitigation technologies and sustainability reports while continuing to use the most archaic and destructive method for a task as fundamental as storing drill core samples? Continuing to use Wooden Core Boxes in 2026 is deliberately choosing to maintain a problem that already has a superior, more innovative, and, above all, more responsible solution.

It is closing your eyes to the image that hurts.

The future (present) of storage is recycled, resistant, and smart.

The answer to this dilemma is not a distant promise. It already exists and is transforming the operation of companies that have decided to look to the future.

Core Case was born out of unease: it was unacceptable that the Drilling mining industry, so focused on data and geology, depended on a fragile material, susceptible to pests and humidity, and which, in essence, represents the destruction of biomes.

Our core boxes are produced with 100% recycled polypropylene (PP). This means that:

No new trees are cut down. We reuse materials already in the production cycle, reducing pressure on natural resources.
Durability is incomparable. Our core boxes resist humidity, temperature variations, and impacts, protecting the drill core samples, the most valuable asset of the Drilling mining, for much longer.
Operational efficiency increases. They are lighter, easier to handle, and safely stackable, optimizing space and logistics.

In 2025 alone, the adoption of Core Case solutions prevented the equivalent of 16,000 trees from being cut down. Think about it, these are hectares of forest that remain standing, harbouring life, because companies decided to evolve.

The choice is yours, and the future is watching.

If your operation still uses Wooden Core Boxes, the question that remains is, as painful as it is, simple: Does it make sense to cut down a forest to store rock fragments?

In an era when every corporate decision is meticulously analyzed by investors, clients, and society, continuing to use Wooden Core Boxes is a stain on ESG credibility. It is pretending that a critical part of the problem, that of your own operation, does not exist.

2026 is just around the corner and represents a new cycle of goals, demands, and responsibilities.

The final question is not whether your company will stop using Wooden Core Boxes, but when it will. And if the answer is not “now,” you will be consciously choosing the side of destruction in the image that hurts so much.

Core Case is ready to move your company to the side of the standing forest. Please speak with one of our specialists and lead the transformation.

2026: Forests or Wooden Core Boxes? Read More »

A 290-Million-Year-Old Footprint

Along the shores of Hillsborough Bay in Prince Edward Island (PEI), a footprint broke the silence of the rocks. Not just any footprint, but a trace left roughly 290 million years ago by an ancient inhabitant of the planet. The fossil, measuring about 25 centimetres across, was discovered by Patrick Brunet, a resident and self-taught researcher, and it drew immediate attention from scientists around the world.

Specialists believe the track may have been left by a pareiasaur, an enormous prehistoric herbivore that lived when all continents formed the supercontinent Pangaea. Formal confirmation is still underway, led by an international team that is studying the footprint’s morphology and the rock’s composition in detail.

At that time, PEI’s landscapes were very different from what we see today. Broad flooded plains, seasonal rivers, and a hot, humid climate favoured the accumulation of sediments that, over time, became the reddish rocks that now define the Island. These formations from the Permian Period make Prince Edward Island one of Canada’s most important sites for studying the transition from aquatic to terrestrial life. Each new find reinforces the region’s scientific value, rivalling classic fossil localities in the southwestern United States and in Europe.

For Core Case, which operates a facility in Summerside (PEI), it is a privilege to be in a region that preserves so much of Earth’s history. Every rock, layer, and record reminds us why geology fascinates us and why understanding the past is essential for building the future. We develop solutions that help preserve, organize and make sense of drill core from the subsurface, connecting science and innovation.

Our team is proud to be part of this Island that brings together history, research and community.

References

Government of Prince Edward Island. Large fossil footprint found in PEI. (Oct. 23, 2025). Available at: princeedwardisland.ca
Wikipedia. Geology of Prince Edward Island. (Accessed Oct. 2025). Available at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Edward_Island

The use of wooden boxes for transporting and storing diamond core samples created a number of difficulties, which were common to many companies in the mining industry. Core Case developed new products for this task, which offered a new alternative to the market, that solves these issues and brings other benefits. Core Case’s boxes and accessories are produced in 100% recycled and recyclable plastic (Polypropylene – PP). They have an ergonomic design. They are tough, light and easy to carry. In fact, they are more durable than boxes made of wood or other materials.

16 Reasons to use Core Case

A 290-Million-Year-Old Footprint Read More »