Last year, the miner sold other coal assets that exclusively supplied South Africa’s power utility Eskom, including New Vaal, New Denmark and Kriel collieries.

Chalkstone was born out of counter-insurgency tactics used by troops in Afghanistan, but its unique methodology is now being used by miners, which can map-out power structures and counter the potentially crippling risk of strikes and political opposition.

The junior miner claims the Department of Antioquia's mining authority did not process its exploration application in accordance with the country’s mining code.