• CRADLE TO GRAVE
DEWATERING PLAN SAVES THE DAY AT IRON ORE MINE
When flooding at an iron ore mine in South Africa ’ s Northern Cape province meant it could no longer access the floor of one of its pits , it called in IPR for a sustainable solution .
Rental Development manager at the supplier , previously known as Integrated Pump Rental , Ruaan Venter says the solution began with a dewatering plan . This was vital , as the mine had experienced challenges with groundwater ingress for many years – and these were not being resolved .
“ A common open pit dewatering method is to use pumps to extract water from the lowest levels of the mine ,” explains Venter . “ However , it is often not enough to perform only this step . Rather , the whole groundwater table around the mine has to be lowered , so that the pit is not continually filled with incoming water .”
He says IPR ’ s eight years of experience in designing and manufacturing dewatering systems has given it a depth of insight into efficient and reliable groundwater control . The company ’ s approach is to apply best practice in dewatering applications , and not just send a pump set to site without a good understanding of the operating conditions and the specific challenges being faced .
“ In this case , we identified that the primary issue was the application of incorrect dewatering pumps , which were not performing the duty required ,” he says . “ We implemented a programme to assess and then repair the existing pumps on site – bringing them up to OEM specification so that they would perform reliably and deliver the expected results .”
In line with the dewatering plan , the mine ’ s own fleet of pumps was supplemented by a custom offering from IPR . This involved some units being purchased outright from the supplier , and other pumps taken on a long-term rental agreement . Venter notes that dewatering has seasonal variations and this could mean that some pumps stand idle for several months during dry periods .
“ Our rental programme is offered in recognition of this to relieve customers of the cost of owning equipment that is not optimally utilised ,” he says . “ Instead , we supply pumps sets that are fully kitted out according to the customer ’ s requirements – and they are ready for operation .”
He points out that the plan for this mining customer also included an appreciation of water quality and characteristics .
“ Groundwater and process water contain abrasive and corrosive elements in varying quantities ,” says Venter . “ These have an adverse effect on pump performance and life – and need to be built into the pump specifications .”
All images by IPR
IPR is the Atlas Copco master distributor for its range of dewatering pumps .
A key aspect of the plan was therefore to ensure that all pumps performed optimally , to eliminate the risk of repeated flooding . IPR is therefore maintaining all pumps on site , including its own fleet and those belonging to the mine .
“ Well-matched solutions help to maximise the longevity and efficiency of the system and also optimise cost-performance ratios ,” he says . “ We ensure we deliver these results by supplying a complete dewatering package made up of the pump , engine or motor and couplings – as well as auxiliary equipment such as vacuum pumps , control panels and monitors . This service delivers high head pumping where the water levels must remain low for continuous production reliability .” •
IPR supplied a large diesel driven pump set to an iron ore mine in the Northern Cape .
Dewatering has seasonal variations , and this could mean that some pumps stand idle for several months during dry periods .
40 • African Mining • June 2023 www . africanmining . co . za