FUELS & OILS
SIPEX ECO, a pathway to sustainability
SIP Speciality Oils and Fluids has launched a range of process oils for mining blasting explosives that support a circular economy. SIPEX 4 ECO and SIPEX 9 ECO are the result of a superior process of re refining used mineral oils that produces new process oils indistinguishable in quality from virgin mineral oils. More importantly these oils give up to 80 % reduction in carbon emissions compared to conventional process oils.
CMP added that this project represents a significant step toward the decarbonisation of large-scale mining in Chile and marks a path forward within the industry, where the company maintains an active role in the application of technology and innovation in this field.
Fuel analysis – Cascadia Scientific joins Modular Ecosystem
In November 2024, Cascadia Scientific announced a recently executed agreement with the Mining Technology Solutions group of Komatsu to join its Modular Ecosystem. Komatsu’ s Mining Technologies Solutions is the global leader in mine management technology and is wholly owned by Komatsu Ltd, while Cascadia Scientific is an organisation focused on the application of machine learning techniques to improve mine haul energy efficiency.
Cascadia stated:“ The agreement presents immediate benefit for Cascadia Scientific’ s customers using Komatsu equipment who can now realize enhanced Cascadia Scientific insights enabled by access to Komtrax data under this new agreement, but this is only the beginning. As a Modular Ecosystem Partner, Cascadia Scientific is eager to consult with customers running Komatsu’ s products to understand how real-time high precision fuel sensing or mine-haul machine learning models can be applied in new and creative ways to help miners improve their operations, or address long standing challenges.”
One of the services Cascadia is best known for is its fuel trials.“ The relentless pursuit of improved fuel efficiency and lower operating costs has spurred rapid growth in marketing enhanced fuels and lubricants. These formulations, additised with detergents, stabilisers, and corrosion inhibitors, are offered by most, if not all, leading petrochemical suppliers and many lesser-known distributors. Efficiency impact claims vary tremendously by product, from the absurdly outlandish to the undetectably conservative, while mining supply chain
professionals are left to sort it all out.”
“ We have heard repeatedly from mining companies that they are unwilling to base procurement decisions on vendor-supplied laboratory results … suppliers have begun to step up by funding in-service trials with the mines facilitating the execution and allowing the publication of the findings,” says Kevin Dagenais – CEO, Cascadia Scientific.
The Cascadia trials begin with the whole mining fleet being equipped with Cascadia’ s SmartRView platform with high-accuracy fuel measurement instrumentation in the first phase. Cascadia Scientific uses proprietary ruggedised positive displacements fuel meters and builds models predicting fuel consumption in terms of payload, ramp grade, vertical travel, the distance over ground, operator ID and other relevant parameters. Once these models have converged, half the population is reconfigured with the fuel, lubricant, additive, or other product under examination. The second phase, if necessary, is observed to ensure that the full impact of the petrochemical enhancement has been realised.
In the third and final phase, the fuel efficiency modelling is repeated, with the unchanged population serving as a control
PARTNER
OF CHOICE
for speciality oils and fluids across Europe, Africa and beyond
SIP Speciality Oils & Fluids offers tried and tested oils and fluids for:
ANFO and bulk emulsions Mining solvent extraction diluents Improved environmental( LCA) and H & S benefits for the reconfigured assets. A co-efficient proportional to the impact of the new petrochemical is established, along with error bands and confidence levels in the result. Interestingly, the same approach can be applied to evaluate nearly any change.
“ Upon completion of the trial, the mine’ s supply chain team has third-party, statistically significant data upon which to base its procurement decision. The supplier, if successful, up-sells a customer and gains a powerful reference and marketing tool. The industry benefits from access to the tools needed to differentiate premium petrochemicals from snake oil.”
Petro-Canada Lubricants unveils full synthetic heavy duty engine oil
Petro-Canada Lubricants, an HF Sinclair brand, in February 2025 launched DURON UHP 10W-30, an ultra high performance full synthetic heavy-duty diesel engine oil designed to meet the demands of modern heavy-duty engines.
The low viscosity engine oil“ delivers up to 1 % improved fuel economy compared to an SAE 15W-40, helping fleets cut costs and reduce their total cost of ownership. Combining exceptional fuel efficiency and ultra high protection, DURON UHP 10W-30
SIP Speciality Oils & Fluids:
Established for over 35 years Inhouse R & D, Technical Support & Logistics ISO 9001:2015 Quality Accredited EcoVadis Gold Medal Shipping worldwide
+ 44( 0) 20 7717 0100 enquiries @ sip. com www. sip. com
International Mining | JULY 2025 39