GE Mining

Focused on Operational Efficiency.

Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations - A Glencore Company,
replaces maintenance intensive positive displacement pumps
with GE Mining's cost effective dewatering solution.
Nickel Rim South Mine, Sudbury ON Canada

Customer challenge

Our solution

High impact results

Removing water from underground

mines is a challenge. Fugitive waste,
pumping pressures, embedded solids
and often corrosive water are only
some of the underground dewatering
considerations The traditional solution
utilizes positive displacement (PD)
diaphragm pumps.

Glencore replaced the PD pumps with

GEs dewatering solution. Through GEs
experience with thousands of multistage
centrifugal pumps in oil & gas down
hole and surface mounted applications
(including discharge pressures as high as
6000 psi), GE Mining provided Glencore
a complete pump solution using GE SPS
multistage centrifugal pumps. One SPS
pump was able to meet the required
duty cycle. The pump capital cost was
approximately 90% less than that of a
PD pump, delivery time was significantly
less (between 10 -16 weeks). Operating
costs also proved to be significantly
less with the time to maintain the GE
system reduced to just hours (compared
to weeks or months for PD pump
maintenance. The GE Mining dewatering
system design, including the SPS pumps
and an effective solids handling system
ensures cost effective, trouble free mine
dewatering.

The GE system has operated for 18

months without any issues. Glencore's
very positive experience with the
GE Mining dewatering solution, is
considered a huge success when
compared to their previous experience
with repeated PD pump failures,
extensive maintenance, issues with the
availability of spare parts and long lead
times, with their original solution.

The PD pumps at Glencores Nickel Rim

South Mine in Sudbury Ontario Canada,
proved to be expensive to purchase
and maintain. Glencore was searching
for a lower cost and higher performing
solution to transport ~250 usgpm (15.8
l/s) of dirty mine water up more than
5500 ft (1700m to the surface, in a single
pumping step.

At a glance
100% uptime with 24/7 run reliability
Minimal routine maintenance
Positioned to eliminate spare pumps
Reduced noise and vibration levels
Savings in excess of $1MM per year in
maintenance, labor and parts costs
Maintenance personnel can now
focus on other (non pump) issues
Greater than 18 months run with no
pump repairs

Contact Information
David Willick, Commercial Director NA
David. Willick@ge.com
9058585448
John Slavin, Application Engineer
John.Slavin@ge.com
9058585437
Michael Lee, Product Manager
Michael.G.Lee@ge.com
7733072995
For more information visit www.gemining.com
Rv: 2015/12/08