Water is an essential resource for mining operations as it is needed for key processes such as mineral processing, solution leaching, dust suppression, and hydro transport. Simply put, without water, operations would come to a grinding halt.
While conserving water is a growing priority for the mining sector from an environmental standpoint - seeing the introduction of water-reducing technologies like dry stack tailings and in-pit processing, even with water reduction strategies in place, the industry remains a significant consumer of water.
So, in order to safely and effectively extract, store and potentially reclaim and reuse our precious water resources, a reliable dewatering system is crucial at mine sites across Australia.
Valve performance is central to the overall success of dewatering technology, and mining operations as a whole, let’s unpack why this is?
To understand the importance of valves and ground water control methods, let's first look at where valves are used in mine dewatering. Valves are used to regulate and restrict the flow of water and slurries through the pipes of a dewatering system. Depending on the application, different types of valves control the amount of fluid moving through the mining operation, ensuring flow is stopped when there is a build up of fluid and quickening flow when demand picks up again.
Why is valve performance important?
With the extraction and use of water at the core of mining operations, sites are faced with the very real risk of flooding. As valves and process automation control the flow of fluid through a mine site, optimal performance can ultimately be the difference of life and death.
With strict safety regulations and procedures on these sites, an essential risk mitigation strategy is to ensure the correct equipment is selected The water should be analysed at each stage of the process to determine the kind of valves required to withstand the specific levels of acidity, corrosion, and abrasion. Knife gate valves, for example, are beneficial for handling corrosive and abrasive materials and cutting through clogging of heavy liquids.
Other factors such as scaling, orientation, cycle frequency, cycle time and system design also need to be taken in to account when specifying valves for optimal plant performance.
What happens when valves don't perform optimally?
In addition to the serious safety issues presented by valve failure, there are significant financial implications at stake too. Firstly, major delays and downtime due to valve failure reducing a plant’s reliability or halting operations entirely means production deadlines are missed, targets aren’t reached, and workers are paid for unproductive time spent sitting around. Depending on the size of the mining operation, the cost of this downtime can quickly run into millions of dollars.
Secondly, if a valve fails, it can have an overwhelmingly damaging impact on the plant and the surrounding environment. This can result in high maintenance and repair costs to reinstate the plant’s mechanical reliability and ensure a safe working environment. The environmental cost in this case is also devastating as polluted waters flooding through surrounding land can cause long term damage to local plants and wildlife species.
How can you maximise valve performance?
The answer to this is two-fold.
Firstly, for a mining operation’s dewatering system to run smoothly, it is critical that the appropriate valves are selected for specific applications. Significant inefficiencies can be encountered with incorrectly specified equipment. Secondly, in the case of valve failure due to damage, lack of maintenance or excessive wear and tear, it is then essential for the problem to be fixed quickly and with safety and sustainability in mind.
In both instances, it serves to partner with a local and reliable valve stockist and solutions experts. Partnering with The Valve Company, for example, gives mining operators peace of mind when it comes to access to the very best heavy industry valve experts, services and delivery options.As an Australian valve stockist, supplier, and full-service valve solutions provider, we have specialist consultants offering valve selection, installation advice and technical support so that you get the right valve, every time. We stock high performance, trusted valve brands including DeZurik, Crane, Saunders, Ventomat, and our own range of butterfly and ball valves. Our local positioning across Australia and stocked warehouses mean we can deliver quickly which translates into minimal downtime and reduced safety risk.
It’s clear, valves play an essential role in dewatering technology on mine sites. Dewatering is a complicated process which demands the utmost expertise and highest quality equipment. The valve selection and maintenance for dewatering systems should therefore only be entrusted to a valve solutions partner you can trust
