 Using
Power Prime™ Pumps
in Mining
Primary and Secondary Centrifugal Pumps Dewater a
Flooded Arizona Copper Pit
 Heavy
winter rains made for a spectacular spring in the
deserts of Arizona. However, those rains were not
welcomed by everyone. Rapidly rising water at two major
Arizona copper mines put mining operations in serious
jeopardy.
Our Rain for Rent office in Chandler received an
emergency call from a mining company and mobilized
several vacuum-assist self-priming pumps to the mine to
assist in dewatering the pit. Tail water, rain,
groundwater, and leachates can find their way into the
pits. Some of this water can have a pH as low as 3 and
is very abrasive, which adds additional challenges to
the dewatering process.
Another mining company was able to control its
dewatering problems with pumps recently sold to them by
the Rain for Rent, Chandler, office.
In conjunction with Rain for Rent's continuing effort
to better serve the mining industry, John Lake,
president of Rain for Rent, recently took a fact-finding
tour of these two mines. Lake was impressed with the
mining operations and the overall size and scope of
copper mining in Arizona. Lake reinforced Rain for
Rent's commitment to expanding the fleet of stainless
steel, vacuum-assist, self-priming pumps for the mines.
Rain for Rent is pleased to be part of Arizona's number
one industry.
Potash Mining Company in Utah needs Removal of
Residue from Holding Pond
Rain for Rent's
Salt Lake City branch was contacted by a potash
mining company to help solve a problem with solids
buildup in a brine holding pond. The buildup occurs when
capacity limitations force plant operators to store
excess brine solution. The potash solids settle in the
holding pond and create a thick layer or buildup.
To recover the potash, the holding pond is
periodically emptied and buildup cleaned out. One way to
clean the buildup is to mix high-pressure water with the
brine and pump the solution into an evaporation pond.
The water evaporates, leaving the potash for later use.
The job required the removal of about four feet of
potash buildup from the bottom of the 400' by 250'
holding pond. To complete this month-long project, Rain
for Rent provided a
DV150 Power Prime vacuum-assist, self-priming pump
that pumped approximately 500 GPM at 50 PSI through a
water monitor which was used to blast the brine solids
back into the solution. About 400 feet of pipe was used
to move the brine from the holding pond to the
evaporation pond.
|
