Tag Archives: Africa

Enl Electrical focused on timely project deliveries in Africa

Base metals, Equipment maintenance, Mine operation news, Mining services, Power supply for mines, , , , , ,

Enl Electrical, an electrical control and instrumentation specialist (EC&I) contractor, says its work on a large copper mine expansion project, in Zambia, is just one of many contracts it is delivering timely solutions for.

A member of the Zest WEG Group, Enl Electrical works extensively with project houses and directly for mining companies, and is a preferred supplier to many of them, according to the company.

Russell Drake, General Manager Operations at EnI Electrical, said: “Large project implementation is complex, and is often made more challenging by the logistical constraints that many African projects face. There are invariably delays at various stages, which places more pressure on the EC&I contractor, who must in many ways ‘complete’ the roll-out.”

Calvin Fisher, EnI Electrical Overhead Lines Manager, emphasises the importance of on-time completion, combined with reliable electricity supply: “With the various issues that may delay stages of a project, there is usually growing urgency as the deadline date approaches. This is normally when EnI Electrical enters the project, so we are accustomed to working under some extra pressure. Our dynamic team actively looks for ways to advance the work, especially when the previous phases may not be quite ready for us to begin.”

The linking up of electrical infrastructure, connections and equipment is one of the final stages to allow any project to start operating. In this role, EnI Electrical installs a wide range of electrical infrastructure including medium and low voltage cable reticulation, motor control centres, lighting, earthing protection and energy management systems.

Its control and instrumentation work ranges from process instrumentation and plant automation, to custom control stations and fibre or copper networks, it says. The company also designs and installs overhead power lines (up to 161 kV) and substations.

Drake said: “Our permanent bases in countries like Zambia and Ghana – with significant in-country investment in technical assets – underpins the efficiency of our work. We understand our working environment very well, so we can quote accurately and fairly. This is vital to reduce variations during projects, as this can be disruptive to the project and the client.”

GeoDrill backs IronRidge Africa exploration plan with ‘drilling for equity program’

Energy minerals, Mineral exploration, Mining equipment, Mining finance, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

IronRidge Resources has entered a binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) with GeoDrill as part of a “drilling for equity program” of up to $4 million, or 40,000m of drilling at the exploration company’s gold and lithium portfolio throughout Africa.

GeoDrill, established in 1998, is a leading exploration drilling company with a fleet of 67 drill rigs that has operations is Ghana, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and Zambia.

The MoU will see IronRidge advance all projects across Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Chad, while maintaining cash resources, it said.

IronRidge’s Chief Executive Officer, Vincent Mascolo, said: “We are delighted to announce that the agreement with GeoDrill secures access to expert drilling capabilities, which will allow the company to effectively advance its portfolios, whilst helping preserve cash resources.

GeoDrill brings decades of operational expertise throughout West Africa and, with operational centres in both Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, provides excellent synergies with the Ccmpany’s current jurisdictions of focus.”

Dave Harper, Chief Executive Officer of GeoDrill, said: “Having previously worked with IronRidge on their Cape Coast lithium project and Côte d’Ivoire gold projects, we understand their exploration business model and it was an easy decision for us to partner with IronRidge in this drilling for equity program.”

Under the terms of the binding MoU, any drilling services provided by GeoDrill will be paid by either; cash, shares, or a combination of cash and shares on a 50/50 basis at IronRidge’s election.

The agreement is based on a competitive quotation process, which provides for the issue of ordinary shares in IronRidge for 50% of the drilling cost up to a value of $4 million in two $2 million stages.

“The agreed payment mechanism comprises a share valuation of 90% of the 15-day volume weighted average price against the value of each monthly invoice,” IronRidge said.

Geodrill has commenced drilling works in Ghana where approximately 13,200 m of drilling has been planned at the Cape Coast lithium project over a staged reverse circulation and diamond drilling program dependent on results. It is also currently continuing field mapping and sampling programs over the Zaranou gold project, in Côte d’Ivoire, ahead of a planned air-core drill program.

In Côte d’Ivoire, IronRidge is assessing air-core results over its Bianouan and Bodite licences to determine the next steps as well as soils and trenching results over its Kineta and Marahui licences.

“At this stage the company will maintain its focus on the Côte d’Ivoire gold portfolio and the Ghana lithium portfolio,” IronRidge said.

Marthinusen & Coutts expertise keeps Africa mine pumping

Bulk handling, Environmental, Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Water management, , , , , , ,

Marthinusen & Coutts has come to the rescue of one of Africa’s wettest mines by rehabilitating medium voltage pump motors at the operation.

M&C’s Cleveland Engineering Services Division, a division of ACTOM (Pty) Ltd, recently teamed up with the Marthinusen & Coutts Kitwe facility, in Zambia, to carry out the work.

A pump original equipment manufacturer had approached M&C to assess several underground pump motors.

“There was an urgency to the situation due to the risk of flooding should there be any undue interruptions in pumping operations,” M&C, which calls itself the largest after-market service provider of electrical and mechanical rotating machines in Africa, said.

“Investigations revealed the motors driving the pumps were in a poor condition, with this severely affecting the availability and the performance of the pump chambers,” the company said. This required the initiation of a detailed refurbishment program, which involved the procurement of spare parts, the setting up of an on-site bearing store, and taking the lead in returning the motors to full service, according to M&C.

“Where possible, the motors were repaired in-situ – thus avoiding any possible crisis of underground flooding – while others were removed for full refurbishment,” the company said. “The highest level of engineering practices where followed during repairs, re-installation and commissioning.”

Ongoing support is also being provided, including the training of mine maintenance staff, the development of installation and commissioning specifications, conducting of regular site inspections, management of spares, and continual engagement with mine engineering management, according to the company.

Marthinusen & Coutts operates six state-of-the-art repair and manufacturing facilities – in Johannesburg, Benoni, Sasolburg, Rustenburg, Harare and Kitwe – and, supported by a network of technically equipped partners throughout Africa, provides services not only in Africa but globally.

Weighing up the total cost of ownership in mine slurry pump applications

Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining services, Water management, , , , , , ,

Integrated Pump Technology is stressing to Africa-based mining companies the need to ensure high-quality OEM products are specified in any slurry pumping applications on mine sites.

If incorrect pump choices are made in these demanding applications, it can lead to high maintenance and repair costs and even catastrophic failures, according to the company.

Colin Adams, Managing Director of the distributor, says the company often receives enquiries from clients that have already made the mistake of trying to cut corners by using non-OEM, low-quality products.

“Slurry pumps need to be up to the task of handling high volumes of abrasive material, and when this is not the case these failures lead to costly production downtime with the obvious knock-on effects,” he said. “For a number of years, we have been cautioning the market and urging mine operators to carefully consider the overall total cost of operating slurry pumps when making decisions on which units to install.”

Integrated Pump Technology is the authorised distributor for Grindex submersible pumps. Included in its product lineup is the Grindex Bravo range, which Adams says, offer a good return on investment as the units are engineered to achieve lower operating and maintenance costs.

Commenting on why a submersible slurry pump is a better option for slurry pumping, Adams says submersibles offer several benefits over dry-mounted pumps. They do not require any support structure, need less space for operation and are very easy to install.

The Grindex Bravo range (pictured here) is produced to operate over the complete pump curve, not just one specific duty point, according to Integrated Pump Technology. This means the pump can be used in numerous applications within its range; not a case of “one pump – one application”.

Grindex Bravo pumps are fitted with a cooling jacket and agitator for effective slurry pumping. Pumps in the range can handle slurry and fluids with a high content of highly abrasive solids in sizes up to 50 mm at maximum heads from 17-45 m. Wear is reduced by using NiHard 4 for all hydraulic components, and these pumps can handle liquids with pH values from 4-10.

Adams also points to the high level of support available to customers across Africa through Integrated Pump Technology’s distributor network, which is underpinned by the company’s experienced technically competent African team. Ready access to parts also forms part of the support system, ensuring optimum uptime for customers.

Magna tyres find their way to Africa’s largest coal mine

Coal technology, Energy minerals, Equipment maintenance, Mine operation news, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Steel and iron ore, , , ,

One of the largest mining contractors in the world operating in Africa’s largest coal mine has selected 40.00R57 Magna MA04+C Giant tyres for its Cat 793D rigid dump trucks.

Magna says outstanding tyres are essential for the transport of huge amounts of coal to cover the total haul distance from the pit to the dump area without any downtime or failures and its own tyres fit that bill.

Magna’s proven track record regarding premium quality giant tyres was enough to convince the client, according to the company. The contractors is now benefitting from increased productivity and reduced operating costs as a result of the tyre selection, Magna added.

“The all-steel radial constructed tyres especially designed for coal applications are extremely suitable for the severe conditions in which they are used. The deep aggressive E4 tread pattern and excellent resistance to sidewall damages makes this Giant tyre extremely durable,” Magna said.

As part of Magna’s added value, a site visit to the coal mine including an application analysis and quality check on current running MA04+ tyres was organised. This check showed an “impressive toughness and efficiency” which will result in a reduction in costs per hour to operate the trucks, according to Magna.

In addition, recommendations on compounds for other dump trucks from the contractor’s mining fleet have been given in order to provide the client with the best suitable Giant Magna tyres in the near future.