Tag Archives: coal technology

Strata enhances North America roof support, ventilation offering with Burrell Mining pact

Coal technology, Environmental, Mine ventilation, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, , , , , , , , ,

Strata Worldwide says it has signed a distribution agreement with Burrell Mining International for the promotion and distribution of the Burrell CAN® and Burrell Omega Block coal mining products to the North America mining market.

These products will be added to Strata’s line of secondary roof supports and ventilation product offerings, available immediately, the company said.

The CAN is a “yieldable secondary roof support” made from a confined core of cementitious composite encased in a cylindrical steel canister, Strata said. “When installed correctly, the CAN has never failed. Its flexible design can be engineered to meet mine-specific load conditions regardless of adverse roof or floor conditions, while the smooth steel skin of the CAN also improves ventilation by reducing air resistance in the mine entry,” the company added.

Omega Blocks for ventilation are specifically formulated building block, three times the size of regular concrete blocks, but significantly lighter in weight to help reduce labour and the installation process, according to Strata. The Omega Blocks are composed of non-toxic, incombustible materials that are fire resistant and impermeable to air. The blocks are fully MSHA approved and ideal for quick construction of underground ventilation stoppings, Strata said.

Bob Weil, President & CEO of Burrell Mining International, said: “Burrell’s reputation as an industry innovator with a history of quality products and excellent customer service makes our partnership with Strata Worldwide a great strategic fit. Working together, we can provide customers throughout North America with efficient and safer secondary roof support products for the mining industry.”

Mike Berube, President and CEO at Strata Worldwide, said: “We are very excited to enter this agreement with Burrell Mining. They are a premier supplier of secondary roof support for coal mining and have an excellent reputation in the industry. The CAN will be a strong addition to Strata’s line of roof support systems and with this agreement we will offer the most complete portfolio of roof support products on the market.”

Strata Worldwide has grown from a company focused on roof supports in underground coal operations, to service mines of all types, all sizes, all commodities and all locations. It says it develops advanced safety solutions for mines all over the world.

Burrell Mining International, meanwhile, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Burrell Group Inc, a family-owned company with business interests in mining products, insurance, real estate and technology. Burrell Mining International operates three plants in the US and two in Australia.

Aury Africa offers screening advice to coal sector

Coal technology, Energy minerals, Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Power supply for mines

Aury Africa thinks coal-plant operators can get more out of their operations by taking a closer look at their screening and vibrating equipment, and machine and product specifications.

The company says it can advise coal-plant operators on the correct screen size to maximise operational efficiency, coupled with comprehensive aftermarket support to assist with all proactive maintenance requirements.

While the mechanical principles of vibrating screens are well understood, there are numerous variables that need to be taken into account, especially with diverse applications such as dewatering.

Aury Africa said: “Perhaps the most important criteria is robustness, where local manufacture is important in guaranteeing the best quality and longest service life possible, especially for the large-tonnage outputs in the coal-mining industry, in particular.”

Aury Africa Business Development Manager George Sturgeon points out that vibrating-screen aperture sizes need to be calibrated carefully depending on the type of raw coal being processed. This is especially important for coal being supplied to electricity utility Eskom, for example, which has specific quality standards for power-generation purposes.

The manufacturer produces a range of vibrating screens for the coal and minerals-processing industries. Banana vibrating screens are available in single- and double-deck configuration, from 1.8 m x 4.8 m up to 4.8 m wide and 8.5 m long.

Horizontal vibrating screens are available in single- and double-deck configuration, from 1.2 m x 2.4 m up to 4.3 m wide and 8.5 m long. High-frequency vibrating screens are available from 0.9 m x 1.8 m up to 2.4 m x 3.7 m.

Circular motion vibrating screens are available in single- and double-deck configuration, from 1.8 m x 3 m up to 3 m x 6.1 m. Flip flop vibrating screens are available in single-, double- or triple-deck configuration, from 1.5 m wide up to 12 m long.

The company is also able to supply a range of exciters to fit most OEM-screen types. Available consumable products include inter-tank/inter-stage cylinder screens for classification, sieve bends and static panels for separation, and centrifuge baskets.

Aury Africa Director Sydney Parkhouse said: “The fact that we can access technical expertise from our international group is a major advantage for our customers, as we have extensive experience coupled with expertise, due to having worked with vibrating equipment in the mining industry for many years.”

The company can also provide bespoke solutions, in addition to having a standard equipment range.

“We have an in-house design capability, and can even undertake research and development in order to be able to cater for specific requirements and applications,” Parkhouse said.

Peabody Energy invests $10 million in Arq coal-to-oil technology

Coal technology, Energy minerals, Environmental, Mineral commodities,

Peabody Energy and trading firm Vitol have become the latest companies to buy into Arq’s patented coal-to-oil technology.

The deals, which could see both investing further over the next three years, will see Peabody identify potential mine sites where Arq can deploy its technology, while Vitol has agreed to distribute Arq Fuel™ globally.

Arq said: “For almost 100 years, the energy industry has struggled to find a cost-effective way of upgrading coal into oil. Arq Technology™ represents a major breakthrough in this field, achieved by inventing a low-cost mechanical process for treating coal as a micro-particle system.”

The Arq Technology process starts with reclaiming coal waste before moving on to sizing. This creates a micro-particle system through a series of advanced milling techniques to enable the liberation of hydrocarbons from mineral matter.

Arq’s proprietary micro-separation technique isolates the hydrocarbon from the mineral matter through advanced chemistry and flotation technology, removing more than 99% of the impurities. A mechanical de-watering and thermal drying process then creates a purified hydrocarbon product containing less than 2% moisture.

The resulting product, Arq Fuel, is a new energy source ideal for blending directly into oil products without the need for expensive liquefaction and comes with several environmental benefits, the company said.

Arq now has $50 million of equity from investors, meaning it carries a market valuation of over $500 million.

The agreement with Vitol will see the trading company blend Arq Fuel into fuel oil and crude oil, working to position the product as a low-cost blending component with specific customers, according to Arq. These are initially envisaged to include consumers of fuel oil and, subject to ongoing testing, refineries.

Arq’s first plant in Corbin, Kentucky (pictured), is nearing completion, with Arq Fuel expected to be available in early 2019.

Julian McIntyre, Founder and CEO of Arq, said: “Our goal at Arq is to produce the lowest cost hydrocarbon products on the planet. We can only do this by building a coalition of industry partners, who share our perspective that technology will be the catalyst in unlocking value in a changing energy landscape.

“These partnerships are a validation of our products and technology and a major milestone towards realising our ambition.”

Charles Meintjes, Executive Vice President – Corporate Services and Chief Commercial Officer of Peabody, said: “We believe our partnership with Arq represents a rare opportunity to add value to our product, reduce our environmental footprint and expand the market for our product at the same time.”