Capital Equipment News August 2016

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS

AUGUST 2016

ater used in coal processes can

be considered a contaminant, as it

reduces the effective heating value

of coal. Coal is adequately dewatered using

conventional screens or basket centrifuges.

Centrifuge baskets are commonly used de-

watering technique for raw fine coal, as they

are generally simple, cheap and robust. The

dewatered coal is sold commercially as a

raw product.

Aury Africa MD Mark Houchin explains that

the centrifuge basket was custom-made

for a mine in Witbank. “We measured up

an old basket and made a thrift basket in

our workshop in Johannesburg. It was put

in seven weeks ago and is still running.

The mine asked other suppliers to manu-

facture a new basket for the operation, but

they wouldn’t last.”

The actual manufacture of the basket start-

ed in March 2016, and was then tested to

ensure product quality. Due to the success

of the basket, Aury Africa has also been

tasked with repairing the mine’s other bas-

kets. Aury Africa produces wear-resistant

baskets for a variety of applications and

process consumables to fit a range of Orig-

inal Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) prod-

ucts.

“We provide a cost-conscious alternative to

traditional suppliers. We have many years

of experience in making baskets for various

companies. We are quite used to dealing

with different types of baskets and know

what needs to be done to make a basket

last. A high-quality basket is supposed to

process at least 50 000 tons of coal in its

lifespan,” states Houchin.

Houchin highlights that Aury Africa prides

itself on being able to engineer winning

solutions for existing plant maintenance

issues and thereby increase uptime, while

ensuring lower site costs and higher profits.

“Coal prices are at a low and cost is becom-

ing a big thing, with companies trying to cut

costs in their operations. We have come up

with cost-effective solutions without com-

promising quality,” Houchin concludes.

REDESIGNED CENTRIFUGE BASKET

improves coal dewatering process

PROTECTING LIVES AND EQUIPMENT

worth billions of dollars

Aury Africa was recently tasked with redesigning

a Centrifugal & Mechanical Industries (CMI) 1400

generic basket.

n order to ensure employee safety and

prevent any infrastructural damage to a

multi-billion dollar floating production,

storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel located

at a deep water oil project off the coast on

Angola, USD1-million-worth of MSA General

Monitors (GM) fixed flame and gas detection

products have been supplied to the project.

Malaysia-based international offshore oilfield

services provider Bumi Armada Berhad (BAB)

is responsible for the chartering, operations

and maintenance of the FPSO. When com-

pleted by Q4 2016, it will utilise an external

turret with 18 risers and umbilicals connect-

ed to it, and a storage capacity of 1 800 000

barrels.

This fourth-generation FPSO will boast a

crude oil production rate of 80 000 barrels

a day and a water injection rate of 120 000

barrels per day, as well as a gas-handling

capability of 120 000 million standard cubic

feet. The FPSO will have a topside weight of

15 000 t, and will be moored at a water depth

of 450 m. Reliable gas and flame detection is

essential to a structure of this magnitude.

MSA Africa Director Colin Oliver explains that

the products were delivered in late 2015. “As

part of our value-added aftersales service

offering, we have already provided product

training to some BAB employees in Malaysia,

and will also train the onsite employees once

the FPSO is complete. Continuous technical

support will also be provided.”

GM and MSA are trusted brands in Angola,

Nigeria, Gabon and Ghana. Oliver says that

GM is recognised as a global leader in hi-

tech gas monitoring and flame detection in-

strumentation. “GM has been under the um-

brella of MSA since 2010. This has enabled

us to provide fully-comprehensive gas detec-

tion solutions to industries in these regions in

the most competitive turnaround times.”

According to Oliver, this project will serve

as a platform for MSA Africa to expand its

presence in the highly-lucrative offshore oil

industry. “This project has given us the op-

portunity to showcase our world-class capa-

bilities. As oil, gas and petroleum exploration

projects expand in Africa, so too does our

window of opportunity for long term sustain-

able growth,” he concludes.

Floating production unit.