50 / 60
PRODUCT News
48
MODERN MINING
March 2015
APE Pumps has completed two orders
placed by Iran’s Sungun copper mine, one
for a train of eight pumps to operate as a
very large multistage machine transferring
slurry to the tailings dam, the second for
four pontoon-mounted axial flow pumps
to recycle dam water. The two orders are
together worth some US$6,4 million to
Wadeville-based APE Pumps.
JohnMontgomery, the engineer behind
the design of the twelve machines covered
by the two orders, said when commenting
on the order that South African engineer-
ing companies are stepping in to fill part of
the void left by European firms reluctant to
enter into contracts with Iran.
“We have this year received an order for
APE Pumps completes orders for Iranian mine
a large mixer pump related to the Iranian
oil industry, and we are tendering on sev-
eral other contracts in that country,”he said.
“Orders from Iran are likely to increase.”
APE’s multistage pump train for
Sungun comprises eight high pressure
(70 bar) slurry pumps fitted with modi-
fied impellers to improve efficiency and
performance, and delivering a capacity
of 1 000 m
3
/h to manage slurry transfer in
the recently expanded mine. These pumps
were installed mid‑2014 to complement
two similar slurry pump trains, one opera-
tional and one on standby, manufactured
by a competitor and installed in the origi-
nal concentrator plant.
The open-pit Sungun mine is located
Pontoon assembly adjacent to the tailings dam at Sungun mine.
at high altitude (2 390 m) in the Qarabagh
Mountains of East Azerbijan province,
north-west of Ahar city. Annual ore
production of approximately 14 Mt is
deposited in a large tailings dam after cop-
per extraction.
Iran’s scant average annual rainfall of
230 mm dictates that the mine recycles
its tailings dam water for reuse in the
extraction process, and it is for recycled
water transfer that the pontoon pumps
were ordered. Sungun mine has a recycled
water target of 85 %.
The pontoons were assembled and fit-
ted with APE’s vertical turbine pumps in
a small excavation immediately adjacent
to the tailings dam. When assembly was
complete, the wall of the excavation was
broken through to the dam, allowing the
pontoons to float free.
Each equipped with two standard
18-inch APE vertical turbine pumps driven
by 600 kWWEG motors, the two pontoons
are fitted with weatherproof housings as
well as de-icing agitation pumps as pro-
tective measures against the very cold
winters of East Azerbijan. Winches are used
to anchor them to various points around
the dam.
Commissioning is scheduled for later
this year.
APE Pumps, tel (+27 11) 824-4810
MSA launches emergency escape breathing device
Workers unexpectedly caught in toxic
atmospheres can secure life-saving respi-
ratory protection within seconds using
the new PremAire Escape compressed
air emergency escape breathing device
(EEBD), launching locally early-2015 by
MSA Africa.
MSA Africa Respiratory Products
Manager Suraksha Mohun notes that the
PremAire Escape device can be fitted in
under five seconds. “What’s more, it pro-
vides an air supply of 10 to 15 minutes,
thereby allowing the wearer to escape
without difficulty from any hazardous
environment.”
The patented PremAire Escape is
designed to withstand high levels of
industrial gas leaks, in harsh chemical envi-
ronments such as hydrogen sulphide (H
2
S).
“The major components of this device have
undergone critically high H
2
S concentration
testing by a third party. Despite concen-
trations exceeding 25 %, the permeation
detected remained minimal,” observes
Mohun.
The PremAire Escape is said to be ide-
ally-suited to the oil and gas sector, and
was specifically developed by MSA follow-
ing extensive input from global customers
in this sector, who highlighted the need for
a fast-to-fit and easy-to-use respirator.
The standard PremAire Escape is
equipped with a 3S full face mask suitable
for standard escape scenarios where gas
leaks are under control. For protection in
situations where there is a high concentra-
tion of uncontrolled lethal gas, amask-hood
is also available. This combination provides
two independent protection barriers.
Another innovative EEBD being
launched locally in the near future by MSA
Africa is the PremAire Combination Airline/
Escape. Mohun explains that the core com-
ponent of the PremAire Combination is the
unique combination valve design.
“It combines the first stage pressure
reducer, the cylinder valve and the cylin-
der gauge within one assembly, creating
a small size and profile less likely to snag
when working in a confined space. A hard
cover for this assembly ensures additional
protection and easy handling of the air cyl-
inder,” she says.
The belt and shoulder harness assembly
provides increased comfort and ergonom-
ics for long duration jobs while at the same
time allowing the repositioning of the air
cylinder from the right hip to the left hip or
any other comfortable position without the
need to doff the whole device. The holster
carrier secures the air cylinder while allow-
ing easy and fast detaching or attaching of
the cylinder to provide high manoeuvrabil-
ity in tight places.
Suraksha Mohun, MSA Africa, tel (+27 11) 610-2600