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ANTAMINA PROJECT
COPPER & ZINC CONCENTRATES PIPELINE
0 Use
A 6/30/00 Client Review WJN ---- ---- ---- WJN RHD ---- ----
REV. DATE ISSUED FOR BY CHK DISC AREA PE PM BECH CMA
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Purpose.................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Project Background................................................................................................. 1
2.0 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................... 2
2.1 Process Design Reference Documents.................................................................... 2
2.2 System Control Philosophy Reference Documents ................................................ 2
2.3 Other Reference Documents ................................................................................... 3
2.4 Vendor Reference Documents ................................................................................ 3
3.0 BASIC OPERATING GUIDELINES................................................................................. 4
3.1 Definitions............................................................................................................... 4
3.1.1 Pipeline Stations ...................................................................................... 4
3.1.2 Terminology............................................................................................. 4
3.1.3 Units......................................................................................................... 6
3.2 System Description ................................................................................................. 6
3.2.1 General ..................................................................................................... 6
3.2.2 Pump Station............................................................................................ 7
3.2.3 Pipeline .................................................................................................... 8
3.2.4 Pressure Monitoring Stations................................................................... 8
3.2.5 Valve Stations .......................................................................................... 9
3.2.6 Terminal Station....................................................................................... 9
3.3 Process Design ...................................................................................................... 10
3.3.1 Background ............................................................................................ 10
3.3.2 Design Slurry Characteristics................................................................. 10
3.3.2.1 Particle Size Distribution ........................................................ 10
3.3.2.2 Concentration.......................................................................... 11
3.3.2.3 Rheology ................................................................................. 11
3.3.2.4 pH............................................................................................ 11
3.3.2.5 Temperature ............................................................................ 11
3.3.2.6 Specific Gravity of Solids ....................................................... 11
3.4 Operating Range Limits ........................................................................................ 11
3.4.1 Throughput Limits ................................................................................. 11
3.4.2 Choke Station Design ............................................................................ 12
3.5 Pressure Rating Limits .......................................................................................... 13
3.6 Product Segregation .............................................................................................. 13
3.6.1 General ................................................................................................... 13
3.6.2 SCADA Interlocks ................................................................................. 15
3.6.3 Pipeline AdvisorTM (Batch Tracking) .................................................... 16
3.6.4 Conductivity Pulse ................................................................................. 17
3.7 General Operating Philosophies............................................................................ 17
3.7.1 High Pressure Slurry .............................................................................. 17
3.7.2 Wear....................................................................................................... 18
3.7.2.1 Mechanical Equipment ........................................................... 18
1.1 Purpose
Compañía Minera Antamina (CMA) plans to develop a copper and zinc mine
complex in the central region of Peru. The mineral ore will be ground to produce
separate chalcopyrite (copper) ore, sphalerite (zinc) ore, and bornite (copper) ore
concentrates which shall be transported via a 300-km pipeline to a ship loading
facility located approximately at Puerto Huarmey. The pipeline shall be designed to
transport a total concentrate production at a design throughput of 300 dry metric tons
per hour.
This operating and maintenance manual was developed from numerous reference
documents that provide the background information on the design of the pipeline.
This information, coupled with vendor-supplied data, was used to prepare the
procedures contained herein. A summary of these reference documents is provided
The following reference documents were used to develop the process design of the
Antamina concentrates pipeline. Additional information or more detailed
descriptions may be found in these documents.
The following reference documents, in addition to those listed above, were used to
develop the control strategies for the Antamina concentrates pipeline. Additional
information or more detailed descriptions may be found in these documents.
The following reference documents are available to supplement the operating and
maintenance procedures contained in this manual. Additional information or more
detailed descriptions may be found in these documents.
3.1 Definitions
3.1.2 Terminology
Term Definition
The table below summarizes the units and abbreviations that will be found in this
manual.
Abbreviation Unit
AC alternating current
AFD adjustable frequency drive
DC direct current
HDPE high density polyethylene
km kilometer
KP kilometer post
m meter
m3/h cubic meters per hour
mm millimeter
NPS nominal pipe size
ppm parts per million
o
C degrees Celsius
spm strokes per minute
t/h dry metric tonnes per hour
UPS un-interruptible power supply
wt% percent concentration by weight
3.2.1 General
The following drawings provide a simple (system block diagram – see Appendix B),
medium (process flow diagram – see Appendix C) and detailed (piping and
instrument drawing – see Appendix D) overview of the slurry pipeline system.
The following sections provide a simple overview of the facilities along the pipeline
including the basic operating concept. Full details of the overall system, principle
equipment, and supplemental equipment can be found in Section 4 of this manual.
The pump station is located at the Antamina concentrator at the start of the transport
pipeline. Slurry is fed from the concentrator thickeners into agitated storage tanks –
two for zinc and three for copper. The two zinc tanks (0360-TKF-400 and 0360-
TKF-401) are interchangeable while the copper tanks have been preliminarily
designated as low-bismuth copper (0360-TKF-405), high-bismuth copper (0360-TKF-
406), and a swing tank (0360-TKF-407). Swing tank operation is discussed in section
4.2.1 below.
Either zinc or copper concentrate is fed to the pipeline via a designated pair of
centrifugal charge pumps (0360-PPS-410 and 0360-PPS-411 for copper and 0360-
PPS-412 and 0360-PPS-413 for zinc) which provide the suction pressure required by
the mainline pumps. One charge pump is operating at any time with the other on
standby as an installed spare.
3.2.3 Pipeline
The pipeline starts at the pump station mine site and ends at the terminal at Huarmey.
The pipeline is a high strength steel pipeline with an inner high-density polyethylene
(HDPE) liner to protect the pipe against corrosion. In general, velocities in the
pipeline are low enough that wear of the liner is not expected to be significant. A
thicker HDPE liner has been installed in areas that may be exposed to conditions
causing wear (see section 5.5.3)
The hydraulic design of the pipeline is such that pumping is required from PS1 to
VS1 while gravity flow provides adequate driving force from VS1 to the terminal.
Therefore, a 10NPS (standard 10” pipe with a 10.75” outside diameter) was installed
between PS1 and VS1 while a mix of 8NPS (8.625” outside diameter), 9NPS (9.625”
outside diameter) and 10NPS pipe was installed between VS1 and TS1 to control the
gravity flow rate. The table below summarizes the installed mainline piping (not
including the station piping discussed below).
Pressure monitoring stations have been installed along the pipeline at key locations.
Four stations (PMS1, PMS2, PMS3, and PMS4) were installed to monitor
intermediate conditions in the pipeline. This data supplements pressure data available
at the intermediate valve stations and provides information that supports operator
decision-making (see section 4.4 below).
Additionally, the pressure monitoring station data (along with pump station, valve
station and terminal data) provide the necessary input into the pipeline leak detection
system found in the Pipeline AdvisorTM.
There are four intermediate valve stations (VS1, VS2, VS3, and VS4) as well as a valve
station at the terminal (TS1). These valve stations have two primary functions – dividing
static head during pipeline shutdowns and removing excess head during operation.
During pipeline shutdowns on slurry, the valve stations divide the static shutdown
head such that the mainline pipe is not over-pressured. Valves are closed in a
prescribed sequence (see section 4.1.2) that keeps the pipeline full while avoiding
pressures above the pipeline design. Valves at all five locations (VS1, VS2, VS3,
VS4, and TS1) are required to safely shutdown the pipeline. Refer to section 3.5 for
additional information on pipeline pressure limits.
Ceramic chokes have been installed at VS1, VS3 and TS1 to permit stable pipeline
operation within the operating range of the pipeline. During operation at maximum
design throughput with the pipeline full of slurry, friction losses in the pipeline consume
the available head from VS1 to the terminal. As such, very little choking is required.
As the flow rate is reduced or the pipeline is operating with water batches, friction
losses in the pipe are lower. Additional choking is required to maintain a full pipe,
balanced flow condition. Choke facilities at VS1, VS3, and TS1 have been designed to
provide the required choking to cover all operating scenarios. Sections 3.3 and 3.4
provide additional information on the design of the pipeline choke stations.
In addition to the choke station at TS1 (see discussion above), concentrate receiving
facilities are located at the terminal station. Concentrate from the pipeline is routed to
a concentrate distributor (0510-STP-500), which diverts flow to either the copper or
zinc distributor. The pipeline operator, who is following the concentrate batches
through the pipeline, is responsible for and has control of the valves from this
distribution box.
While the terminal operator controls the individual concentrate distributors, close
communication is required between the pipeline and terminal operators to ensure
3.3.1 Background
The Antamina concentrates pipeline was designed to safely transport copper and zinc
concentrates from the mine site concentrator to the filter plant at the terminal. The
sizing and selection of pipeline components was based on an extensive review of
concentrate properties, production rates, and the actual route of the pipeline. A
complete summary of the documents used to develop the process design of the
pipeline can be found in Section 2.1 above.
The design parameters for the pipeline were selected to provide flexibility during
operation. However, there are limitations as to what can be safely transported. The
pipeline operator must monitor concentrate slurry properties to ensure safe operation
– or to adjust pipeline operations to handle a particular slurry.
The Antamina pipeline has been designed to transport concentrates within the ranges
summarized below. These ranges are expected to cover all normal concentrator
operating conditions (i.e., normal concentrate production). It may be possible to
transport concentrate with properties outside these limits. However, this should only
be done with the approval of the pipeline process engineer.
The following table summarizes the particle size distribution range for the Antamina
pipeline. The table presents cumulative percent passing versus particle size.
The maximum concentration for transport is 65 wt% (except bornite – see Section
3.3.2.6).
3.3.2.3 Rheology
3.3.2.4 pH
3.3.2.5 Temperature
The design range for the specific gravity of solids is 4.0 to 4.2.
For bornite concentrate, the estimated specific gravity of solids is 4.4. For bornite
concentrate, transportation must be limited to 60 wt%.
The selected pipe diameter(s), mainline pump and choke quantities produces a
transport system with an “as-built” capacity that provides some operating flexibility
outside the design point. The operating range diagram for the system (see Appendix
E) summarizes the operating capabilities of the Antamina pipeline transport system.
The pipeline design throughput is 300 t/h at 57 wt%. This represents the contract
throughput (i.e., the throughput for which a performance guarantee has been
provided) of 283.5 t/h plus a 6 percent safety factor. The system selected to meet that
Note that these limits will be tested during the commissioning and actual operation of
the pipeline to determine if greater flexibility can be achieved. However, operation
outside the approved operating range should not be attempted unless specific
procedures are developed by the pipeline process engineer.
Note that the Antamina concentrator normally produces less than 283.5 t/h (often less
than 250 t/h) of concentrate. This means that the pipeline will often be operating near
the minimum throughput with process water batches in between batches of
concentrate to maintain the minimum operating velocity. A start/stop operation
should not be employed to match pipeline throughput to concentrate production.
The concentrator has the design capacity to produce up to 248.5 t/h of copper
concentrate and 204 t/h of zinc. During high grade ore campaigns, the production of
concentrate exceeds the capacity of the pipeline. The pipeline is then operated at
maximum throughput capacity while the surplus production is accumulated in the
pump station storage tanks. At the beginning of the campaign, planning is required to
ensure that the pump station storage tanks are empty. At the conclusion of the
campaign, the surplus pipeline capacity (versus concentrate production) is used to
pump the stored concentrate to the terminal.
The filter plant is basically sized to process concentrates at the same rate as they are
delivered to the terminal. Some storage is provided at the terminal for operating
flexibility and to contain delivered concentrate during upset conditions (problems at
the filter plant).
The pipeline is basically made up of two operating sections – a pumped section from
PS1 to VS1 and a gravity section from VS1 to TS1. In the first section, the mainline
pumps provide the motive force to overcome friction losses in the pipeline. In the
second section, the elevation difference between VS1 and TS1 provides the energy
required to overcome the friction losses.
The hydraulic gradient for the pipeline design condition is shown on the profile and
hydraulic gradient drawing (see Appendix F). A more complete review of the design
of the choke stations can also be found in PSI document 777-G-H-005, “Hydraulic
Design Report”.
The profile and hydraulic gradient drawing (0371-H-110) found in Appendix F also
provides a summary of the pressure limits for the pipeline. The pipe wall thickness is
selected to match the required design pressure in the line. As illustrated on the
drawing, pressures are considered for static (pipeline is shutdown on slurry) and
operating conditions. The resulting pressures are additionally calculated versus the
pipeline profile to select the required pipe wall thickness.
The table across the top of the drawing indicates the pipe wall thickness at points
along the pipeline. The pipe is telescoped (i.e., pipe wall thickness changes at many
points along the pipeline) such that the wall thickness matches the pressure
requirements taking into account the elevation of the profile at that point.
Rupture discs are provided at the valve stations to protect against overpressure of the
pipeline. Pipeline pressure just upstream of the valve stations will increase
significantly when the pipeline is shutdown. Although valve closures are timed to
prevent overpressure of the pipeline, the station valves are the most likely source of
an “overpressure” event. Thus, the rupture discs are located upstream of each station.
The rupture discs can not protect against all possible over pressure events. If flow is
blocked or partially blocked (perhaps during a pipeline restart) at a point between
stations, pressures upstream of the blockage could exceed the pipeline design
pressure. Pressure monitoring stations have been provided along the pipeline to
provide intermediate readings of pipeline pressure. The pipeline operator must
monitor these readings – particularly during startups on slurry – to ensure that
allowable pipeline pressures are not exceeded.
3.6.1 General
The concentrate pipeline is expected to transport at least four distinct products during
operations. They are listed in the table below.
Product segregation begins at the mine site storage tanks. As product is pumped from
the thickeners, the operator must identify the product and determine which tank will
be used. It is expected that all zinc concentrate will not require segregation by grade
and can be sent to either of the two storage tanks (0360-TKF-400 or 0360-TKF-401)
at any time.
Three copper tanks have been provided for storage of copper. Although any of the
tanks can be used to store any copper concentrate, they have been assigned a
preliminary service designation per the table below.
In general, a minimum of one hour of water pumping must occur between dissimilar
batches of concentrate. It is recommended that the water batch be at least two hours
to facilitate product segregation upon arrival at the terminal.
As discussed below, the SCADA system prevents switches between copper and zinc
unless the one hour minimum water batch has been put into the pipeline. However,
there is no interlock for the copper tanks. To provide operating flexibility (i.e., use
any copper tank for any product), no interlocks between tanks were programmed into
the SCADA system.
Once in the pipeline, the Pipeline AdvisorTM (see Section 3.6.3) using SCADA input
tracks the concentrate batches. Additionally, a conductivity pulse system has been
installed to provide a backup to the Pipeline AdvisorTM (see Section 3.6.4).
At the terminal, there are three receiving tanks likewise with designated concentrate
service per the table below.
The pipeline operator only makes the split between copper and zinc at the terminal
concentrate distributor (0510-STP-500). The tank to be used is selected by the port
operators who are also scheduling operations at the filter plant. Close coordination is
required between the pipeline and port operators to ensure the concentrates are
correctly routed at the terminal.
The terminal tanks drain by gravity to the filter plant. Additionally, the tanks have
sloped bottoms to facilitate flow out of the tank. It is expected that the quantity of
material remaining in a tank at the conclusion of a batch (i.e., received and filtered)
will be very small.
The principal SCADA interlock at the mine site protects from cross contamination
between copper and zinc concentrates. Valves HV-8629 (zinc) and HV-8630 (copper)
isolate the mainline pump suction header from the concentrate charge pumps. The
mainline pump suction header is the first common carrier point in the plant.
When pumping one concentrate, the valve for the opposite concentrate can not be
opened. The permissive to open the valve is one hour of water pumping through the
pipeline. The water pumping is achieved by opening the flush water line (and closing
the storage tank draw down valve) and pumping water through the charge pump into
the pipeline. The flow meter, density meter, and total pump strokes are monitored to
confirm the water pumping (i.e., the clock stops if water stops flowing for any
reason).
At the terminal concentrate distributor, there are two outlet valves (copper and zinc).
One valve must be opened at all times. Therefore, when switching from one
At the terminal there are no product interlocks. The Pipeline AdvisorTM (see Section
3.6.3) and the pipeline operator must monitor concentrate batches in the pipeline to
ensure proper routing in the terminal. The SCADA system provides the primary
information to the operator. However, a local chart recorder (UR-8636) is also
available (shows HV-8629 and HV-8630 position versus time) such that, even if the
SCADA system is lost, the pipeline operator can calculate batch position based on
start time and pumping duration.
Likewise, a chart recorder (UR-9358) has been installed in the terminal. It records
flow, density and valve positions for the concentrate distributor. This provides a hard
record of pipeline flows in the event the SCADA system is lost.
The Pipeline AdvisorTM is a SCADA supplement that assists the pipeline operators in
monitoring operations and making the necessary changes during batch pumping. A
feature installed in the Pipeline AdvisorTM software is batch tracking.
The batch tracking starts when concentrate is delivered to the storage tank. Whenever
pumping is started into a tank (tank inlet valve is opened below the moving screen),
the SCADA system will query the operator as to the product quality. Note that this is
for copper only as the zinc concentrate quality is expected to be consistent during all
phases of operation.
Default values for each copper tank have been established per the table in Section
3.6.1 above. For the swing tank, the previous operator selection is deemed to be the
default value (i.e., pumping of the same product is continuing). The Pipeline
AdvisorTM then tags the tank based on the operator selection.
If there is material in the tank that does not match the operator selection, the Pipeline
AdvisorTM will re-query the operator as to the selection to ensure it is not a mistake.
If the new concentrate selection is affirmed, the entire tank will be designated as the
new concentrate.
Whenever concentrate pumping is initiated from the tank (SCADA signal when the
draw down valve is opened), the Pipeline AdvisorTM will reconfirm the type of
concentrate being pumped (operator query). This batch will then be tagged and
tracked through the pipeline by monitoring flow and counting pump strokes.
A conductivity pulse system has been installed as a backup to the Pipeline AdvisorTM
batch tracking discussed above. In order to ensure segregation of copper and zinc
concentrates, a short batch of high conductivity water will be pumped in front of each
zinc batch.
The conductivity pulse is accomplished by injecting saturated salt water into the
process water immediately in front of the zinc batch. Salt water from 0360-ZMZ-400
is injected for 5 minutes upstream of the zinc charge pumps. This cycle is initiated by
an operator request to open a zinc tank valve. The conductivity of the water is
measured downstream of the charge pumps (CIT-8607) to confirm the strength and
duration of the pulse.
At the terminal, the pulse is measured downstream of the terminal choke station (CIT-
9359) indicating the imminent arrival of a zinc batch. Alarms similar to those for
Pipeline AdvisorTM batch tracking (see Section 3.6.3) will sound if the concentrate
distributor is not set to receive zinc.
Note that the signal from both conductivity indicators is blocked if the density meter
reads more than 1.20, in other words when slurry is in the line. If the density meter at
the terminal (DIT-9362) goes from 1.0 (water) to a higher level (above 1.20) without
a conductivity pulse, the SCADA system will assume the arriving batch is copper.
Like zinc, alarms will sound if the concentrate distributor is not set to receive copper.
Any fluid under high pressure is potentially dangerous, and slurry is particularly
dangerous because the solids suspended in the liquid produce an effect similar to
sandblasting. Maintenance, construction and operating personnel should be made
aware of the dangers of high-pressure slurry. Any slurry leak under high pressure can
begin as a minor drip and rapidly advance to a dangerous fluid cutting hazard in
minutes. Anything in its path is potentially at risk of being cut. Always be on guard
for this potential occurrence when in the vicinity of high pressure piping.
3.7.2 Wear
Some sections of the pipeline are susceptible to higher operating velocities for short
periods of operation. This includes possible slack flow areas (after pipeline high
points and downstream of valve stations). In these areas, a thicker internal liner (12
mm instead of 6 to 7 mm) has been installed to provide a wear allowance.
Additionally, the operating velocities in the 8 NPS section between VS1 and VS4 are
near the maximum recommended operating velocities. As such, a slightly thicker
liner (9 mm instead of 6 mm) was installed to provide additional protection against
erosion.
All high-pressure station piping (ANSI 1500 class) has been lined with polyurethane.
The polyurethane provides a dual function – corrosion and erosion protection.
As with the mainline pipe, station piping is subjected to corrosion from the
concentrate slurry and process water. Additionally, flow in the station is very
turbulent due to the short radius elbows, tees, chokes and valves in the station piping.
The high turbulence creates localized high velocities, which in turn can create high
erosion rates. The polyurethane has been commercially proven to resist this erosion.
3.7.4 Vibration
The mainline pumps are reciprocating machines and will introduce vibration into the
attached piping and equipment. Pulsation dampeners are provided on the suction and
discharge piping to moderate the induced vibrations. The piping design is expected to
provide adequate rigidity to resist vibration. However, it is expected that constant
vibration could shake loose bolts or wiring connections – particularly the suction and
discharge valve actuators. Routine inspections must be made of all equipment
mounted on or connected to the mainline pumps to ensure connections remain tight.
Current mining plans indicate that the Antamina concentrator will produce only one
grade of zinc concentrate. As such, the two zinc storage tanks can be operated as a
single large tank. Under normal circumstances, one tank should be filled or pumped
at a time rather than both concurrently. However, switches between tanks can be
made as required by the operator without fear of mixing concentrates.
When taking a tank out of service, recovering the concentrate is a priority. The tank
heel (remaining slurry below the 2 m level) can be pumped from one storage tank to
another using the charge pumps. As the tank level drops, the agitator must be shut off
and the charge pump speed reduced to avoid mechanical problems. Operating
experience will dictate how low each tank can be pumped – the actual level may vary
for each tank as the suction piping lengths vary.
When pumping out a tank, the receiving tank should be at least 50 percent full. This
will permit blending of the incoming concentrate. The density of this concentrate
may vary after the agitator is stopped. When the minimum pumping level is reached,
the remaining concentrate is dumped to the area sump pump which recovers the
concentrate back to the thickener.
At the completion of a particular copper batch, the swing tank can be similarly
pumped down. Piping has been installed to permit this operation concurrent to
pumping copper concentrate through the pipeline. Flush water piping has been
connected to the swing tank to facilitate water washing of the tank (if desired by the
operator).
Finally, for most of the year (more than 90% of the operating days), the concentrator
and pipeline can be operated using only one copper and one zinc tank as concentrate
production is below the maximum pipeline throughput. Under this circumstance the
pipeline can transport concentrate as it is produced. To save on power consumption,
it may be possible to shut down the agitators in the unused tanks. As discussed
above, the unused tank can be pumped down to a minimum level and “shut down”
until concentrate production rates require use of the tank.
As such, most automated sequences have stop/hold points requiring operator input to
continue. In this manner, the pipeline operator can confirm the conditions are safe for
the sequence to proceed. This manual and the SCADA sequence tables provide a
detailed description of sequences and must be understood by the pipeline operator.
When the pipeline is in operation, all automated sequences should be engaged. This
will permit the SCADA system to maximize an independent response to an
emergency situation. This is particularly critical if the pipeline operator is otherwise
involved in addressing the emergency conditions. This SCADA system provides both
automatic and one-button emergency shutdown sequences that can safely shutdown
the entire pipeline with no operator input. Disengaging these sequences can lead to
difficult, operator intensive emergency shutdowns and increased risk to damage to the
pipeline or related equipment.
Choke changing is required at VS1, VS3, and TS1 as slurry and water batches transit
the pipeline to maintain full pipe conditions. The chokes are used to dissipate surplus
head in the downhill section of the line (from roughly VS1 to the terminal).
If the pipeline is full of concentrate slurry from PS1 to TS1 (no water batches), a
steady state operating condition can be established. Steady state means that the
pipeline can operate safely and continuously without changes to the pump speed or
choke settings at VS1, VS3, and TS1. If there are slurry and water batches in the line,
choke settings will require change as the slurry water interface moves through the
pipeline. The Antamina pipeline will normally operate in the batch mode.
Changing chokes at a station can affect operating conditions along the entire pipeline.
For example, adding a choke at TS1 will increase the pressure upstream of TS1 by
adding resistance to flow in the station (a higher inlet pressure is required to achieve
the same flow through the station). Over time, the pressure increase will move back
through the pipeline, through all the intermediate stations, and be noticed at the
mainline pump discharge (assuming steady state operations). Chokes at VS1 or VS3
may have to be opened to maintain the desired pressure levels at the upstream
stations.
Note that the PSI Pipeline Simulator is also a useful tool in setting chokes at the
stations. Actual operating conditions (batch interfaces, slurry concentrations, choke
settings, and pipeline flow rate) can be entered into the model. The desired choke
change can be made in the Simulator and the model run to illustrate the impact of the
change. The Simulator can assist the operator in developing strategies to control
pipeline pressure using the chokes at VS1, VS3, and TS1.
Chokes are head dissipation devices and have been sized to remove nominally 50 m
of head. However, pressure drop across the choke is dependent on the fluid flowing
through the chokes – a higher SG results in a higher pressure drop. When water is
flowing through a choke station, the pressure drop across the chokes is about half the
pressure drop for slurry.
During most operating conditions, the slurry chokes are adequate to control pipeline
pressures. However, during some low concentrate production periods, operating
scenarios may exist where additional choking is required. The condition will occur
when the pipeline is operating at minimum flow and slurry is pushing a long water
batch down the hill and into the terminal. Engaging all the slurry chokes does not
Water chokes are sized to remove 175 m of liquid head. Thus, each loop with two
chokes removes 350 m of head – equal to seven slurry chokes. Use of the water
chokes permits the operator to establish a full pipe pressure gradient under the
operating condition discussed above.
Note that the water chokes are ceramic and thus, resistant to wear. However, they
should not be used in slurry service. The high pressure drop creates high turbulence
on slurry and will prematurely wear both the choke and the downstream piping. Flow
should be switched out of the water choke loop just prior to arrival of the slurry batch
at the station.
Batch monitoring is perhaps the most important function in the operation of the
Antamina concentrates pipeline. As the pipeline transports two products that can not
be re-segregated after they are mixed, avoiding cross-contamination is critical.
The installed system provides 3 methods to identify and calculate batches in the
pipeline and upon arrival at the terminal. They are:
• Batch tracking by the Pipeline AdvisorTM
• Conductivity pulse for tagging zinc
• Chart recorder at the pump station and terminal station for backup
The batch tracking module in the Pipeline AdvisorTM provides the primary batch
tracking feature for the pipeline. The Advisor electronically tags the concentrate
when entering the storage tank and follows it into the pipeline based on valve
positions in PS1. Once the concentrate enters the pipeline, the Advisor tracks the
position of the batch by monitoring flow and counting pump strokes. It is expected
that the arrival of a batch can be predicted within less than 2 minutes of actual arrival
(subject to final testing during commissioning).
The second system for tracking concentrate batches and avoiding cross-contamination
is a conductivity pulse system (see Section 4.1.1.4 for details of this system). The
The third system is a backup to the automatic systems. A chart recorder has been
provided at PS1 and TS1 that tracks key product segregation information. The
recorder at PS1 charts flow, density, and isolation valve position (HV-8629 for zinc
and HV-8630 for copper) versus time. This allows the pipeline operator to calculate
when the batch entered the pipeline and, based on total flow over time, where the
batch is located.
The recorder at TS1 charts density, flow and conductivity. Like the PS1 chart, the
information will permit the operators to manually calculate batch arrivals and, using
the conductivity reading, determine the batch type. This method could be used if the
Pipeline AdvisorTM should become disabled.
It is possible the concentrate slurry arriving at the storage tanks does not meet the
design conditions (see Section 3.3) for pipeline transport. This is a particular concern
during concentrator startups where operation may not be stable.
Under normal circumstances, the thickener underflow density is maximized and may
exceed the transport concentrate limits. The benefit of the high density is maximizing
storage capacity (in tonnes) of the fixed volume tanks. A density control loop is
included as part of the feed to the mainline pumps. This control allows the pipeline
operator to modulate density within the pipeline operating range. As such, high
density concentrate delivered to the storage tanks does not constitute off-specification
concentrate.
It is also likely that any deviations in concentrate quality will be of a short duration.
Natural mixing in the storage tank will temper the impact of the deviation possibly
eliminating any problems with transport of the material. Alternately, the operator can
If other test results are outside the design range for transport, consult the pipeline
engineer for appropriate actions.
Throughout the pipeline system, there are numerous valves that are locked open or
closed. As an example, manual station isolation valves are locked open. Pump
In all cases, it is fully understood that the locked valves will require operation at some
point during the operation of the pipeline. However, these instances are expected to
be very rare and require special operator attention. Close control of the locks and
keys must be maintained to ensure maximum pipeline reliability.
Pipeline start assumes the line is full of slurry and/or water and pumping is initiated.
If the line is empty, see Section 4.1.4.
Additionally, initiation of a pipeline start assumes that all equipment (or its spare) is
available and ready for use, and that any problem that initiated a pipeline shutdown
has been resolved.
The automatic sequence for pipeline startup is incomplete in that it prepares the
pipeline for operation, but the pipeline operator must initiate flow in the line.
Pipeline restart conditions will vary depending on the duration of the shutdown and
the batches of concentrate and water (length and position) in the line. Thus, a fully
automated sequence can not be developed for startups.
To initiate a pipeline startup, the pipeline operator must complete the following steps
from the main control page of the HMI:
Note that a one hour water batch is required between batches of different
concentrates. If the water batch was not pumped prior to shutdown and the operator
selects a concentrate change, the SCADA system will alarm.
The pipeline pre-start is now complete. At this point, the pipeline operator will
initiate flow in the line following a manual remote sequence (identical to portion of
the full manual remote sequence in Section 4.1.1.2). The steps are summarized in the
table below.
At the completion of this sequence, the pipeline should be placed in automatic mode
to engage the emergency shutdown sequence. Depending on the position of batches
in the line and the duration of the shutdown, the hydraulic gradient should reach
normal, full pipe conditions within about 20 to 30 minutes.
Opening the pipeline from the terminal to the pump station completes a pipeline start.
Flow is confirmed in each section to ensure the pipe is not over-pressured if there is a
problem.
The first step in a pipeline start is to determine the desired operating conditions. The
operator must select a product being pumped (though the pipeline restart is normally
completed with water), a charge pump, three mainline pumps, the choke leg to be
The table below summarizes the steps to be taken to execute a pipeline start. Note
that the sequence assumes that all systems perform properly and that an orderly
startup can be achieved. It is expected that the operator will stop and address system
problems if they are identified during the sequence.
At the completion of this sequence, the pipeline should be placed in automatic mode
to engage the emergency shutdown sequence. Depending on the position of batches
in the line and the duration of the shutdown, the hydraulic gradient should reach
normal, full pipe conditions within about 20 to 30 minutes.
The requirement for a local startup would imply that both the primary (fiber optic
cable) and secondary (radio link) communication systems were not functioning
The conductivity pulse system has been programmed into the SCADA system and is
tied to the zinc valve to the mainline pump suction header (HV-8629) and the zinc
tank valves (HV-8503 and HV-8504). When HV-8629 is open (the system is
pumping from the zinc side) and the operator selects a tank valve to open, the valve
action is delayed 5 minutes for injection of a conductivity pulse.
The SCADA system completes the injection of the salt water conductivity pulse
automatically. The injection pump is started, the pulse confirmed and the pump
stopped without operator action. The salt water tank level is recharged with process
water automatically.
The conductivity pulse is a short process water batch with salt water injected into it.
The salt water raises the conductivity of the process water. The higher conductivity is
measured at the discharge of the zinc charge pumps (CIT-8607) and the 5 minute
duration is confirmed by pump station flow (FIT-8623). After confirmation of the
pulse, the SCADA system will indicate the salt water sequence is completed and
permit opening of the selected zinc tank valve.
The conductivity pulse is detected upon arrival at the terminal (CIT-9359). The
SCADA system will alarm if terminal distribution valves are not properly set to
receive zinc concentrate.
If pumping of a one hour water batch is not feasible, water pumping should be
initiated prior to shutdown to flush all pump station equipment. Five minutes of
water pumping should be adequate to flush through the mainline pumps.
The preferred normal shutdown method for the pipeline is the use of a pre-
programmed automatic sequence. This ensures the pipeline is safely shut down with
minimum risk of over-pressuring the line while minimizing the chance for slack
conditions. Significant slack conditions at the pipeline high points and downstream
of valve stations can result in damage to the pipeline or chokes during restart. Using
the automated sequence will provide the best shutdown results.
After completing the desired water pumping (one hour minimum is recommended),
the operator can initiate the automatic shutdown sequence via the HMI.
• Operator initiates the automatic shutdown sequence by stopping the
mainline pumps
• Operator completes the sequence by closing the pipeline
Following the operator initiation, the SCADA system will shut down all pipeline
facilities using a pre-programmed sequence. The automatic shutdown will shut down
and isolate the operating mainline pumps, close the wear and seal valve at all stations,
and shut down the operating charge pumps. The SCADA system provides a one-
button stop command for the entire system.
As discussed above, the preferred shutdown method is using the automatic sequence
to protect the pipeline. If for some reason the automatic sequence is not available
(PLC problems), the following sequence can be followed. This sequence is more
conservative than the automatic sequence and will result in lower pipeline shutdown
pressures (larger slack zones).
After completing the desired water pumping (one hour minimum is recommended),
the operator can complete the pipeline shutdown by completing the following
sequence.
At the completion of this sequence, the pipeline is shutdown and ready for re-start.
Pressures along the pipeline must be monitored to ensure they hold steady. Drops or
increases in observed pressure could indicate leaking valves.
The requirement for a local shutdown would imply that both the primary (fiber optic
cable) and secondary (radio link) communication systems were not functioning
properly. It is not recommended that the pipeline be operated for an extended period
without this communication system (see Section 4.3.5).
If pressure data is not available or reliable, the following sequence should be followed
to shutdown the pipeline in local mode. In each case, it is assumed that the local
operator will first shut the wear valve then the seal valve.
Emergency shutdown of the pipeline can be initiated from two locations – through the
HMI by the pipeline operator and at the mainline pumps. These two emergency stops
are discussed in the following sections.
If the pipeline operator initiates an emergency shutdown, the SCADA system will
immediately ramp down all operating mainline pumps. The SCADA system will then
shut down all pipeline facilities using a pre-programmed sequence (basically identical
to the automated shutdown discussed in Section 4.1.2.1). The automatic shutdown
will shut down and isolate the operating mainline pumps, close the wear and seal
valve at all stations, and shut down the operating charge pumps. Effectively, the
emergency shutdown follows the same sequence as the planned shutdown to protect
the pipeline.
For normal shutdowns, the shutdown sequence is initiated after water pumping. After
an emergency shutdown, all pump station piping and equipment may be full of slurry
(depending on status when the shutdown was initiated). If slurry is present, the
An emergency stop for the pipeline can be initiated from the mainline pumps in two
ways – if all pumps go offline (low suction pressure shutdown, power failure, etc.) or
manually at the local pump control panels by the station operator.
If the mainline pumps trip (shutdown), the charge pumps and mainline pump
auxiliaries may or may not be running and the pipeline will remain open. As some
mainline pump trips can be very short in nature (high voltage power dip to the pump
AFD’s), the pipeline operator may want to immediately restart the pumps. Therefore,
mainline pump trips will not automatically shutdown the charge pumps and close the
pipeline valves.
If the mainline pumps trip, the SCADA system should remain operational in all cases
(the SCADA system is connected to the concentrator UPS). The SCADA system will
query the pipeline operator if a system shutdown is required. If the operator elects to
shutdown the entire system, the preprogrammed shutdown sequence (see Section
4.1.2.1) will be completed by the SCADA system.
If the pipeline operator plans a quick restart, the system shutdown would be rejected.
If there is no response to the query, the SCADA system will initiate the sequence after
5 minutes. This function has been installed in the event the pipeline operator is
addressing other emergency conditions at the time of the mainline pump trip. A timer
is installed on the main pipeline control page to alert the operator of an impending
automatic shutdown.
A mainline pump initiated shutdown can also be initiated from any local mainline
pump panel. Each panel has been equipped with an emergency “all-stop” button. If
pushed by the station operator, all operating mainline pumps will automatically shut
down as well as all mainline pump auxiliaries. However, like the mainline pump trip,
other system components (charge pumps and station valves) will not be automatically
shut down. Again, the SCADA system will query the pipeline operator as to whether
a complete system shutdown will be required and follow the same protocol for
delaying or initiating a shutdown.
As slurry and water batches transit the pipeline and throughput varies, the number of
chokes required for head dissipation will change. This section summarizes the
sequences to change the number of chokes at VS1, VS3, and TS1.
VS1, VS3 and TS1 are all equipped with automatic choke changing sequences. In
each station, the operator can select a number of chokes to engage. The SCADA
system will automatically open and close valves to move from the current condition to
the operator set point. To complete the change, the following steps are taken:
The SCADA system will display a dialog box showing the current conditions
(number of chokes engaged).
Following the operator entry, the SCADA system will automatically adjust the valves
in the selected station to meet the operator specified condition.
Note that water chokes are installed at VS3 and TS1 (FO-9270A&B, FO-9271A&B,
FO-9368A&B, and FO-9371A&B). During some operations (low throughput rate and
slurry pushing a water batch) significant head dissipation may be required to maintain
full pipe conditions. These chokes are designed to provide extra head dissipation
when water is passing through the station.
As the use of these chokes will be infrequent and occurs during unique operating
conditions, the water chokes are not part of the automated choke changing sequence.
The pipeline operator will engage and disengage these chokes as required by the
pipeline operation.
The sections below provide the valve settings required at each choke station. When
making the switch manually, the following procedures should apply to transition from
the existing setup to the desired setup.
• When switching from one fixed choke leg to the other, always open the
new leg prior to closing the currently flowing leg
• When switching choke loops, always open the new loop prior to closing
the currently flowing loop
• In general, the isolation valves on the fixed choke legs (downstream of the
chokes) should remain open unless the wear/seal valve combination is
leaking or the leg is being isolated for maintenance.
The table below summarizes the valve positions at VS1 to achieve the desired number
of chokes at the station.
Number of chokes 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
HV-9203 O O O O C C O O O O C C
HV-9204 O O C C C C O O C C C C
HV-9205 O C O C O C O C O C O C
HV-9206/9207 O O O O O O C C C C C C
HV-9216/9217 C C C C C C O O O O O O
O = open, C = closed
The table below summarizes the valve positions at VS3 to achieve the desired number
of chokes at the station.
Number of chokes 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
HV-9264 O O O O C C O O O O C C
HV-9265 O O C C C C O O C C C C
HV-9266 O C O C O C O C O C O C
HV-9267/9268 O O O O O O C C C C C C
HV-9277/9278 C C C C C C O O O O O O
O = open, C = closed
The above table does not include the water chokes at VS3 that are engaged by closing
HV-9262 and/or HV-9263.
The table below summarizes the valve positions at TS1 to achieve the desired number
of chokes at the station.
Number of chokes 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 12 13 14 15 16
HV-9352 O O O O C C O O O O C C
HV-9353 O O C C C C O O C C C C
HV-9354 O C O C O C O C O C O C
HV-9355/9356 O O O O O O C C C C C C
HV-9375/9376 C C C C C C O O O O O O
O = open, C = closed
Note that to avoid cavitation, the last chokes in each fixed choke leg are larger in
diameter (less pressure drop) than the others along the pipeline. Due to this feature,
there is no 10 choke option as the transition from 9 to 11 is smaller than it would be at
the other stations.
The above table does not include the water chokes at TS1 that are engaged by closing
HV-9367 and/or HV-9370.
Choke changing at VS1, VS3, and TS1 can be accomplished using the operator
interface at each station. The valve actuators are equipped with a lockout feature that
does not permit local operation of the station valves. This feature is designed to
protect against accidental or purposeful closure of an incorrect valve that could
overpressure the pipeline.
In order to operate the station valves to change chokes from the local panel, the
following steps must be taken:
The following sequences provide normal pipeline filling and draining procedures.
Under normal operating conditions, the pipeline should be filled or drained on water
(i.e., the pipeline or section contains or will contain process water). Filling or draining
the pipeline or a section on/with slurry should be avoided. This operation may be
required in certain emergency situations as discussed in Section 4.3.9.
When filling the entire pipeline, process water is introduced at the mainline pumps
and delivered to the pipeline. As there is no back pressure on the pumps (the pipeline
is empty), the discharge pressure of the pumps will be very low. Thus, the discharge
dampener pre-charge should set at not more than 2,000 kPa to permit safe, smooth
operation of the pumps.
The table below provides a sequence for filling the mainline pipe. It is assumed that
the pipe is filled using the flush water connections at the mainline pump suction.
Close wear and seal valve at VS2 VS2 HV-9242 and HV-9243
Continue pumping until upstream PIT-9241
VS2
pressure at VS2 reaches 6000 kPa
Close wear and seal valves at VS1 VS1 HV-9216 and HV-9217
Continue pumping until upstream PIT-9201
VS1
pressure at VS1 reaches 6000 kPa
At this point, pumping can be paused to prepare the next section of line to be filled
up to TS1. It is not required to pause water pumping but pipeline pressures must
be monitored carefully.
Ensure both wear and seal valves are HV-9355 and HV-9366
TS1
closed at TS1 HV-9375 and HV-9376
Open vent/drain valve at TS1 TS1 vent valve near HV-9389
Open wear and seal valves at VS4 VS4 HV-9302 and HV-9303
Open wear and seal valves at VS3 VS3 HV-9277 and HV-9278
Open wear and seal valves at VS2 VS2 HV-9242 and HV-9243
Open wear and seal valves at VS1 VS1 HV-9216 and HV-9217
Resume pumping if paused 0360-PPP-416
0360-PPP-417
PS1
0360-PPP-418
0360-PPP-419
When water starts coming out of vent valve near HV-9389
TS1
vent valve at TS1, close it
Continue pumping until upstream PIT-9351
TS1
pressure at TS1 reaches 4000 kPa
Close wear and seal valves at VS4 VS4 HV-9302 and HV-9303
Continue pumping until pressure PIT-9301
VS4
upstream of VS4 reaches 8000 kPa
Close wear and seal valves at VS3 VS3 HV-9277 and HV-9278
Continue pumping until upstream PIT-9261
VS3
pressure at VS3 reaches 6000 kPa
Close wear and seal valves at VS2 VS2 HV-9242 and HV-9243
Continue pumping until upstream PIT-9241
VS2
pressure at VS2 reaches 6000 kPa
Close wear and seal valves at VS1 VS1 HV-9216 and HV-9217
Continue pumping until upstream PIT-9201
VS1
pressure at VS1 reaches 6000 kPa
Shut down mainline pumps PS1 0360-PPP-416
At this point, the pipeline is pressurized and nearly filled with water. It is likely that
air pockets will exist at local high points along the pipeline. It is recommended that
the pipeline be operated at steady state on water to move the air out the end of the
line.
Note also that the water supply for pipeline filling can also be delivered to the
mainline pumps through the copper or zinc charge pumps using the flush water valve
(HV-8543).
Specific valve locations and sequences can be pulled from the overall sequence above
to fill a given section.
Note that it is possible that short sections of the line are drained within a complete
station-to-station section. However, this is a unique event and special procedures
must be developed for filling the line.
When draining the entire pipeline, process water is drained at PS1 and TS1. The
pipeline high point is at PMS2. Water will directionally drain from this point back to
If the entire pipeline is to be drained, it is recommended that the water is pushed out
of the line using compressed air to push the pig through the line. The procedures for
pigging can be found in Section 4.1.5.
Some sections of the pipeline can be drained fairly well by gravity due to the general
down slope between stations. Draining of these sections can be accomplished by
opening a vent/drain valve at the down hill station to drain the water into the
emergency pond where it can be recovered. A vent/drain valve at the up hill station is
also opened to permit air entrance to the line speeding the drain down process. The
table below summarizes the principle pipeline sections and the actions that should be
taken to drain them:
As with pipeline filling, short sections of pipe may be drained for specific repairs.
Special procedures are required to complete these activities. The ability to drain a
particular section will depend on the final pipeline profile.
When pigging the line, it is recommended that only one section of the line is pigged at
a time. If problems develop during pigging (stuck pig, debris in the line, etc.), the
operator has only one problem area. Additionally, pigs should be kept moving in the
line. If a problem develops with one pig, all the others in the line must be stopped. It
is possible to use multiple pigs in the same section if required for cleanings or
inspection.
Pipeline pigging should always be done with water. If the line is being pigged due to
a build-up in pressure drop along the line (possibly caused by settled solids in the
The table below summarizes the steps required to pig the pipeline from PS1 to VS1.
This procedure assumes that the pipeline is full of water and shut down.
It is possible that when the receiver is opened, the pig will be found wedged in the tee
just upstream of the receiver. To push it into the launcher, close the receiver and
drain valve, open the station isolation valve, close the station isolation valve and drain
the receiver. The initial draining will create a low pressure air pocket into which the
pipeline pressure will push the pig.
The pigging of the PS1 to VS1 section is now complete and the pipeline ready to be
returned to service.
The table below summarizes the steps required to pig the pipeline from VS1 to VS3.
This procedure assumes that the pipeline is full of water and shut down.
It is possible that when the receiver is opened, the pig will be found wedged in the tee
just upstream of the receiver. To push it into the launcher, close the receiver and
drain valve, open the station isolation valve, close the station isolation valve and drain
the receiver. The initial draining will create a low pressure air pocket into which the
pipeline water pressure will push the pig.
The pigging of the VS1 to VS3 section is now complete and the pipeline ready to be
returned to service.
The table below summarizes the steps required to pig the pipeline from VS3 to TS1.
This procedure assumes that the pipeline is full of water and shut down.
It is possible that when the receiver is opened, the pig will be found wedged in the tee
just upstream of the receiver. To push it into the launcher, close the receiver and
drain valve, open the station isolation valve, close the station isolation valve and drain
The pigging of the VS3 to TS1 section is now complete and the pipeline ready to be
returned to service.
This section discusses operations involving storage tanks. Some of these sequences
below may be part of larger sequences included elsewhere in this manual.
The following sequences should be followed to fill the copper storage tanks.
The table below summarizes the steps to initiate copper storage tank filling. It is
assumed that the copper thickener (0340-TKF-067) is operating in re-circulation
mode at the start of this sequence.
All of the above steps can be completed locally with the exception of opening/
changing the selected tank fill valves. These valves are only operated through the
SCADA system to keep preprogrammed interlocks activated. Once the tank valve has
been selected, the remaining steps of the manual remote sequence can be completed
with all equipment operating in local mode.
Zinc concentrate is delivered from the zinc thickener (0340-TKF-071) to the zinc
storage tanks using thickener underflow pumps (0340-PPS-071 and 0340-PPS-072).
While the pipeline operator is responsible for thickener operations, the control systems are
independent. HMI’s for both systems are available in the pipeline control room.
The following sequences should be followed to fill the zinc storage tanks.
The table below summarizes the steps to initiate zinc storage tank filling. It is
assumed that the zinc thickener (0340-TKF-071) is operating in re-circulation mode
at the start of this sequence.
The table below assumes that a 1 hour water batch is inserted between all copper tank
switches. If the tanks contain the same material, the wait step can be eliminated.
However, when switching to and from the swing tank (0360-TKF-407), it is necessary
to confirm that the water has reached the mainline pumps (DI-8621 reads 1.0) before
completing the switch to confirm pipe flushing.
Additionally, the valve sequence for switching to and from the swing tank varies
depending on which charge pump is in use. The base sequence in the table below
assumes 0360-PPS-412 is in use – the alternate (in parenthesis) provides the sequence
for 0360-PPS-413.
FROM→
0360-TKF-405 0360-TKF-406 0360-TKF-407
TO↓
Open HV-8543 Open HV-8543
Close HV-8524 Close HV-8535
Wait 1 hour Wait 1 hour or
0360-TKF-405 Open HV-8523 DI-8621 = 1.0
Close HV-8543 Open HV-8540
Open HV-8545
(or Open HV-8548)
FROM→
0360-TKF-400 0360-TKF-401
TO↓
Open HV-8503
0360-TKF-400
Close HV-8505
Open HV-8504
0360-TKF-401
Close HV-8503
The sequences summarized above for manual remote tank switching can be
completed by locally operating all valves. If the switch is to be made locally, two
operators are required – one to operate the valves in the tank area and one to monitor
the pressures and flow at the pumps. Any problems noted by the operator in the pump
station must be reported to the tank area operator and flush water flow should be
immediately initiated.
Product switching from copper to zinc or zinc to copper is required when both
concentrates are being produced in the concentrator. The pipeline is operated in batch
mode with water batches inserted between the zinc and copper batches to mitigate
product cross-contamination. A pumping schedule should be developed in
conjunction with the concentrator operations (i.e., assess ore quality and concentrate
production rate) to minimize product switches.
Upon operator initiation of the product switch, the SCADA system automatically
opens the flush water valve and closes the tank isolation valve for the concentrate
being pumped. Water is fed to the pipeline through the same charge pump that was
pumping concentrate prior to the operator action. After 60 minutes of water pumping
(confirmed by pump station flow and density meters), the SCADA system alerts the
operator that the product switch can be continued.
The minimum water batch between two dissimilar concentrate batches is 60 minutes
– 1 hour. There is no minimum water batch requirement between two identical
concentrate batches. However, unless there is a severe shortage of tank space at the
pump station, a 2 hour minimum water batch should be pumped between dissimilar
concentrates. This facilitates product segregation at the terminal and mitigates cross-
contamination between the batches.
Note that the SCADA system will not allow water batches of 4 to 8 hours as
pumping of water batches of this length could lead to pipeline overpressure.
At the conclusion of the 1 hour wait, the SCADA system will alert the operator that
the switch can proceed. The system will alert the operator again at 2 hours, 4 hours
(just before the automatic block is imposed) and 8 hours. To continue the product
switch, the following action must be taken:
The SCADA system then opens the water supply valve to the new concentrate charge
pump, opens the charge pump isolation valves and starts the pump. Once the pump is
running, the SCADA system opens the main isolation valve to the mainline pump
The SCADA system then closes the main isolation valve of the concentrate pumping
just completed. The SCADA system then shuts down the charge pump, closes the
isolation valves, and shuts the water valve. When this is complete, the SCADA
system opens the tank valve of the tank previously selected by the operator and closes
the water valve. The new concentrate is delivered to the pipeline.
The above sequence can be completed via the operator workstation as a step-by-step
sequence. The table below summarizes the step by step switching. Again, if the
pumps are operating on water, see Section 4.1.
At the conclusion of the above sequence, concentrate pumping has been switched
from one product to the other and the pipeline will be controlled at density and flow
rates set prior to initiation of the switch. These set-points will have to be adjusted, if
required, at the conclusion of the product switch.
There is no local operation allowed for product switching. Valves HV-8629 and HV-
8630 can not be operated locally (they are locked into the remote position) as this
would jeopardize the product segregation in the pipeline. If local operation of these
valves is required, it should be coordinated through the pipeline superintendent.
Under normal circumstances, the tank being drained is pumped down to a minimum
level by transferring as much concentrate as possible to another tank (see Section
3.8.1.4). Then the remaining heel can be drained to the area sump. The area sump
recycles the concentrate back to the appropriate thickener (copper or zinc). It is
unlikely that all the concentrate will drain out of the tank or freely flow to the sumps –
some solids deposition is likely. Therefore, the tank and impoundment will need to
be flushed after draining is complete. The following drain valves should be opened to
drain the indicated tanks.
Under very rare circumstances, it may be necessary to drain a full or partially full
tank. This could occur if the tank was filled with overly coarse concentrate not
suitable for pipeline transport. If the concentrate can not be blended (see Section
3.8.6), it will have to be drained from the tank and managed differently.
To recycle the coarse material to the regrind circuit, the tank is drained to the area
sump. The discharge of the sump pump is routed to the regrind circuit (instead of the
thickener – it is the same line). If a large volume of slurry must be drained from a
tank to the sump, temporary piping or a hose should be routed from the tank drain
directly to the sump to minimize clean-up. Flow to the regrind circuit will be limited
depending on current concentrator production.
Note that the tank drain valve should not be used for throttling as this will cause
premature wear and failure of the valve. An on-off operation must be used to control
the flow to the area sump.
To dewater the concentrate for mechanical recovery and transport, the tank must be
drained to the impoundment. Note that the sump pump should be temporarily shutoff
during the initial draining. The tank should be drained to fill the designated side of
the impoundment (copper or zinc).
Note that each side of the impoundment will not contain an entire tank volume of
slurry. As the concentrate is dewatered, additional storage volume becomes available.
An on-off operation of the drain valve will be required.
Once the impoundment is filled, the solids will settle and the water will run to the
sump where it is returned to the thickener (likely with some fines). The concentrate
should be allowed to dry in the impoundment after which it can be mechanically
recovered and transported by truck. A ramp has been provided to each side of the
impoundment for equipment access.
It may be necessary during plant operations to pump from one storage tank to another.
The sections below cover the steps required to complete these operations.
Note that it is not possible to pump from copper tanks to zinc tanks or vice versa.
However, it is possible to re-circulate copper tanks while pumping zinc concentrate
(or water) through the pipeline and vice versa.
As discussed above, some portions of this sequence can be completed remotely by the
pipeline operator via the HMI. However, most actions must be done locally so the
sequence is assumed to be a local sequence. Copper concentrate pumping from 0360-
TKF-405 or 0360-TKF-406 can not occur during re-circulation operations. It is
assumed that the charge pumps are not operating when the tank re-circulation
sequence is started.
Either charge pump can be used for re-circulating the tanks. For the sequence below,
0360-PPS-412 is assumed to be used with operations for 0360-PPS-413 in
parenthesis.
FROM→
0360-TKF-405 0360-TKF-406
TO↓
Open HV-8526 Open HV-8526
Close HV-8528 Close HV-8528
Open HV-8558 Open HV-8558
Confirm HV-8568 closed Confirm HV-8568 closed
Open HV-8523 Open HV-8524
Open HS-8704 Open HS-8704
0360-TKF-405 (or Open HS-8705) (or Open HS-8705)
Open HV-8545 Open HV-8545
(or Open HV-8548) (or Open HV-8548)
Start 0360-PPS-412 Start 0360-PPS-412
(or Start 0360-PPS-413) (or Start 0360-PPS-413)
Open HV-8554 Open HV-8554
(or Open HV-8553) (or Open HV-8553)
0360-TKF-406 Open HV-8528 Open HV-8528
As discussed above, some portions of this sequence can be completed remotely by the
pipeline operator via the HMI. However, most actions must be done locally so the
sequence is assumed to be a local sequence. Zinc concentrate pumping from 0360-
TKF-400 or 0360-TKF-401 can not occur during re-circulation operations. It is
assumed that the charge pumps are not operating when the tank re-circulation
sequence is started.
Either charge pump can be used for re-circulating the tanks. For the sequence below,
0360-PPS-410 is assumed to be used with operations for 0360-PPS-411 in
parenthesis.
As discussed above, some portions of this sequence can be completed remotely by the
pipeline operator via the HMI. However, most actions must be done locally so the
sequence is assumed to be a local sequence. Copper concentrate pumping from 0360-
TKF-407 can not occur during re-circulation operations. It is assumed that the charge
pumps are not operating when the tank re-circulation sequence is started.
Either charge pump can be used for re-circulating the tanks. For the sequence below,
0360-PPS-412 is assumed to be used with operations for 0360-PPS-413 in
parenthesis.
TO→
0360-TKF-405 0360-TKF-406
FROM↓
Open HV-8526 Open HV-8526
Close HV-8528 Close HV-8528
Open HV-8558 Open HV-8558
Confirm HV-8568 closed Confirm HV-8568 closed
Open HV-8535 Open HV-8535
Open HS-8704 Open HS-8704
0360-TKF-407 (or Open HS-8705) (or Open HS-8705)
Open HV-8545 Open HV-8545
(or Open HV-8548) (or Open HV-8548)
Start 0360-PPS-412 Start 0360-PPS-412
(or Start 0360-PPS-413) (or Start 0360-PPS-413)
Open HV-8554 Open HV-8554
(or Open HV-8553) (or Open HV-8553)
The test loop is designed to simulate operating conditions in the pipeline. Pumping
concentrate through the test loop (and back to the storage tank) provides valuable data
regarding the transport of concentrates. The test loop will be used to validate
operating parameters during the initial pipeline startup and when new grades or types
of concentrate (bornite, for example) are introduced for transport.
All test loop valves are manual requiring specific operator setup to run the loop. The
charge pumps and some tank valves can be operated remotely once the manual valves
have been setup for the test. Operation of the test loop is expected to be a coordinated
activity between the pipeline operator who controls the remotely available equipment,
the outside operator who actuates the manual valves, and the process engineer that
administers the test.
There is only one test loop for both copper and zinc. As such, there is a possibility for
cross-contamination through the loop. The outside operator must double check the
position of all valves to avoid mixing copper and zinc concentrates.
The following steps should be followed to operate the test loop on copper concentrate.
Note that a recirculation line has not been installed to the swing tank (0360-TKF-407)
as test loop operation was only installed for high and low bismuth copper concentrate
at this time.
At the conclusion of testing, the test loop is full of water and isolated from the
process.
The following steps should be followed to operate the test loop on zinc concentrate.
At the conclusion of testing, the test loop is full of water and isolated from the
process.
Three sumps have been installed as part of this project – a copper area sump, a zinc
area sump and a mainline pump building sump. The following sections discuss
operating options for these pumps.
To prevent inadvertent improper routing of sump flows, all valves are manual and
locked in position. Therefore, all sump operations must be completed in local mode.
The copper storage tank area is sloped to an area sump with sump pump 0360-PPS-
415 located inside the pump building. This sump is expected to normally collect
mostly water (rainwater and linear screen flush water) with a very small amount of
copper concentrate. Therefore, the discharge of this sump is routed back to the
copper concentrate thickener through valve HV-8564.
The sump pump will start automatically when the liquid level in the sump reaches 700
mm and shut off when the level drops to 500 mm. Valve HV-8564 is locked open to
prevent accidental or inadvertent closure of the valve blocking flow from the pump.
Seal water is required for this pump. Since the pump is expected to stop and start
automatically, valve HS-8706 should remain open at all times.
The copper area sump can also pump to the copper storage tanks, the copper regrind
circuit, and to tailings. Those procedures are summarized below.
The copper area sump pump can return copper concentrate to the storage tanks. This
should only be done if a large volume of on-specification concentrate has been spilled
(such as a tank rupture or overflow). Do not return off-specification or dilute slurry to
the storage tank.
To route the pump discharge to the storage tank, complete the following steps (note
that it is likely that the sump pump will be running during this operation due to the
large spill).
When the containment area has been pumped out, the valves should be returned to
their original position. It is likely that residual spilled concentrate that does not freely
flow to the sump will remain in the impoundment. This should be washed with a
hose into the sump. Do not pump washed material to the storage tank. This material
must be sent to the copper concentrate thickener.
The copper area sump can return copper concentrate to the copper regrind circuit at
the concentrator. This should only be done if off-specification (too coarse)
concentrate has been spilled or dumped to the impoundment area. Close coordination
with concentrator operators is required to ensure ongoing production is not impacted.
The sump pump is sized to deliver a maximum of 50 m3/h of concentrate to the
regrind circuit.
The return line to the copper regrind circuit is common with the line to the copper
thickener at the pump station (i.e., pump through HV-8564). At the copper thickener,
the following steps are required to route pump discharge to the regrind circuit.
Note that all coarse material should be washed from the impoundment into the sump
and returned to the regrind circuit before returning pump discharge to the thickener.
Once this operation is complete, return the valves to their original position.
The copper area sump pump can deliver material from the impoundment to tailings.
This operation is expected to be extremely rare (if it ever is required at all). Copper
concentrate would only be pumped to tailings if it was contaminated with zinc
concentrate or if the concentrator process engineer determined that it could not be
recovered.
Note that ramps have been constructed into the impoundment to permit entry of a
small front-end loader. If the copper concentrate can not be recycled at the
concentrator, it could be allowed to de-water, mechanically removed, trucked to
Huarmey, and slowly blended into on-specification dry concentrate.
The following steps should be taken to route the discharge of the copper area sump to
the tailings pond.
Note that all off-specification material should be washed from the impoundment into
the sump and pumped to tailings before returning pump discharge to the thickener.
Once this operation is complete, return the valves to their original position.
To prevent inadvertent improper routing of sump flows, all valves are manual and
locked in position. Therefore, all sump operations must be completed in local mode.
The zinc storage tank area is sloped to an area sump with sump pump 0360-PPS-414
located inside the pump building. This sump is expected to normally collect mostly
water (rainwater and linear screen flush water) with a very small amount of zinc
concentrate. Therefore, the discharge of this sump is routed back to the zinc
concentrate thickener through valve HV-8604.
The sump pump will start automatically when the liquid level in the sump reaches 700
mm and shut off when the level drops to 500 mm. Valve HV-8604 is locked open to
prevent accidental or inadvertent closure of the valve blocking flow from the pump.
Seal water is required for this pump. Since the pump is expected to stop and start
automatically, valve HS-8703 should remain open at all times.
The zinc area sump can also pump to the zinc storage tanks, the zinc regrind circuit
and to tailings. Those procedures are summarized below.
The zinc area sump pump can return zinc concentrate to the storage tanks. This
should only be done if a large volume of on-specification concentrate has been spilled
(such as a tank rupture or overflow). Do not return off-specification or dilute slurry to
the storage tank.
To route the pump discharge to the storage tank, complete the following steps (note
that it is likely that the sump pump will be running during this operation due to the
large spill).
When the containment area has been pumped out, the valves should be returned to
their original position. It is likely that residual spilled concentrate that does not freely
flow to the sump will remain in the impoundment. This should be washed with a
hose into the sump. Do not pump washed material to the storage tank. This material
must be sent to the zinc concentrate thickener.
The zinc area sump can return zinc concentrate to the zinc regrind circuit at the
concentrator. This should only be done if off-specification (too coarse) concentrate
has been spilled or dumped to the impoundment area. Close coordination with
concentrator operators is required to ensure ongoing production is not impacted. The
sump pump is sized to deliver a maximum of 50 m3/h of concentrate to the regrind
circuit.
The return line to the zinc regrind circuit is common with the line to the zinc
thickener at the pump station (i.e., pump through HV-8604). At the zinc thickener,
the following steps are required to route pump discharge to the regrind circuit.
Note that all coarse material should be washed from the impoundment into the sump
and returned to the regrind circuit before returning pump discharge to the thickener.
Once this operation is complete, return the valves to their original position.
The zinc area sump pump can deliver material from the impoundment to tailings.
This operation is expected to be extremely rare (if it ever is required at all). Zinc
concentrate would only be pumped to tailings if it was contaminated with copper
concentrate or if the concentrator process engineer determined that it could not be
recovered.
Note that ramps have been constructed into the impoundment to permit entry of a
small front-end loader. If the zinc concentrate can not be recycled at the concentrator,
it could be allowed to de-water, mechanically removed, trucked to Huarmey, and
slowly blended into on-specification dry concentrate.
The following steps should be taken to route the discharge of the zinc area sump to
the tailings pond.
Note that all off-specification material should be washed from the impoundment into
the sump and pumped to tailings before returning pump discharge to the thickener.
Once this operation is complete, return the valves to their original position.
When the pump station spill has been pumped out, the valves should be returned to
their original position. It is likely that residual spilled concentrate that does not freely
flow to the sump will remain in the pump station. This should be washed with a hose
into the sump and should be recovered to the copper area sump prior to resetting the
valves.
When the pump station spill has been pumped out, the valves should be returned to
their original position. It is likely that residual spilled concentrate that does not freely
flow to the sump will remain in the pump station. This should be washed with a hose
into the sump and should be recovered to the zinc area sump prior to resetting the
valves.
Charge pump switching refers to changing from one operating concentrate charge
pump to another in the same concentrate. Switching from zinc to copper (or vice
versa concentrate) is covered in section 4.2.2 above.
Switching from one copper concentrate charge pump to the other may be required
from time to time while the pipeline is operating. It is not necessary to shutdown the
FROM→
0360-PPS-412 0360-PPS-413
TO↓
Open HS-8704
Open HV-8545
(or Open HV-8546)
Start 0360-PPS-412
Open HV-8556
Close HV-8555
0360-PPS-412 Check operations (see below)
Stop 0360-PPS-413
Close HV-8548
(or Close HV-8547)
Flush 0360-PPS-413
(see Section 4.2.8)
Close HS-8705
Open HS-8705
Open HV-8548
(or Open HV-8547)
Start 0360-PPS-413
Open HV-8555
Close HV-8556
0360-PPS-413 Check operations (see below)
Stop 0360-PPS-412
Close HV-8545
(or Close HV-8546)
Flush 0360-PPS-412
(see Section 4.2.8)
Close HS-8704
When changing pumps, the spare pump is brought on line while the operating pump
remains on line. Subsequently, the discharge valve of the operating pump is closed
before the pump is shutdown to confirm the newly started spare is performing
FROM→
0360-PPS-410 0360-PPS-411
TO↓
Open HS-8701
Open HV-8583
Start 0360-PPS-410
Open HV-8596
Close HV-8595
0360-PPS-410 Check operations (see below)
Stop 0360-PPS-411
Close HV-8584
Flush 0360-PPS-411
(see Section 4.2.8)
Close HS-8702
When changing pumps, the spare pump is brought on line while the operating pump
remains on line. Subsequently, the discharge valve of the operating pump is closed
before the pump is shutdown to confirm the newly started spare is performing
adequately. If there is a problem, the valve can be re-opened to maintain the flow to
the mainline pumps.
Note that it is also necessary to close the pump discharge valve prior to pump
shutdown to prevent re-circulation of slurry backwards through the pump when it is
stopped. While operating the charge pumps against a closed discharge is permissible
for short periods, this operation should be minimized to prevent premature wear of
the pump internals.
The above sequence can be completed locally at the pumps and valves. However,
during the switch, the operator must monitor delivery of the concentrate to the
mainline pumps. As such, it is easier and faster to monitor operating conditions and
respond to upset conditions via the operator work station. Therefore, it is not
recommended that this operation be completed in local mode.
There is no automatic or manual remote sequence to flush the charge pumps – it must
be done locally. The procedure summarized below can be used to flush all of the
The charge pump is now flushed and ready for future use or can be drained for
maintenance.
Under normal operating circumstances, three mainline pumps are required when
transporting slurry or water through the pipeline. Mainline pump switching
comprises taking one of the operating pumps off line and replacing it with the standby
unit.
The automatic sequence for mainline pump switching is prompted in that the
sequence will request operator confirmation at intermediate steps prior to continuing.
The following steps are required to complete the mainline pump switch:
• Operator selects mainline pump switch function.
• Operator selects mainline pump to take off line.
• Operator selects mainline pump to bring on line (this pump must in a shut
down but available status).
• Operator starts the mainline pump switch.
At this point, the SCADA system will pre-start the selected standby pump and open
the suction and discharge isolation valves. When these activities are successfully
The SCADA system will ramp down the pump selected for shutdown while ramping
up the standby pump. When the change is complete, the operator will be asked to
confirm continuation of the sequence. The operator should verify that the standby
pump is operating correctly prior to continuing.
The SCADA system will shut down the mainline pump auxiliaries and close the
suction and discharge valve. The operator will then be required to flush the pump (if
it was shut down on slurry) per Section 4.2.10.
A mainline pump switch can also be done in manual remote mode. The sequences are
summarized in the table below. Note that the actions are summarized for each pump
though in reality only one pump will be started or stopped for each switch. The
actions required to complete the sequence can be found under each pump number.
Actions that do not apply to any individual pump are highlighted.
The table below assumes that three mainline pumps are operating and that one of the
operating pumps will be shutdown while the standby pump is brought on line.
It is not recommended that the mainline pump switch be performed in local mode. To
complete the switch, an operator will be needed at the control panel for each pump
and must also be able to monitor overall pump station parameters (flow rate, pump
discharge pressure, etc.).
The sequence summarized above can be used as a basis. However, if a local pump
switch is required, a situation specific procedure should be developed to ensure a
smooth transition.
Under extreme circumstances (only with approval of the pipeline manager), operation
with only two pumps during the switch can be considered. See section 4.3.2.2 for
additional information.
Mainline pump flushing is required when one (or all) mainline pump(s) is (are)
shutdown on slurry. This usually occurs when a single pump is taken off line for
maintenance but can also occur during emergency shutdowns.
For planned shutdowns, water pumping should be initiated prior to shutdown of the
pumps (see Section 4.1.2) such that flushing is not required.
When flushing a mainline pump, the pump should be shutdown and isolated from the
process. The table below summarizes the steps required to complete the mainline
pump flushing.
The above sequence leaves the pump full of water and ready for operation. If the
pump will be opened for maintenance, leave the discharge drain open and close the
flush water valve. Then open the drain valve on the suction piping to drain the water
from the pump.
The above flushing operation can be completed with all valves and equipment in local
mode. As noted in the sequence above, special care should be taken to keep
personnel clear of the discharge drain line during flushing operations.
During operation, a charge pump may trip off line. If this is caused by a large scale
problem (like a power failure) all pump station equipment (including the mainline
If the charge pump goes off line while pumping water, the process water supply
pressure is likely high enough to maintain adequate flow to the suction of the
mainline pumps. Suction pressure to the mainline pumps must be kept above 207 kPa
or they will shut down.
Whether or not the mainline pumps trip, the pipeline operator must assess the cause of
the charge pump trip. If it is not apparent, the operator should attempt to restart the
charge pump. Should this fail, the operator must switch to the standby charge pump
by following the procedures in Section 4.2.7.
If the mainline pumps trip, they should be restarted after the charge pump has been
restarted, the spare charge pump has been started, or water pumping has been
switched to water. See also Section 4.1.2.4.2 for operator actions required for a
mainline pump trip.
This section covers failure or a trip off line of a single mainline pump. The system
response to a shutdown of all operating mainline pumps is covered in Section
4.1.2.4.2 above.
When in automatic mode, the SCADA system will attempt to maintain a constant
flow in the line to match the operator set point. The pump speed is adjusted
automatically to maintain the set flow rate. Should one of the three operating pumps
trip off line, the SCADA system will attempt to speed up the remaining two pumps to
achieve the set flow.
The mainline pumps have been sized such that two operating pumps can achieve the
minimum pumping rate required to meet the minimum flow velocity in the pipeline
When the operator restarts the tripped pump or the standby pump, the SCADA system
will ramp up the third pump while ramping down the other two. The system will
resume operation at the selected operator set point.
If a second pump should trip during this upset condition, the pipeline flow rate will
drop below the minimum allowable. This will initiate a timer within the SCADA
system that will automatically shut down the pipeline if a second pump is not brought
on line within 5 minutes to reestablish pipeline minimum flow.
If the mainline pumps are operating in manual mode, the operator has set the speed of
the three operating pumps. If one of the pumps should trip off-line, the remaining two
pumps will continue to operate at the speed set by the operator. The speed of these
pumps must be increased to 100% (to keep the pipeline flow above the minimum) or
the tripped or standby pump brought on line. If the operator does not take action, the
timer within the SCADA system will automatically shut down the pipeline after 5
minutes.
4.3.3.1 PS1
A power failure at PS1 will trip all the equipment in the pump station. The SCADA
system is provided with a UPS such that the pipeline operator can remotely shut down
the pipeline (if necessary).
The pipeline operator should assess the extent of the power failure prior to taking
action. The failure could have been caused by a power surge or dip that is quickly
corrected and permits expeditious restart of the pump station equipment. In this case,
the pipeline should not be shutdown and the pump station operations resumed as
quickly as possible. If the power outage is expected to extend beyond 5 minutes, the
pipeline should be shut down. Note that the PS1 instruments are tied to the UPS
system such that the low pipeline flow will trigger an automatic pipeline shutdown
after 5 minutes if the problem is not corrected.
The concentrator area includes an emergency power system that can be activated in
the event the power outage is extended. Within the pump station, only the storage
tank agitators have been linked to the emergency power system. For more
information on the emergency power supply, see Section 4.4.9.
Portable generators have been supplied with the solar power units to provide backup
power if there is a problem with the solar panels (or, they are stolen). A quick-
connect cable connection has been provided at each site to permit easy connection of
the generator to the batteries. The generator can be left at the site or, given the 5 day
battery life, moved off site if required.
If power is lost at any given station, the result will be a loss of communication with
the station. The operator response to this loss of communication is discussed in
Section 4.3.5.2. An outside operator must be dispatched to the blacked out station.
Additionally, a technician should be dispatched to troubleshoot the problem.
Once at the station, it may be necessary to use the generator to operate the station
valves. Note that manual operation of the actuated station valves is not advised.
Although manual handwheels have been provided, opening or closing the valves will
take in excess of 500 turns. The design of the system assumes that local operation of
the valves will be accomplished using the portable generators if required. Therefore,
a total of 4 generators were supplied with the power supply system (one each for VS1,
VS2, VS3 and VS4 valve operation).
4.3.3.3 TS1
Power for the terminal station is AC power provided from the general grid at the port
facility. If power is lost, an operator should be dispatched from the terminal to
operate the station locally. There are no batteries or facilities for using an emergency
generator at the terminal station.
Unlike the intermediate stations, manual operation of the AC actuated valves does not
pose as great a difficulty as the station valves. Therefore, pipeline operation could
continue with local operation until power is restored.
The pipeline has been installed such that short-term shutdowns (up to 4 hours in
duration) are not expected to pose restart problems. This has been accomplished by
restricting the installed slope of the pipeline. When flow is stopped in the line, the
Longer shutdowns are likely feasible. Numerous commercial operations can achieve
24 hour shutdowns on slurry without restart problems. Specific pipelines have been
successfully restarted following shutdowns of more than 72 hours on slurry. Testing
during pipeline startup will identify the shutdown and restart characteristics of the
pipeline. This information will be compared to operating data from other pipelines to
estimate the safe shutdown period for the pipeline.
If the shutdown duration exceeds 4 hours, the pipeline should be operated at or near
the maximum throughput to displace the material that was shutdown in the pipeline.
Operating at the higher velocity will increase turbulence in the line and thereby
improve re-suspension of any solids. Pressure drops should be monitored along the
pipeline and compared to historical values to ensure that any settled solids have been
flushed from the line.
A fiber optic cable has been installed from the pump station to the terminal along the
pipeline right-of-way (in the same trench as the pipeline). Although the cable is
marked and somewhat protected by the pipeline, it is possible that the cable is cut by a
fault movement, a landside, a third party excavation along the pipeline, or other
events.
During normal operating circumstances, the PS1 PLC sends operator commands to
and receives process data from intermediate and terminal stations. These signals are
sent via the fiber optic cable. If the cable is cut, it is likely that all strands will be
severed and that any stations below the cut will not be available to the PS1 PLC.
In the event of a fiber cut, all stations below the cut will be blacked out to the SCADA
system. The SCADA system will then poll these stations via the radio link. As the
fiber will be intact below the cut point, signals to and from all stations below the cut
will be routed through the terminal PLC and radio system to the PS1 PLC.
The transition from fiber to radio should be seamless for the pipeline operator – there
is no change in operating procedures. The SCADA system will alarm that the radio
system is being used to poll certain stations thus identifying the probable location of
the cut. Operation of the pipeline should continue with no noticeable changes.
The structure of the fiber system is a collapsed ring – although the fiber is in the same
cable, a loop has been created from PS1 to TS1 and back to PS1. Intermediate
stations are alternately connected to either side of the loop. See the system block
diagram in Appendix G for more details on this configuration.
If the communication link is lost at a station, the pipeline operator will receive an
alarm. Additionally, all stations below the blacked out station will momentarily be
lost. The communications system will automatically reroute the operation stations
through the other side of the ring making them available to the operator (via the
SCADA system) within 15 seconds.
It is possible that the communication link is lost at the pump station – i.e., the PS1
PLC does not receive information or send operator commands. In this event, the
pipeline can be operated from the HMI located in the port control room. This HMI
has full control capabilities but it is password protected from use. If communication
is lost at PS1, the pipeline operator can contact the terminal operator to control the
Under normal circumstances, pipeline operation will continue with the loss of
communication at a single station. Data from the stations on either side of the
blacked out station can be used to interpolate pressures at the lost station (the Pipeline
AdvisorTM will perform this function). Once an operator is in place, the station can be
operated locally until the problem is fixed.
Each pipeline station (except pressure monitoring stations and cathodic protection
station) has a PLC. Loss of the PLC at any station will result in the same actions as
loss of communication at the station. Operator functions must be completed locally
until the problem can be fixed.
As with the communication system outage, loss of the PS1 PLC necessitates
operation of the pipeline from the HMI in the terminal control room. The decision to
continue operations or shut down the pipeline will depend on current conditions in the
pipeline (steady state or batch operations) and the availability of qualified personnel at
the terminal.
Remotely actuated mainline valves may not open or close as required by the pipeline
operator or SCADA system initiated commands. Limit switches are provided to
confirm successful movement of the valve. Failure of a valve during a pipeline
startup or shutdown can cause problems with pipeline pressures if not addressed by
the operator.
During startups, the operator “pre-starts” the pipeline in preparation for initiating
pipeline flow. All station choke valves are set and the seal and isolation valves are
opened on the fixed choke legs in VS1, VS3, and TS1. When only the wear valves
are left to open, the pipeline startup can be commenced. If any valve problems are
noted during the pre-start, the pipeline operator must address these before advancing
the sequence.
The pipeline startup procedure calls for the pipeline to be opened from TS1 up to
PS1. Each successive station wear valve is only opened when flow is confirmed
downstream of the station by a pressure drop. Therefore, any failure of a wear valve
During operator or SCADA driven pipeline shutdown, the sequencing of the valves is
very tight in order to keep the pipeline full after shutdown. The station is closed from
PS1 to TS1. If an upstream valve fails to close it is possible to overpressure the
downstream station (if the downstream valve is also closing).
The pipeline operator must be aware of the valve positions when initiating a remote
manual shutdown. For automated SCADA sequences, the sequence will stop
automatically if a failure to close alarm is received. The sequence can only be
restarted after resolving the problem with the valve closure.
If a valve fails to open or close in sequence and the problem is not addressed by the
pipeline operator, an overpressure situation will develop. In this event, it is likely that
a rupture disc will burst in the overpressured station (see Section 4.3.8).
If a rupture disc should burst, operation of the pipeline should continue in a controlled
fashion until the pipeline can be safely shutdown full of slurry. This means an outside
operator will have to be at the station where the disc has burst to manually close the
valve. This prevents uncontrolled draining of the pipeline, which can lead to the
formation of very high density slurry waves and plugs.
Note that the valves under the station rupture discs are locked open to prevent
accidental closure. The outside operator must have the key to unlock the valve in
order to close it.
The sections below describe operator actions should a rupture disc burst at a given
station. Each rupture disc is equipped with an electronic sensor that will indicate if
the disc has burst. A disc burst will also be indicated by a sudden drop in station inlet
pressure and will be detected by the leak detection system in the Pipeline AdvisorTM.
There is no automatic sequence for this operation – the pipeline operator must
complete these sequences in remote manual mode.
The following sequence should be completed for a rupture disc failure at VS1. It is
assumed that the pipeline operator immediately upon detection of the rupture disc
alarm dispatches an outside operator to VS1.
Do not continue to operate the pipeline while the rupture disc is being replaced as the
pipeline is then unprotected against overpressure conditions.
The following sequence should be completed for a rupture disc failure at VS2. It is
assumed that the pipeline operator immediately upon detection of the rupture disc
alarm dispatches an outside operator to VS2.
Do not continue to operate the pipeline while the rupture disc is being replaced as the
pipeline is then unprotected against overpressure conditions.
The following sequence should be completed for a rupture disc failure at VS3. It is
assumed that the pipeline operator immediately upon detection of the rupture disc
alarm dispatches an outside operator to VS3.
Do not continue to operate the pipeline while the rupture disc is being replaced as the
pipeline is then unprotected against overpressure conditions.
The following sequence should be completed for a rupture disc failure at VS4. It is
assumed that the pipeline operator immediately upon detection of the rupture disc
alarm dispatches an outside operator to VS4.
Do not continue to operate the pipeline while the rupture disc is being replaced as the
pipeline is then unprotected against overpressure conditions.
A failure of the TS1 rupture disc results in a different response plan due to the
available nearby personnel and the routing of the rupture disc discharge line. If the
rupture disc bursts, pipeline flow will continue to be directed to the concentrates
distribution box (0510-STP-500) above the terminal storage tanks. The valves out of
this box properly direct the concentrate to the storage tank.
The following steps should be taken if the TS1 rupture disc should burst. It is
assumed that a terminal operator is mobilized to TS1 immediately upon detection of
the rupture disc alarm.
Do not continue to operate the pipeline while the rupture disc is being replaced as the
pipeline is then unprotected against overpressure conditions.
At VS1, VS2, VS3, and VS4, emergency dump ponds have been constructed to
receive concentrate spilled through the station rupture disc. The ponds are sized to
contain a minimum of 6 hours of full pipeline flow – adequate containment to permit
mobilization to the station in the event of a rupture disc failure.
Once in the pond, the concentrate will settle fairly quickly. The water from the slurry
should be pumped off and recycled to the mine site thickener or terminal clarifier to
ensure recovery of entrained solids and proper treatment of the water. The
concentrate can then be allowed to dry and mechanically removed from the pond (an
access ramp has been provided to permit the entry of equipment into the pond.
Recovered concentrate can be delivered to the terminal for blending with filtered
concentrate.
Leaks can occur throughout the pipeline system and response will vary based on the
location and magnitude of the leak. Note that due to the erosive nature of slurry, a
small leak often quickly becomes more severe – rapid response to leaks is necessary
to mitigate the impact on operations.
All pump station piping is unlined carbon steel and subject to corrosion. The
relatively low design pressure of the piping (1965 kPa or less) means an overpressure
situation is unlikely. If a leak develops, it is likely due to the failure of a component
(flange, valve, instrument, etc.) or corrosion in the line.
Should a leak develop, the operator has the following options depending on location
and severity of the leak and the availability of maintenance staff and materials:
• Shutdown the entire system in accordance with Section 4.1.2 and repair
the leak immediately.
All pump station piping on the discharge side of the mainline pumps (ANSI 1500
class) is polyurethane lined for erosion and corrosion protection. Additionally,
pressure relief valves on the pump discharge lines protect the station piping from
overpressure conditions. A leak could develop as a result of faulty polyurethane or at
a component (flange, valve, instrument, etc.).
Due to the high pressure in the pump discharge piping, a leak will be very dangerous
to equipment and personnel in the area. Should a leak develop, the pump station and
pipeline should be shut down immediately by following the procedures in Section
4.1.2.4. If necessary, unlock and close the manual station isolation valve (HV-8692)
to prevent back-draining of the pipeline.
Once the station is shut down, the leak should be repaired before commencing
operations.
The mainline pipe is HDPE lined and the intermediate station piping is polyurethane
lined to protect the steel pipe against corrosion and erosion. Station rupture discs
provide overpressure protection for the pipe. Pipeline leaks are possible at
components (flanges, valves, chokes, instruments, etc.), due to defects in the lining,
and due to events along the pipeline right-of-way (earthquakes, landslides, or third
party excavations).
The Pipeline AdvisorTM is equipped with a leak detection system that will provide
early warning to the operators of possible leak sites. Sudden pressure drops in the
line during normal operations (i.e., not during pipeline startups or shutdowns) are also
an indication of a pipeline leak.
Operation of the pipeline can only resume after the pipeline repair has been
completed. After a pipeline leak, dried concentrate may exist in some sections of the
4.3.9.4 TS1
Like the intermediate valve stations, the choke station piping is polyurethane lined to
protect the steel pipe against corrosion and erosion. Like the valve stations, leaks can
develop due to faulty lining or at station components (valves, flanges, chokes,
instruments, etc.). If possible, the leak can be bypassed and operation continued.
Otherwise the pipeline must be shutdown while repairs are made.
The piping from the choke station to the terminal storage tanks is bare carbon steel
and is susceptible to corrosion. However, the design pressure is very low as the pipe
is open-ended at the entrance to the distribution box. If a leak should develop in this
piping, two options exist depending on the severity of the leak.
• Clamp the leak, continue to operate, and make permanent repairs during a
scheduled pipeline shutdown.
Pipeline plugs can occur in station piping or in the mainline pipe. Removing plugs
can be difficult, expensive, and a major restriction to concentrator operations (and
concentrate production). The pipeline facilities and operating procedures have been
designed and developed to minimize the likelihood of plugs. Following these
procedures is critical in avoiding plug formation.
The following key procedures must be followed to minimize the likelihood of plugs:
• Always flush pump station equipment and piping if it has been shut down
on slurry.
In general, concentrate slurry that is not allowed to dry out remains soft enough that a
small amount of applied pressure can reestablish flow in the line. However, the
longer the slurry has been shut in the line, the more difficult it can be to restart flow.
The following sections provide some guidelines for dealing with plugs.
A pump station plug is most likely the result of slurry sitting in an unused line or
section of line for an extended period. The plug should be removed with flush water
from the supply header (on the suction side of the charge pumps) or pumped flush
water using the charge pumps (on the discharge side of the charge pumps). This
provides the maximum pushing pressure on the plug without overpressuring the
piping or equipment.
If the flush water can not push the plug out of the line, the piping must be
disassembled and cleaned manually.
A valve station plug is usually the result of not using one of the fixed choke legs (at
VS1, VS3, and TS1) for a period of time, if the leg was shut down on slurry.
Normally, when the legs are switched, the pipeline pressure is adequate to push the
slurry from the leg. If the leg is plugged, upstream pressure will build up and flow
should be returned to the originally operating leg. If the new leg can not be
unplugged in two attempts, the station piping should be disassembled and cleaned
manually.
Note that the station valves should always be checked for proper operation and proper
position in advance of disassembling the pipe. A failure of a station valve (such as a
broken valve stem) will appear the same as a plug in the fixed choke leg.
If pressurizing the plug is not adequate to dislodge it, the pipeline must be excavated,
opened and cleaned manually. As it is clear this will be a huge effort, the pipeline
operator must take every possible step to avoid the formation of a plug in the line.
Operation of a positive displacement pumps (the mainline pumps for this pipeline)
against a closed valve or otherwise blocked pipeline can result in an overpressure
condition. In order to protect the pumps and piping from damage, three pressure
control/relief sequences have been provided with the mainline pumps and SCADA
system. These systems are discussed in the following sections.
The discharge pressure of the mainline pumps is measured at the pump station outlet
piping (PIT-8960 and PIT-8960A). If this pressure reaches 23,442 kPa it is above the
maximum design conditions for the pipeline. The SCADA system will alarm the
condition to the pipeline operator and automatically ramp the pump speed down by 2
percent. This will continue each time the pressure reaches 23,442 kPa until the
pipeline is operating at minimum flow conditions.
If the pressure continues to rise (or if the pipeline is already operating at minimum
throughput), the SCADA system will automatically shutdown the pumps (and
pipeline) if the pressure reaches 24,476 kPa.
Relief valves have been installed on the discharge of each individual pump. They
provide the final protection for the pump and piping. The valves are set at 25,855 kPa
and discharge to the pump station sump. If any one relief valve opens, all operating
If these valves open, the pump station operator should attempt to recover any spilled
concentrate in accordance with procedures in Section 4.2.6.3.
4.4.2 Samplers
4.4.3 Agitators
The primary purpose of the linear screens is to minimize oversize top size particles
and tramp material from entering the slurry storage tanks and ultimately entering the
mainline pumps. Particles larger than 6mm can interfere with check valve operation
within the mainline pumps and can reduce or stop pump flow. If significant oversize
is observed to be reporting to the oversize discharge bins (0360-BNS-400 or –401) is
an indication that the filter cloth is too fine or excessive coarse oversize is being
produced by the concentrator. Other debris can enter the pipeline through the open
top of the storage tanks. In-line strainers (0360-ZMB-410 through 413) located
downstream of each charge pump provide the final protection for tramp oversize
reaching the mainline piston pumps.
Condition of the screen cloth can be determined by visual inspection. A log should be
kept of the weight of screen oversize weight each time each bin is unloaded and the
date and time. This can provide an independent means to track oversize amount and
screen condition.
The cloth is the primary wear component of the linear screens. According to
manufacturer’s data, the selected cloth area (6 m2) is greater than required for the
design thickener underflow pumping rate, which should prolong life. Operating data
indicates the cloth should last 6 to 12 months.
5.2 Storage Tanks
The storage tanks provide storage space for slurry while it is being produced in the
concentrator until sufficient volume is available for pumping.
The primary concern regarding the tanks is the corrosion rate of the shell plate (the
tank bottom is concrete coated) damage to internal concrete and build-up of packed
solids in the tank fillets (bottom corners). Bi-annual ultrasonic measurements at
marked locations provide a good means to monitor wall loss in the shell. Corrosion is
not expected to be high (the tanks will operate at or near minimum levels much of the
time) but if it becomes so, consideration can be given to urethane or other coating
systems.
The bottoms of the tanks are coated with concrete for protection against corrosion and
erosion. This concrete may spawl or crack. If concrete pieces get into the slurry
piping, damage can occur to the piping, valves, pumps, or instruments. Bi-Annual
inspections should be made to check and repair the concrete.
The key to long agitator life is maintaining gear box oil so it does not become
contaminated and maintain gearbox reservoir level within recommended norms. Oil
analysis monitoring will mitigate possible contamination before and during use.
There is a circulating oil flow switch that should provide an alarm if the oil pump
becomes worn and does not produce sufficient flow, this should be kept in good
operating condition. A periodic check by feeling temperature of each branch line will
tell how well the oil is being distributed. If a line is cold, it could be blocked.
Investigation is in order if this occurs.
How much noise a gearbox makes is a good indicator of its condition. If a sudden
increase in noise occurs, should signal when something has failed and be the trigger to
initiate a scheduled down time for an open cover inspection.
An immersion heater is provided for the oil for when the unit is down during cold
weather to minimize condensation and maintain oil viscosity to a low enough level
for restart with minimum damage to the unit or circulating oil pump. This heater
requires cleaning and inspection during each oil change.
The impeller blades are rubber coated and the shaft is epoxy coated. These
components must be inspected and repaired as required during tank inspections.
Proper alignment and balance of the impeller are also critical to achieving long life of
the gearbox. Any vibration problems must be promptly addressed to avoid premature
failure.
5.4 Pumps
The mainline pumps have expendable components in those areas subject to slurry
wear such as the pistons, liners, valves and seats. There are two sections of the pump;
the fluid end and the power end which are covered separately below.
Note that the SCADA screen has a maintenance management page which tracks
operating hours for the pumps. This page should be utilized to monitor parts lives.
An hour counter has also been provided for tracking valve lives and can be reset at
each change out. Developing a reliable parts lives historical record is a key factor in
improving overall system reliability.
The fluid end parts include the following with their respective typical part lives based
on similar presently operating systems:
Ceramic liners with urethane pistons have been selected as the result of Miller
abrasivity tests performed on pilot plant slurry at pH levels from 7 to 12 with the
standard chrome iron test block. The results indicated that a pH level in excess of 11
would have to be maintained in the concentrator to provide what is normally
considered acceptable wear life on chrome iron liners, hence ceramic liners have been
selected. Once the system begins operation, further evaluation will continue which
may show that the practical solution is conventional high chrome liners.
The basis for the station and pump design is to provide for the capability to retrofit a
piston-diaphragm fluid end should it be found necessary as driven by the cost of
cylinder liners and pistons that are consumed with the piston pump.
Ceramic liners require special care in handling and installation. They are subject to
damage if dropped or improperly tightened during installation. They also have a
critical run-in period of about one week whereby a glaze is developed inside the liner
bore. The alignment of each piston rod/cross-head and cross-head guide clearance
impacts how even the wear occurs between the piston and liner. Even distribution of
wear is accomplished by periodic rotation of liner in one direction with pistons
rotated the opposite every 12 to 24 hours depending upon experience.
It is particularly critical to catch piston leakage early or liner life can degrade rapidly.
Liners can be re-honed to remove scores and improve life if a suitable source can be
lined up near the site. Replacement of liner spray water is necessary to maintain it in
a clean condition. Spray water temperature must be less than 700 C or it will impact
1
Based on drilling fluid-mud pump experience with similar abrasivity
The alignment of the cross-heads, cross-head clearance and bearing clearance can
impact piston and liner life. The vendor claims these tolerances are built-in during
manufacture and cannot be changed. If a particular pump is having poor piston-liner
life an inspection should be scheduled. A special rubber self-alignment pad
specifically designed for ceramic liners has been incorporated into the intermediate
piston-extension rod coupling to assist in alignment corrections. These pads require
periodic inspection/replacement as they become fatigued or worn.
The power end has an immersion heater, oil cooler and 2 circulating oil pumps which
require inspection during each oil change.
5.4.1.1.2 Valves
The valves are a standard mud pump design made for the pump vendor in an API 8
size. They are available from several sources – directly from pump manufacturers or
from parts manufacturers.
It is a top and bottom guided poppet type valve that utilizes approximately a 45° seat
with a metal portion in contact on the seat for strength purposes and with an
elastomeric section on top to provide a bubble-tight seal.
The failure mechanism is normally the result of a combination of the following two
phenomena:
1. The metal and elastomer contact areas form individual annular grooves
in the seat. The area between metal and elastomer does not wear at the
same rate, which causes the elastomer seal to flex and eventually crack,
causing a leak to occur.
2. The clearances between the top rod and bushing and the bottom wing
pads and the ID of the seat become larger due to slurry lap wear and
fluid flow abrasion. As clearances increase the vertical motion of the
valve becomes less stable causing more random lateral or angled motion.
If the valve closes against a larger particle on one side the valve can
pivot around the high spot caused by the particle. If the displacement is
such that the elastomer doesn’t have 100% circular contact at closure, a
high pressure leak will occur. If the damage caused by the leak wears
Valve leaks are normally detected by the noise they make. Motor current or torque
will begin to noticeably fluctuate normally after significant damage has occurred to
the valve seat which can occur over the course of 10-15 minutes. If allowed to occur
too long, the fluid cut will wear through the valve seat and damage the fluid end seat
taper bore. Fluid ends and higher velocity manifold components normally require
weld repair, stress relieving, heat treatment and re-machining as part of normal
maintenance. A fluid end typically can only be rebuilt once before the material
properties of the fluid end become marginal.
Each time valves are removed from a pump they need to be measured to determine
metal and elastomer loss. This data is plotted relative to failures to assist in predictive
maintenance.
The power end condition (good piston alignment during all pressure levels) is key to
good piston and liner part life. The vendor advises that very little wear occurs except
for normal bearing and gear wear and intermediate extension alignment pads. A worn
bearing can also impact extension rod sideways movement. The condition of the
power end oil is also important for equipment longevity. Water content should be
kept less than 50 ppm to minimize corrosion and premature bearing wear. This pump
is designed with a pressurized extension rod seal which should keep water out from
piston water spray.
• Extension rods or rods that connect the piston rod to the cross-heads.
There is an intermediate rod also that connects the piston rod to the
extension rod.
• Cross-heads
• Cross-head guides
• Crankshaft Gear
• Lube Oil Filtration Pump (equipped with suction strainer with bypass
and duplex discharge filter)
Piston rod seals are monitored by the amount of oil in the liner spray water, however,
the vendor advises they do no require replacement more frequently than every 3 years.
Extension rod alignment verically and horizontally should be verified during start-up
and could be checked if one liner position or one pump is experiencing abnormally
high replacement rates relative to other pumps.
Gear contact can be visually inspected as a part of each oil change. If pitting or
spalling is observed, photos should be taken to document the progression of the
damage.
Oil samples and analyses should be taken for new and expended oil during each oil
change. There is a sample tap in the oil filtration piping which can be used for taking
samples.
Synthetic oils will not be necessary since the operating temperatures should be 50-
600C with the use of the external oil cooler.
The external cooler will accumulate dust which will require flushing with water
occasionally.
Oil leaks can occur. When one becomes excessive, a scheduled shutdown should be
made to make corrections.
5.4.1.3 Drive
The drive comprises the main motor with two blowers, the external gearbox with
shaft mounted circulating oil pump and external air-oil cooler with fan.
The main motor fans have filters that require periodic servicing. The motor has
grease lubricated bearings. Care is required to not overgrease which can cause
overheating.
Oil leaks can occur. When one becomes excessive, a scheduled shutdown should be
made to make corrections.
The purpose of the charge pumps is to maintain suction pressure fed to the mainline
pumps which should be in the range of 207-620 kPa. During start-up, commissioning
or when the characteristics of the slurry has changed, charge pumps will be used to
circulate slurry through the test loop to obtain head-flow and critical velocity data.
There are four charge pumps, two for Copper (360-PPS-412 &-413) and two for zinc
(360-PPS-410 & 411). Each drive motor is connected to a variable frequency
convertor. Normally only one pump is necessary to be running out of the four. When
the product changes, the charge pump does as well.
The control system provides control of charge pump speed to maintain a constant
discharge pressure. When a tank is full, the operating charge pump will operate at a
lower RPM than at tank minimum level. The minimum speed for proper operation of
a charge pump is 1,000 RPM. The set point for suction pressure should be 500 kPa.
Shaft sleeves and packing should be monitored daily. There is a flow indicating
switch that is available to verify flow rate, however, it is also important to keep the
packing just tight enough to maintain a small water leakage rate coming through the
packing.
Gland seal water quality should be kept within limit established by vendor manual.
As with the mainline pumps, the operating hours for the charge pumps are tracked by
the SCADA maintenance page. Repairs to packing, impellers, or other components
should be tracked against operating hours to develop effective preventative
maintenance procedures.
There are two area sump pumps, for the copper storage area (360-PPS-415) and one
for the zinc storage area (360-PPS-414). Both of these units are located inside the
pump house in a sunken dry well but receive drainage from the storage tank area
One vertical sump pump is provided for the pump house (360-PPR-420). This is a
cantilevered shaft design pump, hence gland seal is not required. Otherwise, the
maintenance for this unit is the same as charge pumps except they are not as
frequently used.
Unlined station piping is provided on all piping on the suction side of the mainline
pumps including water and slurry. Key monitoring points will be established during
start-up, commissioning for ultrasonic monitoring of wall thickness. As operating
velocities in these lines are less than 3 m/s, erosion should not be an issue, metal loss
will most likely be the result of corrosion.
5.5.2 Lined station piping
Lined piping is provided on the discharge side of the mainline pumps and at valve
stations. One spool should be removed yearly to allow for inspection. This piping is
near the mainline pumps which generate vibration. There is potential for
polyurethane fatigue failure due to pulsations and vibration.
Polyurethane lining was selected for resistance to both erosion and corrosion. Slow
within the stations is more turbulent than in the mainline pipe. This turbulence can
lead to higher wear rates for which polyethylene (HDPE) offers only limited
resistance.
To add mechanical strength to the lining, a wire mesh has been installed to strengthen
the attachment to the pipe. Polyurethane spools should last 5 to 20+ years.
5.5.3 Mainline pipe and liner
The mainline pipe is lined with HDPE using the United Pipeline lining system.
Internal wear of HDPE is expected to be minimal since the velocities in the pipeline
are expected to be in the 1.5 to 3.2 m/s range. Monitoring efforts should be focused
on the 8” sections of the system, namely the test spools at VS1, VS3, and VS4. The
test spools are designed to permit measurement of internal HPE liner without opening
the line. Particular attention should be paid to bottom wear on the line. Test spools
will provide an indication of wear in the mainline pipe.
The liner thickness in the mainline pipe has been selected based on possible operating
conditions. For 9- and 10-inch pipe, the operating velocities are less than 3 m/s such
Knife gate valves are located in all low pressure (150 LB Class rated at 100 psi) slurry
piping at the pump station and the terminal. The section between the discharge of the
charge pumps and the suction of the mainline pumps include 300 LB flanged knife
gate valves rated for 300 psi. These valves are field repairable by replacing seal
sleeves and gates.
The one unique feature of this type of valve is that they leak slurry during
actuation/travel. The bodies must be kept open so this leakage can occur without
internal buildup. The 150 LB models have a slot in the bottom which must be kept
open. There is a tendency for personnel who are not aware of the valve design to put
a plate on the bottom of the valve to keep it from leaking. The 300 LB bodies have
tapped drain ports. At least 2 of these ports should be kept open at the lower most
portion of the body.
The elastomers in the valves are natural rubber which will swell if grease is used as a
gate lubricant. Dow 111 silicone valve sealant is recommended for gate lubricant
which should be applied to frequently used gates weekly. Occasionally used valves
should be greased monthly. The most common problem to occur with knife gate
valves is bent gates, usually caused from pressure transients. If a gate gets bent it is
not long before damage is done to the seals.
5.5.5 Ball Valves
5.5.6.1 General
Ceramic chokes have been installed along in the pipeline control flow in the pipeline.
These chokes are expected to wear even though they have been constructed from
ceramic material. The table below summarizes the choke sizes and tag numbers for
easy reference.
The ceramic chokes will wear with use – more operating hours means more wear.
The main pipeline chokes may need replacement as often as every six months.
Ceramic chokes installed at the conductivity meters (FO-8607 and FO-9359) have a
relatively large internal opening and, correspondingly, a low pressure drop. Operating
velocities are low enough that these chokes should last for many years.
Water chokes are installed at VS3 and TS1 (FO-9270A&B, FO-9271A&B, FO-
9368A&B, and FO-9371A&B). These chokes are designed to reduce head when the
pipeline is operating on water. Therefore, these chokes will see very little (if any)
exposure to erosive slurry. Thus, these chokes are also expected to have a multi-year
service life.
5.5.6.3 Cavitation
The installed chokes have been selected to consume surplus head during operating
conditions. Sufficient back-pressure is maintained on the downstream side of the
chokes to avoid cavitation. However, during startup, low operating pressures on the
downstream side of the valve stations (notably VS1 and VS3) can result in short term
conditions during which cavitation can occur.
To minimize the impact of the possible cavitation event, care must be taken to follow
the pipeline shutdown sequence. This sequence has been developed to safely
shutdown the pipeline while minimizing possible slack conditions of the downstream
side of the valve stations. However, the last ceramic chokes at each station should be
inspected regularly for cavitation damage – particularly if a reduction in pressure drop
across the station is evident.
Rupture discs are installed in the line upstream of powered valves at each valve
station. Their purpose is to protect the pipeline from rupture in the event the pump
station and valve stations are not shutdown in the proper sequence. All rupture disks
are piped downstream through chokes each to an emergency pond. Each disc is
instrumented with a blown disc sensor which requires replacement when a disc has
blown.
Three spare discs have been purchased for each disc location one of which should be
stored at each valve station site inside the building.
The following systems are part of the pipeline. Specific operating and maintenance
instructions can be found in the referenced manuals.
The SCADA system is key to operating the concentrate pipeline and has been
designed to achieve a high level of reliability. The pump station and terminal
SCADA is backed up with a UPS by Bechtel and PSI respectively. Intermediate sites
are powered by conservatively sized solar power units. Back-up portable generators
are available for key sites (valve stations). Specific operating and maintenance
instructions can be found in PSI Document 777.01-S-I-009.
The primary control point for the pipeline is the operator work station in the pipeline
control room. In addition to the HMI’s, there are several support computers and
SCADA/telecommunications panels. Specific maintenance of these items is
discussed in the relevant manuals.
The main maintenance issue in the control room is dust control. Dried concentrate
will be tracked into the control room by operators, mechanics, and visitors. Simple
sweeping of the control room can exacerbate the problem.. Scheduled cleaning of the
room and equipment (vacuuming, cleaning filters, etc.) must occur to prevent
premature or unplanned component failure.
There are no specific, unique requirements for the SCADA components at the
intermediate sites. The key to SCADA system reliability is maintenance of the
remote power systems (see section 6.4).
There are two communication systems that provide voice and data communication
along the pipeline – a primary fiber optic system and a backup land mobile radio
system. These are briefly discussed in the sections below.
A fiber optic communication system provides the primary voice and data link between
the pump station and the intermediate and terminal stations. In addition, the fiber
carries voice and data for the concentrator and terminal facilities. A complete
description of the fiber optic system can be found in PSI document 831-S-T-001.
The pipeline radio system provides two basic functions – it allows communications
between the control room and field personnel at points between intermediate stations
and provides a backup data channel for the pipeline SCADA system. Complete
operating and maintenance instructions can be found in Bechtel document _______.
6.2.3 Video
Video monitoring has been provided for key intermediate sites – the valve stations.
The video is primarily a security measure to discourage vandalism and/or theft of
station components. Only the valve station are monitored as they are key control
points in operating the pipeline. Proper maintenance of the video system is part of the
pipeline security plan, but is not the only component. Damage or theft at any station
must be promptly addressed to maintain system reliability.
Complete operating and maintenance instructions for the video system can be found
in PSI Document 831-S-T-001.
The cathodic protection system consists of six, impressed current systems at sites
along the pipeline as summarized in the table below.
Piping and facilities at PS1, VS1, VS2, VS3, VS4, and TS1 have been electrically
isolated from the cathodic protection system to protect facilities from damage and
personnel from electric shock. The pipe spools at PMS1, PMS2, PMS3, and PMS4
(there are none at CPS1) are energized as part of the cathodic protection system.
It is important to note that improper operation of the cathodic protection system can
result in premature failure of the mainline pipe. It is imperative that annual checks be
completed to ensure the pipeline can achieve its design life.
The remote power systems at the intermediate sites are the most important part of the
pipeline control system. The systems provide power for the SCADA system,
telecommunications, and valve actuation, as well as video, lighting, and cathodic
protection. Without these systems, remote station operation is impossible.
The power systems are sized to provide approximately 5 days of reserve power,
assuming average power draw and no generation. This scenario equates to removal or
theft of the solar panels. Four plug-in, back-up generators have been provided with
the power systems. These generators are portable and can be moved to and from the
problem sites.
Over time, battery capacity is expected to decay (see manufacturer information for
specific data). It is imperative that battery charge rates, stored power, and draw rates
are monitored such that timely battery replacement can be arranged. Complete
operating and maintenance instructions can be found in Northern Power Document
____________________.