Putting in place a water management strategy for a big mining project is no easy task; so the call went out to Pinnacle Hire.
Pinnacle Hire has made a name for itself as an agile hire business focused on providing advanced dewatering, pumping and water treatment solutions to the infrastructure, civil construction, mining and quarry sectors.
Among its most recent successes has been a major expansion assignment in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
A mine site in the area had embarked on a significant project to establish a new run-of- mine pad and primary crushing facility, which required extensive water management solutions to sustain high-grade iron ore processing.
Pinnacle Hire, renowned for its water treatment expertise, was selected to tackle this challenge.
Pinnacle Senior Dewatering Engineer Myles Martin explained that the customer processed 25 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of high- grade iron ore.
“The site includes various critical infrastructure elements like an Overland Conveyor (OLC),
Heavy Vehicle (HV) and Light Vehicle (LV) roads, and a construction village,” he said.
“To sustain and enhance its operations, our customer required a reliable and efficient water management system to support its bulk earthworks and other construction activities.”
The primary challenge for the Pilbara project was ensuring a consistent and adequate water supply for construction purposes, particularly for bulk earthworks.
The project required about 1.9 million kilolitres of water over its duration, with peak daily demands reaching 7-8m litres.
The site also needed robust infrastructure to manage water quality and distribution, critical for pavement construction and dust suppression.
Myles said that Pinnacle Hire provided a comprehensive water management solution, including state-of-the-art equipment and expertise.
Key components of the solution included:
- Bore pumps: Supply, install and maintenance of three bore pump packages (2xSP46-10 and SP30-13) and mine spec generators.
- Diesel centrifugal pump: Supply, install and maintenance of the 80/180 diesel centrifugal pump.
- HDPE pipeline: Supply and installation of approximately 12km of HDPE pipeline.
- Automated pump control: All pumps were set to start/stop automatically based on turkey’s nest (dam) water levels.
Implementation
“Upon mobilisation, Pinnacle Hire swiftly established temporary water infrastructure and integration into already existing overhead tanks and turkey’s nests for water storage,” he said.
“The Pinnacle team installed bore pumps and tied them into existing water bore infrastructure, ensuring seamless water extraction and distribution.
“The setup included multiple turkey’s nests with capacities ranging from 3-4m litres, supported by an intricate network of HDPE piping and booster pumps.”
The results
The implementation of Pinnacle Hire’s solutions led to significant improvements:
- Reliable water supply meeting peak demand rates of up to 110 litres per second.
- Enhanced water quality suitable for various construction purposes, ensuring compliance with environmental standards.
- Efficient distribution and usage tracking through installed flow meters, ensuring optimal resource management.
- Automated pump operations based on turkey’s nest water levels, ensuring efficient and responsive water management.
About Pinnacle
Myles said the company’s knowledgeable staff were passionate about providing rapid responses coupled with ‘higher levels of expertise’, ensuring customers can get access to the most fit-for-purpose equipment, when and where they need it.
Pinnacle brings to the market a selection of brand-new state-of-the-art equipment, including nationally and internationally recognised brands such as Selwood from the UK, BBA Pumps from the Netherlands, Tsurumi from Japan, Sulzer from Switzerland, Grindex and Atlas-Copco from Sweden, as well as Fortress Tanks and Elementz Treatment Plants from Australia.
“We also bring the advanced range of EnviroHub Water Treatment products and system from the UK for the first time,” Myles said.
Pinnacle Hire took flight in early 2021, with the goal of building a highly professional, nationwide hire business, supporting responsible management of water when it needs to be treated, stored or relocated.
Integral to that plan was the need to draw together the skills and resources of team of industry specialist who shared a passion for the journey ahead.
“Pinnacle has built a structure to remain nimble and flexible in our ability to deliver,” Myles said.
“We’ve also invested in a formidable new fleet of pumps and treatment equipment that is the envy of the industry.
“This has enabled us to grow from just a single location based in Victoria, to 13 locations in six states.
“We’ve also successfully delivered thousands of projects to our core customers as well as providing substantial pumping power during flood events in Victoria and NSW.
“We also fully understand the dynamic nature of your Industry, the daily pressures and the high standards required to get the job done safety, securely and effectively.
“So, we leave no stone unturned to provide you the most ‘fit-for-purpose’ solution for each and every project, no matter how large or small.
“We’ve also build strong relationships with our nationally and internationally recognised equipment suppliers, allowing us to offer you the very cream of crop.
“And when your equipment arrives on site we are there every step of the way, with full support and backup to help you meet your project goals.”
Contact Pinnacle Hire today to discuss your specific requirements and discover how its innovative solutions can optimise your operations.
Phone 1300 447 392 or
email hire@pinnaclehire.com.au