Mine water management – Thetys Pumps

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Mine water management

Thetys Pumps / Mine water management

Mine water management

Proven solutions for pumps and mixers in the mine water industry

Sulzer offers a comprehensive portfolio of pumps and process equipment for abrasive and corrosive environments in mine water management applications.

The concept of mine dewatering spans from the removal of water from working areas and is applicable to both open-pit and underground mines. Typical applications in open-pit mines are pit dewatering, seepage water removal and flood water relief, while typical applications in underground mines are face dewatering, stage pumping, drainage of shaft bottom sump, ramp and stope pumping, and main mine dewatering. Mine operations are harsh environments with water that can contain abrasive and corrosive liquids.

Mine water management is characterized more as an application-based segment rather than a process-oriented one. Applications can be divided into dewatering, water intake, supply of process water and water treatment.

Open pit mine dewatering

The mine depth will determine whether single stage or multi stage pumps are required. Pit-installed pumps on pontoons or barges commonly use submersible, vertical turbine or end-suction self-priming pump technologies. Submersible pumps connected in series, single-stage end-suction pumps or multistage pumps can be used for booster stations. These solutions can be provided in containerized units for ease of installation and transportation.

Underground mine dewatering

There are several applications in underground mines where pumps are utilized.

Face dewatering and stage pumping. Submersible pumps are commonly used to remove water from mine faces and stopes. Water is transported in stages to collection stations where larger pumps are located along the drift and ramp.
Shaft bottom drainage. Mine water from all parts of the mine is collected in the shaft bottom sump and then transported to the main drainage pump station by large submersible pumps.
Main drainage pump station. Mine water is transported to the ground level in one or several stages by means of either multistage pumps for pre-settled water, or wear-resistant end-suction pumps designed to handle both abrasive and corrosive liquids containing solids are used for more abrasive liquids.

Water intake and water supply

Water stations transport water into the mine from various sources, and the technology requirements will vary according to the site layout. The Sulzer vertical turbines and horizontal end-suction pumps or a combination of both technologies are the most commonly used solutions depending on the design of the pump station.

Process water & Process dewatering

Process water

Process water is required for different applications in the minerals processing industry. The most common pump types used in these applications are end-suction process pumps and vertical pumps. The materials of construction will depend on the water source, e.g. sea water, reclaimed water, etc.

Process dewatering

Process dewatering generally refers to the separation of solids and liquids within minerals processing. This may be from thickeners, separators or filters, all requiring pumps of some description. End-suction pumps are the most commonly used pumps in this application.

Tailing ponds and water reclamation

The scarcity and cost of water means that wastewater treatment and recycling for reuse are important processes within mines. Water is reclaimed from tailings ponds, lagoons and the downstream of minerals processing by vertical, horizontal and submersible pumps. In some instances, water treatment may be required prior to use.

Water treatment

Minerals processing requires process water feed at various stages. The quality of the water is highly important and therefore some level of treatment is needed before it enters the process. A combination of submersible pumps, horizontal process pumps and vertical pumps is commonly used in the feed to the process.

Products & application matrix