High pressure water transport

The engineering company SAXUM had the challenge of designing the main water supply line for Mansfield’s “Lindero Gold Mine” project, which through heap leaching removes and processes mineral.
Given the differences in height (more than 300 meters in total) and the length, a pipe was required that would provide safety to work with high pressures and that can be exposed to the sun without the need to bury it.
Due to the climatic conditions of the area, with low temperatures and strong winds, added to the height (above 4000 m above sea level), a simple and quick solution to install was sought, since otherwise the costs of assembly would be very high.

It was decided to install Pexgol since it is supplied in coils, in this case up to 280 meters in length. Compared to steel and HDPE supplied in 12 or 14 meter lengths, this supply format kept labor and the posibility of failure to a minimum.
Approximately 1,400 meters were installed per day with only three operators and a backhoe. The connections were made by electrofusion couplings.

Mansfield Mine
Argentina | 2019

Exposed pipe with repump systems
at 21 bar (305 PSI)

Pexgol 225 mm (8″), class 24, 19, 15 & 12

Water transport

12.5 km