Skip to content

Tailings Transport with 50% solids

Installation of Pexgol Pipe for Transportation of Mining Tailings.

Case Study Nº

82

Customer

Golden Resource Corp. – Don David Gold Mine
Mexico

|

2019

Working Conditions

Ambient temperature | Pressure: up to 320 PSI

Pexgol Pipes

Pexgol 110 mm (4″), class 24 | Pexgol 125 mm (5”), class 30

Application

Tailing transport

Lenght

3600 m / 11811.02 ft

Categories

Installation of Pexgol Pipe for Transportation of Mining Tailings.

The Challenge

Thanks to the new extraction methods of metals, at Don David Gold mine decided to reprocess the tailings (with 50% solids) of the last 15 years that had been deposited in a dam, in order to extract the minerals that could not be removed at first.

To perform this task, it was necessary to transport the tailings from the dam to the first stage (filter plant). The path where the pipeline needed to be installed was 3600 meters on harsh terrain with more than 190 meters of height difference in descent.

Since the fluid was highly abrasive, one of the fears the engineering team had in designing the line was that it would not resist abrasion and a spill would occur causing large-scale environmental pollution.

Pexgol Solution

The design of the line was carried out by the engineering company Paterson & Cooke and Pexgol was selected for the following reasons:

  • Abrasion resistance (3 to 10 times more than conventional HDPE pipes).
  • Supply of pipes in long sections (coils up to 1000 meters).
  • Fast and safe installation.

The set of qualities for this application, indicated that Pexgol was the safest option due to the possibility of having spills.
Also, for the installation, coils of 500 and 800 meters in length were supplied, therefore the installation was carried out quickly. The joints were made with flanged couplings and alignment clamps, in a place with a steep slope, so the joints had to resist fluid pressure and axial forces.

Related Case Studies

Pexgol’s resistance to scaling and chemicals delivers consistent operation in open-pit mining.

Switch to Pexgol Reduces Downtime in Molybdenum Concentrate Transport

Buena Vista del Cobre
Mexico

 | 

2024
Installation of a Fire Supply Network in a Oil Treatment Plant.

Fire Network Supply

YPF
Argentina

 | 

2021
Installation of 3000 Meters Of PE-X Pipe for an Underground Mine.

Drainage Lines in Underground Mine

Lundin Mining – Candelaria Norte Mine
Chile

 | 

2020
Reducing maintenance and increasing safety in hydraulic backfill operations.

Pexgol Simplifies Slurry Transportation at Buriticá Mine

Zijin - Continental Gold
Colombia

 | 

2023
Food Transport Pexgol vs HDPE

Food Transport Pexgol vs HDPE

Marine Farms
Chile

 | 

2017
Pexgol Fittings for Brine Transportation at a Brazilian Chemical Company.

High Corrosion Resistance Against Brine

Unipar Carbocloro
Brazil

 | 

2019