Skip to content

Fast and Safe Brine Transport in the Salar de Hombre Muerto

Pan American Energy implements an efficient and sustainable solution for brine transportation.

Estudo de Caso Nº

171

Cliente

Lithos (PAE)
Argentina

|

2024

Condições de Trabalho

Temperature: 20°C / 58°F | Flow rate: 80.3 m³/h | Pressure: 8.6 bar | Fluid: Brine

Solução Pexgol

Pexgol 160 mm (6″) class 10

Aplicação

Brine transport

Comprimento

10,000 m / 32808.4 ft

Categorias

Fast and Safe Brine Transport in the Salar de Hombre Muerto

The Challenge

Pan American Energy, a leader in oil, gas, and renewable energy exploration and production, faced a logistical challenge during the performance testing phase of its lithium mining project (Lithos) in the Salar de Hombre Muerto, Argentina. The company needed a reliable and flexible transport line for brine transfer between pumping wells, in a demanding salt flat environment.

The project called for a solution capable of withstanding abrasive terrain, enduring constant movement between wells, and ensuring pipeline integrity throughout the process. At the same time, Pan American Energy aimed to reduce operational costs and minimize environmental impact, in line with its sustainability objectives.

The Solution

To meet these challenges, Pan American Energy installed 10 kilometers of 6-inch Pexgol pipes in 450-meter coils. This solution proved ideal due to the following advantages:

  • Quick Installation: Each 450-meter coil was deployed in just 15 minutes, significantly reducing installation time and enabling quick movement between wells.
  • High Chemical and Abrasion Resistance: Pexgol pipes withstood the abrasive terrain and extreme weather conditions of the Salar de Hombre Muerto, ensuring uninterrupted operation without damage.
  • Long Sections: The use of long-length coils minimized the number of joints required, reducing potential failure points and improving pipeline safety.

The operation was highly efficient: each well was tested for a set duration, and afterward, the same pipe was dragged to the next well, eliminating the need for multiple lines. This method allowed Pan American Energy to optimize resources, lower costs, and speed up its testing schedule.

Estudos de Caso Relacionados

Installation of a Pexgol Elbow with Mechanical Joints to Replace HDPE.

Pexgol Elbow for Slurry Transport

Antioquia Gold
Colombia

 | 

2022
Replacement of a HDPE Pipe for a Pexgol Pipe

Compressed Air Transportation

Saucito S.A. de C.V. Mine
Mexico

 | 

2017
Coarse NACL (SALT) Dredging Tailing

Slurry Lines – Abrasive Dredged Material

ICL group, Dead Sea Works
Israel

 | 

1992
Minas Argentinas Replaces HDPE with Pexgol in Its Secondary Leaching Project

Efficient and Safe Irrigation in Secondary Leaching with Pexgol

Minas Argentinas S.A.
Argentina

 | 

2025
High Pressure potable water line

High Pressure Potable Water Line

Antofagasta Minerals, Pelambres Mine
Chile

 | 

2014
Substitution of a Steel Spool for PE-X Coated for Pumping Formation Water.

Replacement of a Steel Spool with Pexgol

Enap Sipetrol
Ecuador

 | 

2021