Skip to content

Improvement in Brine Management through Pexgol Piping

The impact of Pexgol piping on pump performance improvement and maintenance cost reduction at Sales de Jujuy.

Estudo de Caso Nº

128

Cliente

Sales de Jujuy
Argentina

|

2023

Condições de Trabalho

Temperature: Variable

Solução Pexgol

Pexgol 160 mm (6″), Class 15

Aplicação

Brine Transport

Comprimento

2650 m / 8692 ft

Categorias

Improvement in Brine Management through Pexgol Piping

The Challenge

Sales de Jujuy S.A. is the operating company of the main Olaroz Lithium Project by Orocobre in Argentina. This facility is located in the province of Jujuy, at an altitude of 3,900 meters above sea level, and produces lithium carbonate from the brine of the Olaroz Salt Flat, which contains high concentrations of lithium and potash. The transportation of brine from the lithium well posed a significant challenge for the company.

The problem lay in the existing HDPE pipeline, which experienced a pump performance drop three times a month when pumping brine. This situation was caused by pipe clogging due to scale buildup, requiring cleaning that consumed six working days per month. This not only disrupted regular operations but also incurred significant costs for the company.

Pexgol Solution

To address this challenge, Sales de Jujuy decided to switch to 160 mm Pexgol piping. They installed 2650 meters of this piping, using double mechanical connectors.

The choice of Pexgol was due to several advantages that this product offered. Firstly, its quick installation significantly reduced the time required for project implementation. Additionally, Pexgol piping is known for its low roughness, which considerably reduces scale buildup.

This change to Pexgol brought immediate and significant results. Line cleaning times and the number of interventions were drastically reduced. In fact, the cleaning time was reduced to only two hours per month, and only at the connections.

Estudos de Caso Relacionados

High Pressure potable water line

High Pressure Potable Water Line

Antofagasta Minerals, Pelambres Mine
Chile

 | 

2014
Replacement of Carbon Steel Pipes with Pexgol for the Transportation of Natural Gas.

Natural Gas Transportation with Pexgol

YPF
Argentina

 | 

2022
The Original Design for a Wastewater Treatment Plant included Stainless Steel Pipes, but after discovering the Superior Capabilities of Pexgol Pipes, the Entire Facility was Switched Over.

New Wastewater Treatment Plant with Pexgol Pipes

Wastewater Treatment Plant
Israel

 | 

2022
Installation of 3000 Meters Of PE-X Pipe for an Underground Mine.

Drainage Lines in Underground Mine

Lundin Mining – Candelaria Norte Mine
Chile

 | 

2020
Installation of Pexgol Pipes for a Compress Air System.

Compressed Air System

Rav-Gon Printing House
Israel

 | 

2020
Substitution of a Steel Spool for PE-X Coated for Pumping Formation Water.

Replacement of a Steel Spool with Pexgol

Enap Sipetrol
Ecuador

 | 

2021