Audit of operational and maintenance management of the concentrate pipeline

Audit of Management and Maintenance of Pipelines

Project

Audit of operational and maintenance management of the concentrate pipeline

Client

Collahuasi Mining Company

Location

Chile

Type of service

Audit

In 2019, Collahuasi Mining Company contracted BRASS to conduct an expert audit of the concentrate transport system from an operational perspective, as well as an audit of the current mechanical maintenance strategy executed at the concentrate pipeline pump and stations.
In broad terms and building upon the aforementioned context, the scope of the service has been divided into two areas of interest, primarily encompassing the following activities:

I. Operation and Maintenance Scope:

A.- Site visit for gathering operational information related to: pipeline operational variables (flow, pressures, Cp) for at least the last year, updated normal operating procedures, execution of shutdown and startup procedures, station failure events, execution of rheology procedure, rheology and concentrate granulometry recording, among others.
B.- Hydraulic analysis and generation of hydraulic profile for concentrate pipelines.
C.- Update of the operational range and recommendation of strategies for utilizing variable dissipation at stations. Scenarios with and without discharge pressure restrictions were considered.
D.- Audit of pipeline operation through hydraulic evaluation and application of existing operational procedures.
E.- Review of emergency manual and/or procedures.
F.- Compilation of a report with conclusions, findings, recommendations, and a comparison with industry Best Practices.

II. Mechanical Maintenance Scope

A.- Analysis of the existing mechanical maintenance strategy for the concentrate pipelines (stations and pipeline) through expert examination of the Mechanical Maintenance Plan declared in Ellipse.
B.- Identification of improvement opportunities for the Mechanical Maintenance Plan in terms of resources, timelines, frequencies, and methodology for inspection, replacement, and maintenance of critical equipment and components within the concentrate transport system.
C.- Compilation of a report detailing observations identified in the Mechanical Maintenance Plan, along with recommendations for mitigating deviations.