Engineering and Mining Journal - Whether the market is copper, gold, nickel, iron ore, lead/zinc, PGM, diamonds or other commodities, E&MJ takes the lead in projecting trends, following development and reporting on the most efficient operating pr
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54 E&MJ; • MARCH 2017 www.e-mj.com OPERATING STRATEGIES Since it was established in 1991, Golden West Industries has steadily built a busi- ness solving dust problems, and it's now recognized as a leading provider of custom chemical solutions for the mining and ma- terial handling sectors. The company spe- cializes in dust control products for stock- piles, open areas and unpaved roads. They also have specialty chemicals for freeze conditioning and to improve material fl ow. "Essentially, we have grown to become a turnkey dust control solutions provider in- cluding all facets of products and services and personnel either located on site or off site," said Jason Pierce, vice president-glob- al markets, Golden West Industries. Today, Golden West Industries has fi ve offi ces and warehouse facilities in various parts of Chile and Peru. "We have expanded our presence in the Pacifi c Rim with new of- fi ces in Mongolia, and a sales team working with miners in Russia and China." The Gold- en West client roster is impressive, Pierce explained, and it includes many of the large metal/nonmetal, coal and industrial opera- tions worldwide. They have acquired a num- ber of new customers in Africa and Asia. Miners have experienced remarkable success with the Chem-loc 200 series product around crushers and conveyor sys- tems, while the company's Chem-loc 400 series product works well for stockpiles and open areas. For haul roads, Golden West recommends it fl agship product, Pennz Suppress D. They also have dust control/stabilization products for non-ac- tive areas. Today, the company is develop- ing new products for the mining business. Business for Golden West has been brisk. "The products we sell improve safety and save money for mine operators, and even though safety has always been a top priority, saving money has drawn a lot more attention lately," Pierce said. "They also help mine operators comply with fu- gitive dust related regulations." The application technology has changed slightly over the years, Pierce explained, but the chemistry has not. Golden West oper- ates two blending plants. One is in Price and the other is based in Gillette, Wyoming. The Price facility exports and serves hard rock operations in the western U.S. and abroad, while the Wyoming facility caters to coal. "We have tripled the size of the Price facility in the last three years due to increas- ing sales and the need for more storage and blend tanks," Pierce said. "We manufacture a foaming agent [a surfactant] at the Price blend plant and ship it in a concentrated form internationally or in its standard form domestically. We also sell and service that product domestically and internationally with our own personnel and with the help of some subcontractors abroad." Golden West guarantees an 80% reduc- tion in dust emissions. They are sand-bag- ging with that proposition because they average a 95% to 98% reduction in fu- gitive dust emissions. "We fi nd that over time, by making an initial investment, that our product saves mine operators money," Pierce said. "We have also seen reduced maintenance costs, especially with mo- tors. Customers in the gold and copper business have reported higher recoveries, which helps with the payback period." The products that Golden West markets can also limit the use of water for dust con- trol by as much as 100%, Pierce explained. "Dust emissions vary depending on the ge- ology and the fi nes generated," he said. "In a lot of the more arid climates, especially in places like Chile where there is no water, a mine might be using as much as 10 gallons per ton processed to control dust. We can likely do a better job with 1 gallon per ton or less and knock the dust down completely." With the help of chemical engineers in its R&D; department, Pierce said Golden is looking at a railcar topper that won't foul boilers. They also believe a similar prod- uct, which works well with fl otation, could signifi cantly improve copper production. 6 Ways to Cut Lube-related Costs at a Mine Site Total, the fourth-largest oil and gas com- pany in the world, supplies fuel, lubricants and associated services to more than 200 mining sites, located in more than 40 countries. Total's mining specialists re- cently put together a list of practical tips to help operators cut lubrication-product inventory and associated costs: Rationalize oil products Ð A core fun- damental of oil management is to ratio- nalize the number of lubricants and lubri- Making a Dust Control Investment Before and after photos demonstrate the importance of dust control programs, which improve regulatory compliance and save money.