Engineering & Mining Journal

SEP 2012

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OPERATING STRATEGIES the iSite probes in the ASTs to deliver real- time tank-level measurements. The FSC3000 stores transaction data, driver and vehicle records, and is integrated directly into the C/OPT FIT, which allows 24-hour fueling. The Phoenix Plus software provides centralized control over the fuel- ing operation and features backup and restore functions, terminal emulation, on- demand or automatic transaction polling, and reporting capabilities. The OPW-FMS system, which was installed in September 2011, not only allows Peace River Coal to track the amount of fuel its equipment is using, but also the fuel used by contractors. "Peace River is operating the mine with its equipment, but they also employ a large contractor base, who have all of their equipment burning fuel," said Cardno. "They supply fuel to the contractors because you can't have multiple fuel tanks all over the site for the different contrac- tors. In the past, keeping track of what they burned was a nightmare, but keeping track of fuel usage with this system is a dream come true. They know what each piece of equipment has burned and when so there's no questions, no disagreements." Much like the trucks and other heavy equipment in use at the mine, reliability is paramount for the new fuel-management system. To help protect it from the elements, P.D. McLaren constructed a phone booth- type structure around the C/OPT pedestal. "It's working like a charm. Even in those extreme conditions the system has been running absolutely flawlessly," said Hayman. "The iSite console and the FSC3000 are in a trailer that's run off a generator, and we set up the wireless link with two static IPs, one for the iSite and one for the FSC3000, so that the card file can be manipulated from the maintenance center with emails going to the command center in Vancouver and to the individual suppliers. Now, they have checks and bal- ances on the tankers when they come in to deliver the fuel." "As far as the system goes, it's very, very good," said Cardno. "It's just a world apart from what it was before. The system can even tell you how many kilometers per gal- lon the truck is getting, so if they're idling you can know for how long and how much fuel is being used. We really tested the mar- ket before undertaking this project and the OPW-FMS system Terry and P.D. McLaren recommended was the best system, by far." Paul Nelson is a sales representative for OPW-FMS(www.opwglobal.com). Peace River Coal installed a fuel management system consisting of the OPW C/OPT fueling island terminal with the FSC3000 built-in (top), SiteSentinel iSite automatic tank-gauging system (bottom), and Phoenix Plus fuel management software. 146 E&MJ; • SEPTEMBER 2012 www.e-mj.com

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