Atlas Copco Rental provides quick solution when unscheduled compressor maintenance poses risk to processing for Dominican gold mine
April 5, 2016
Antwerp, Belgium, April 5, 2016: Scheduled compressor maintenance for the oxygen plant of Pueblo Viejo gold mine, a 60/40 Barrick/Goldcorp joint venture in the Dominican Republic, means taking one of its three stationary units offline. The compressor trio normally supplies 630,000 cubic meter of air to make oxygen used in autoclave processing of roughly 24,000 tonnes of refractory ore per day.
Setting one compressor aside causes a calculated dip in production. In late 2015, however, one compressor’s motor failed, dropping production by 30%.
Capital Project - Barry Hummer called Atlas Copco Rental sales representative, Paul Morgan, in Florida, and was relieved to learn Morgan could supply 14 Atlas Copco ZH 6000 and ZH 9000 self-contained, 100% oil-free, three-stage centrifugal air compressors. The portable units fit completely within a standard 40-foot shipping container.
Morgan contacted Clayton Jones, key account manager of Atlas Copco Rental centrifugal air compressors, who immediately assembled a four-man technical team led by David Moessinger, who built the ZH-series compressors.
“Atlas Copco compressors are truly 100% oil-free,” Jones said. “Others reduce oil to a minimum and then filter it out. Ours has zero oil and no need for a filter.”
It took just 31 days from Hummer’s call for the first compressor to be up and running at the mine, with much of that time taken up by shipping and site prep. Each compressor requires just a few connections. Hummer replied,
The self-contained units just make it go so smoothly. And I can’t say enough about how this was managed. Atlas Copco did very good work and should be complimented for it.
For 50 days the ZH compressors ran full capacity, sustaining a steady 105,000 cfm flow of ISO-quality, 100% pure air at 75 psi. Production was maintained throughout the repair.
For further information please contact
- Olivia Gambin, Divisional Communication Manager Atlas Copco Specialty Rental Tel.: +32 3 750 82 87 Email: olivia.gambin@be.atlascopco.com
Atlas Copco is a world-leading provider of sustainable productivity solutions. The Group serves customers with innovative compressors, vacuum solutions and air treatment systems, construction and mining equipment, power tools and assembly systems. Atlas Copco develops products and service focused on productivity, energy efficiency, safety and ergonomics. The company was founded in 1873, is based in Stockholm, Sweden, and has a global reach spanning more than 180 countries. In 2015, Atlas Copco had revenues of BSEK 102 (BEUR 11) and more than 43 000 employees.
Specialty Rental is a division within Atlas Copco’s Construction Technique business area. It serves customers in the industry segments around the world with temporary air, nitrogen, steam and power rental solutions. The specialty rental services are offered under several brands. The divisional headquarters is located in Houston, USA.