Capital Equipment News August 2016

REDESIGNED CENTRIFUGE BASKET improves coal dewatering process

W ater used in coal processes can be considered a contaminant, as it reduces the effective heating value of coal. Coal is adequately dewatered using conventional screens or basket centrifuges. Centrifuge baskets are commonly used de- watering technique for raw fine coal, as they are generally simple, cheap and robust. The dewatered coal is sold commercially as a raw product. Aury Africa MD Mark Houchin explains that the centrifuge basket was custom-made for a mine in Witbank. “We measured up an old basket and made a thrift basket in our workshop in Johannesburg. It was put in seven weeks ago and is still running. The mine asked other suppliers to manu- facture a new basket for the operation, but they wouldn’t last.” The actual manufacture of the basket start- ed in March 2016, and was then tested to ensure product quality. Due to the success of the basket, Aury Africa has also been I n order to ensure employee safety and prevent any infrastructural damage to a multi-billion dollar floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel located at a deep water oil project off the coast on Angola, USD1-million-worth of MSA General Monitors (GM) fixed flame and gas detection products have been supplied to the project. Malaysia-based international offshore oilfield services provider Bumi Armada Berhad (BAB) is responsible for the chartering, operations and maintenance of the FPSO. When com- pleted by Q4 2016, it will utilise an external turret with 18 risers and umbilicals connect- ed to it, and a storage capacity of 1 800 000 barrels. This fourth-generation FPSO will boast a crude oil production rate of 80 000 barrels a day and a water injection rate of 120 000 barrels per day, as well as a gas-handling capability of 120 000 million standard cubic feet. The FPSO will have a topside weight of 15 000 t, and will be moored at a water depth of 450 m. Reliable gas and flame detection is essential to a structure of this magnitude.

tasked with repairing the mine’s other bas- kets. Aury Africa produces wear-resistant baskets for a variety of applications and process consumables to fit a range of Orig- inal Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) prod- ucts. “We provide a cost-conscious alternative to traditional suppliers. We have many years of experience in making baskets for various companies. We are quite used to dealing with different types of baskets and know what needs to be done to make a basket last. A high-quality basket is supposed to process at least 50 000 tons of coal in its lifespan,” states Houchin. Houchin highlights that Aury Africa prides itself on being able to engineer winning solutions for existing plant maintenance issues and thereby increase uptime, while ensuring lower site costs and higher profits.

Aury Africa was recently tasked with redesigning a Centrifugal & Mechanical Industries (CMI) 1400 generic basket.

costs in their operations. We have come up with cost-effective solutions without com- promising quality,” Houchin concludes. b

“Coal prices are at a low and cost is becom- ing a big thing, with companies trying to cut

PROTECTING LIVES AND EQUIPMENT worth billions of dollars

Floating production unit.

brella of MSA since 2010. This has enabled us to provide fully-comprehensive gas detec- tion solutions to industries in these regions in the most competitive turnaround times.” According to Oliver, this project will serve as a platform for MSA Africa to expand its presence in the highly-lucrative offshore oil industry. “This project has given us the op- portunity to showcase our world-class capa- bilities. As oil, gas and petroleum exploration projects expand in Africa, so too does our window of opportunity for long term sustain- able growth,” he concludes. b

MSA Africa Director Colin Oliver explains that the products were delivered in late 2015. “As part of our value-added aftersales service offering, we have already provided product training to some BAB employees in Malaysia, and will also train the onsite employees once the FPSO is complete. Continuous technical support will also be provided.” GM and MSA are trusted brands in Angola, Nigeria, Gabon and Ghana. Oliver says that GM is recognised as a global leader in hi- tech gas monitoring and flame detection in- strumentation. “GM has been under the um-

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