With its vastness and resource potential, Australia is an attractive destination for international companies looking to broaden their portfolios.
One such example of an international enterprise operating in Australia is CITIC. CITIC is the largest conglomerate in China and the largest producer of steel in the world. CITIC Pacific Mining (CPM) – which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CITIC – developed the Sino Iron Project, which is the largest magnetite mining and processing operation in Australia.
Magnetite is a mineral and a valuable source of iron ore, and is mainly used in steelmaking. The six processing lines in the Sino Iron Project concentrator are designed to process 24 million tonnes of high-grade magnetite concentrate annually. Ensuring efficient and productive operations is an enormous undertaking, and in order to keep the project running smoothly and guarantee continuous operations, a 500kL fuel farm needed to be completed.
The fuel farm also needed to be well-made and ready to provide fuel to ships coming in to load the magnetite for export.
Background
In order to facilitate the building of this fuel farm, CPM investigated the feasibility of traditional piping methods but quickly realised that doing so would be expensive and time-consuming.
In addition to this, there was also the potential for quality issues, which would mean that pipes would need to be sent back for re-work.
Sourcing solutions to help CPM avoid these problems became a top priority and in order to do so, CPM needed to find and use a solution that was capable of adapting to problems as they arose.
Finding a solution
When dealing with a project involving 330m of piping and located at a remote fuel farm, the margin for error is close to nil.
This was the scenario that was facing CPM Sino Iron plant at Cape Preston in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
For this undertaking, five different sizes of piping, ranging from 28mm to 168mm, were required, and any errors or discrepancies in traditional welding would result in a large loss of time and productivity.
The search for a trusted partner led CPM to Ibex Australia, with CPM electing to use Ibex’s Impress® stainless steel piping system to achieve the desired result on time and well below budget.
An advanced, weld-free pipe system, the Impress® system is used for transporting fluids and gases used in mining, oil and gas, wastewater management, and many more.
The results
Utilising Impress® press fit technology meant that the installation was able to be completed in a fraction of the time it would have taken using traditional methods. As well as this, no quality issues were found with the pipes, meaning they could be installed and put to immediate use.
The decision to use Ibex’s Impress® system saved CPM a great deal of time and money and ensured that the project was completed on schedule.
Key features like no welding, low labour costs, easy installation and reliable results make the product a ‘no brainer’.
Ibex Australia is a family-owned and operated business with more than 30 years of experience delivering smarter, safer industrial stainless steel piping solutions to industry. To learn more about Ibex Australia and their range of high-quality press fit products and fittings, and their commitment to excellence, head to www.ibexaustralia.com.au
This sponsored editorial is brought to you by Ibex Australia.
