Overview of the Long Distance Iron Ore Slurry Pipeline from Anglo Ferrous Brazil
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
IBP1424_09 OVERVIEW OF THE LONG DISTANCE IRON ORE SLURRY PIPELINE FROM ANGLO FERROUS BRAZIL. Adarlan M. Silva1, Aline C. Passos 2, Daniel Santos3, Eduardo M. Orban4, Hélder D. Lisboa5, Nilton Gonçalves6, Robson C. Guimarães7 Copyright 2009, Brazilian Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels Institute - IBP This Technical Paper was prepared for presentation at the Rio Pipeline Conference and Exposition 2009, held between September, 22-24, 2009, in Rio de Janeiro. This Technical Paper was selected for presentation by the Technical Committee of the event according to the information contained in the abstract submitted by the author(s). The contents of the Technical Paper, as presented, were not reviewed by IBP. The organizers are not supposed to translate or correct the submitted papers. The material as it is presented, does not necessarily represent Brazilian Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels Institute’ opinion, or that of its Members or Representatives. Authors consent to the publication of this Technical Paper in the Rio Pipeline Conference Proceedings. Resumo O objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar uma visão geral do mineroduto de minério de ferro da Anglo Ferrous Brazil. Anglo Ferrous Brazil é um empresa do Grupo Anglo American plc que é um dos maiores grupos de mineração e recursos naturais do mundo. Minas-Rio é um projeto de minério de ferro, de classe mundial, que está sendo desenvolvido no Brasil para produzir 26.6 milhões de toneladas de concentrado por ano. A Mina, Planta de Beneficiamento e Estação de Bombas 1 estarão localizadas em Conceição do Mato Dentro, Minas Gerais e a Estação Terminal estará localizada no Porto do Açú em São João da Barra, Rio de Janeiro. O mineroduto será um dos maiores diferenciais do Projeto Minas-Rio e sua vida útil está estimada em 20 anos. O mineroduto terá 525 quilômetros de extensão e será construído com tubulações de 26 polegadas, diâmetro externo, utilizando aço API 5L X70. Do quilômetro 314 ao 480, será instalado uma tubulação de 24 polegadas, para prevenir a formação de vácuo, após a Estação de Bombas 2. A Estação de Bombas 1 irá operar com 8 bombas de deslocamento positivo e foi projetada para fornecer energia hidráulica necessária para transportar o concentrado de minério de ferro até a Estação de Bombas 2. A Estação de Bombas 2, localizada no quilômetro 240, foi projetada para operar com 10 bombas. A Estação de Válvulas será localizada no quilômetro 347 e será utilizada para quebrar a carga estática entre a Estação de Bombas 2 e a Estação Terminal, durante uma parada do mineroduto. Um sistema de proteção catódica será instalado para evitar a corrosão externa e 10 Estações de Monitoramento de Pressão irão monitorar as condições hidráulicas do bombeamento. Existe também um cabo de fibra ótica para comunicação entre a Estação de Bombas e Estação Terminal. O mineroduto será construído por tubulações com diferentes espessuras, dependendo da pressão requerida na região. A velocidade de transporte poderá variar entre 1.5 m/s a 1.8 m/s com vazão nominal entre 1826 m³/h e 2105 m³/h. Abstract The objective of this paper is to present an overview of the long distance iron ore slurry pipeline from Anglo Ferrous Brazil. Anglo Ferrous Brazil is a company of Anglo American plc that is one of the world’s largest mining and natural resource company. Minas-Rio is a world class iron ore project which has been developed in Brazil aiming to produce 26.6 million tons per year of concentrate. The mine, concentrator and pump station 1 will be located in Conceição do Mato Dentro, Minas Gerais state, and the terminal station will be located at Açú Port in São João da Barra, Rio de Janeiro state. The long distance iron ore slurry pipeline will be one of major differentials of Minas-Rio Project and its useful life was initially estimated in 20 years. The slurry pipeline has a total length of 525 kilometers and will be constructed from predominately 26 inches external diameter API 5L X70 pipes. From kilometer 314 to kilometer 480, 24 inches pipe will be installed to prevent slack flow downstream pump station 2. The pump station 1 is designed to provide the hydraulic head necessary to transport the concentrate iron ore slurry with 8 positive displacement pumps to pump station 2. The pump station 2, located 240 kilometers downstream pump station 1, is designed to operate with 10 positive displacement pumps. The valve station will be located at kilometer 347 and will be used to break the static head between pump station 2 and the terminal station during a slurry pipeline shutdown. ______________________________ 1 Adarlan M. Silva, MSc, Coordinator, Operations – Anglo Ferrous Brazil 2 Aline C. Passos, Eng., Maintenance Planning Control, Maintenance - Anglo Ferrous Brazil 3 Daniel Santos, Eng., General Manager, Operations & Maintenance - Anglo Ferrous Brazil 4 Eduardo M. Orban, Eng., Manager, Operations & Maintenance – Anglo Ferrous Brazil 5 Hélder D. Lisboa, Eng., Electric Engineer, Maintenance - Anglo Ferrous Brazil 6 Nilton Gonçalves, Eng., Mechanic Engineer, Maintenance - Anglo Ferrous Brazil 7 Robson C. Guimarães, Eng., Mechanic Engineer, Maintenance - Anglo Ferrous Brazil Rio Pipeline Conference & Exposition 2009 A cathodic protection system will be installed to mitigate external corrosion and 10 pressure monitoring stations to controlling hydraulic conditions, there is also a fiber optic cable interconnection between pump station 1 and terminal station. The pipeline will be constructed with several wall thicknesses, dependant upon the pressure requirements at the location. The transportation velocity ranges from 1.5 m/s to 1.8 m/s, with a flow rate between 1,826 m³/h and 2,105 m³/h. 1. Introduction 1.1 Business Overview Anglo American plc has an unique portfolio of high quality mining assets and natural resources includes precious, base metals and bulk commodities. Anglo operates in Africa, Europe, South and North America, Australia and Asia. Anglo American plc has five business units: Platinum, Diamonds, Base Metals, Ferrous & Industries, and Coal. The iron ore is a integrated part of the Ferrous Metal Business Unit that is on development in Anglo. Ferrous & Industries has iron ore, steel, aluminium and manganese operations on four continents – South Africa, North and South America, and Australia. It is primarily focused on developing Anglo position in the global iron ore market through a 63.4% shareholding in Kumba Iron Ore in South Africa, the Minas-Rio project and a 70% stake in the Amapá mine in Brazil, acquired in August 2008. Kumba currently operates two mines in South Africa – Sishen in the Northern Cape, and Thabazimbi, in Limpopo. 1.2 Anglo Ferrous Brazil Overview Anglo Ferrous Brazil is a company of Anglo American plc that is one of the world’s largest mining and natural resource company. Anglo Ferrous Brazil currently owns 70% of the Amapa project, Minas-Rio iron ore project and 49% stake in LLX Minas-Rio. The Amapa iron ore project is located in Amapa state in the North of Brazil. The construction of Amapa project was completed in 2007, with initial production in December 2007 and with annual capacity of 6.5 million tons per year of iron ore. Anglo Ferrous Brazil currently owns 70% of the Amapa project and Cleveland Cliffs Inc. owns 30%. Minas-Rio iron ore project is located in Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro states in Brazil. The project is due to begin production in 2012 with potential production of 26.6 million tones per year of concentrate. 1.3 Minas-Rio Project Overview Minas Rio project is an integrated system which includes an open pit mine, beneficiation plant, tailings disposal, slurry pipeline, filtering plant and port. The iron ore mine, beneficiation plant and pump station 1 is located in Conceição do Mato Dentro region, 150 kilometers far from the city of Belo Horizonte, in the North of Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The beneficiation plant is connected to the Açú Port, in North of Rio de Janeiro State, by a slurry pipeline. The Minas Rio concentrator was designed to process on average 6,496 metric tons of ore per hour (143,432 tons per day) at a projected plant availability of 95.0%. The plant will process 56.9 million tons of ore per annum with potential production of 26.6 million tones per year of concentrate. The Anglo Ferrous Brazil iron ore consists mainly of quartz and hematite particles with 39.8% of iron and 40.0% of silica that will feed the beneficiation plant: crushing, screening, roller press, primary grinding circuit assures sufficient reduction and liberation of the iron ore particles. It will be then deslimed, with the ultrafine material being removed in cluster cyclones before flotation circuit where waste material such as silica will be separated from the iron particles. The ore finally will be reground and feed a concentrate thickener. The concentrate with 68 percent of solids is pumping for slurry pipeline transport to Açú Port. Approximately 80% of the iron will be recovered during the concentration. The iron ore content in the concentrate is average 68.0% and the silica content is 1.1% average. An overview of the plant process is shown in Figure 1. 2 Rio Pipeline Conference & Exposition 2009 Figure 1. Minas-Rio Process flow sheet 1.3.1 Key Informantions Product: Iron ore Location: Conceição do Mato Dentro, Minas Gerais – São João da Barra, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Mineral Type: Low-grade itabiritic ore, hematite and magnetite Mining Method: Open pit Processing Method: Integrated system: mine, beneficiation, slurry transport, filtering and shipment Annual Production: 26.6 million tones of concentrate Metallurgic recovery: 85%; Mass recovery: 45% Concentrate: 26.6 million tons per year – wet base Roller presses are used to enhance the reduction index - The largest roller press in the world (Crushing step) Operational Energy consumption: 5,7 kWh/t; The trade off between vertimill against ball mill present an energy saving of 37% The longest iron ore slurry pipeline in the world (525km) The largest Ceramic Disc Filters in the world (144m²) 2.