Post by garryo on Nov 20, 2012 1:44:56 GMT -5
A couple of weeks ago during a recent trip to the UK I was lucky enough to get a trip to Boulby.
Six of us including a couple of mining engineers visited Boulby, I was invited as I have a friend who is a member of the North East Institute of Mining Engineers who organised the trip.
It was a cold foggy October morning when I arrived at the Boulby gatehouse at 10am prompt. After a quick warm drink it was into the conference room (main office)we went to have the operation described via a powerpoint presentation and maps. A few samples including a piece of polyhalite was shown.
Quick dash to the U/G change rooms just opposite the shift supervisors office. No suits of Lincoln Green nowadays but flourescent Orange shorts and singlets with some fancy shin pads.
After being fitted out with lamps and self rescuers we headed for the rock shaft as the service winder was on maintenance.
First noticeable change was the ventilation, the rock shaft is now the upcast as the airflow direction has been changed (reasons given included corrosion in shaft), second change was a large steel headframe skeleton which is going to replace the rock hoist tower as the concrete is showing signs of deteriation after 40 yes 40 years of use. Plan is next holidays 2013 they will demolish the existing structure, slide the new steel skeleton over the shaft then replace the outer concrete shell. A further change is the fitting of eight 8 sheave wheels, four for the existing winder and four on the other side should the wish to replace the winder with a larger capacity (talking about 30+ tonne skips) at some time in the future.
The skip came to bank complete with compensating sheave and we entered the riding deck and away down we went at a fairly relaxed pace.
Pit bottom was warm but not over hot, even though it was now the upcast. Round past the workshops and into a heavily modified Transit (in other words made simple) no dashboard , steel fuel tank complete with dip stick and common earth hard wired rather than earth return. As the driver said now no fire hazard problems and simple to fix.
The trip was to the North side of the mine passed the 801 lateral bunker to a point about 10kms from the shaft, roughly off the coast of Loftus. First stop was a drill cuddy where they were forward proving the potash horizon. Indications are a further 2-3? kms of workings are possible before the Northern limit of the basin is reached.
On reaching the face after driving up an incline from the Halite we saw a typical set up Heliminer (operating at 3.3Kv), cable reel shuttle car and feeder breaker. Unfortunately the Heliminer was not working at the time (problems outbye I think as the conveyor wasn't running), however roof support operations were in progress using the "Aussie" system. Steel rock bolts and resin in the roof and fibreglass bolts in the sidewall where needed.
At the supervisors "kist" there was a portable bench and tag board complete with four quadrant metering (oxygen, methane, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide). Face temperature was a cool 32degrees (on the south side the temp reaches 40).
On the way back to the shaft we passed the north side main lateral bunker at location 801. This consists of a cavern like excavation some 200-250metres long and about 30mts high.
Attatched to the roof of the cavern is an overhead tripper conveyor which can progressively fill the bunker with potash ore. Recovery is by means of a very large electric GHH German LHD,Bogger,Fsv or loader(with possibly a 6-8cu mtr bucket). This loader picks up from the stockpile and drops the ore onto a wide chain conveyor which in turn feeds the main north side conveyor system. Interestingly the bunker was virtually empty at the time of the visit.
When asked about water ingress the guide mentioned an inrush on the south side near a fault. The water was contained and now a large pumping instalation using Mackley multistage pumps driven by a 1.5MW ? motor pumps the brine to the surface. This is a far cry from the original small three throw GD ram pumps originally installed.
Near the shaft towards the north are the two declines down into the polyhalite but as time was of a premium we did not visit the area.
Back to the surface was via the service winder with its three decks, seemly one cage is larger than the other. After a very slow ascent for about 200 or so metres we were wound at normal speed, when asked about the slow departure the answer was something to do with the steel work near the bottom?
From the top of the service shaft into the winder house for a very quick visit. Winders seem same as they were 40 years ago with a few things I noticed. These were Laddic signal interlocking cabinet replaced by Alspa PLC and possible upgrade of converter electronics on service winder. Mechanically looked the same.
Quick shower then out of the site by 5.30. When I was in the shower some CPL employee said a guy called John would like to see me but by the time I showered the chap had gone. I believe it was a sparky I once knew called John Richards!
Couple of quick points:- A lot of the underground control panels are not FLP although seemed rugged construction 3mm plate doors. all AllenWest/Wecol now Ampcontrol. Mixture of Wecol FLP GEBs and non FLP, All tansformers appear to be Brush FLP dry types some with Ampcontrol stamped on them. No leaky feeder system for comms. Seems to be a major 11kV substation on the north side a few miles inbye, although didnt vist main sub assume it to be 11kV to 6.6Kv. Miners are supplied at 3.3kV from 6.6kV to 3.3kV 1.5MVA.
Conveyors old ones Huwood, newer installations Continental CV.
Plenty of Manitou or similar forklifts, a few old LHDs and plenty of Landrovers and Ford Transits.
As potash price quite good the company seems to by doing the place up ie underground office block new windows , brickwork repairs etc and UG roadway improvements.
Thats All.
Six of us including a couple of mining engineers visited Boulby, I was invited as I have a friend who is a member of the North East Institute of Mining Engineers who organised the trip.
It was a cold foggy October morning when I arrived at the Boulby gatehouse at 10am prompt. After a quick warm drink it was into the conference room (main office)we went to have the operation described via a powerpoint presentation and maps. A few samples including a piece of polyhalite was shown.
Quick dash to the U/G change rooms just opposite the shift supervisors office. No suits of Lincoln Green nowadays but flourescent Orange shorts and singlets with some fancy shin pads.
After being fitted out with lamps and self rescuers we headed for the rock shaft as the service winder was on maintenance.
First noticeable change was the ventilation, the rock shaft is now the upcast as the airflow direction has been changed (reasons given included corrosion in shaft), second change was a large steel headframe skeleton which is going to replace the rock hoist tower as the concrete is showing signs of deteriation after 40 yes 40 years of use. Plan is next holidays 2013 they will demolish the existing structure, slide the new steel skeleton over the shaft then replace the outer concrete shell. A further change is the fitting of eight 8 sheave wheels, four for the existing winder and four on the other side should the wish to replace the winder with a larger capacity (talking about 30+ tonne skips) at some time in the future.
The skip came to bank complete with compensating sheave and we entered the riding deck and away down we went at a fairly relaxed pace.
Pit bottom was warm but not over hot, even though it was now the upcast. Round past the workshops and into a heavily modified Transit (in other words made simple) no dashboard , steel fuel tank complete with dip stick and common earth hard wired rather than earth return. As the driver said now no fire hazard problems and simple to fix.
The trip was to the North side of the mine passed the 801 lateral bunker to a point about 10kms from the shaft, roughly off the coast of Loftus. First stop was a drill cuddy where they were forward proving the potash horizon. Indications are a further 2-3? kms of workings are possible before the Northern limit of the basin is reached.
On reaching the face after driving up an incline from the Halite we saw a typical set up Heliminer (operating at 3.3Kv), cable reel shuttle car and feeder breaker. Unfortunately the Heliminer was not working at the time (problems outbye I think as the conveyor wasn't running), however roof support operations were in progress using the "Aussie" system. Steel rock bolts and resin in the roof and fibreglass bolts in the sidewall where needed.
At the supervisors "kist" there was a portable bench and tag board complete with four quadrant metering (oxygen, methane, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide). Face temperature was a cool 32degrees (on the south side the temp reaches 40).
On the way back to the shaft we passed the north side main lateral bunker at location 801. This consists of a cavern like excavation some 200-250metres long and about 30mts high.
Attatched to the roof of the cavern is an overhead tripper conveyor which can progressively fill the bunker with potash ore. Recovery is by means of a very large electric GHH German LHD,Bogger,Fsv or loader(with possibly a 6-8cu mtr bucket). This loader picks up from the stockpile and drops the ore onto a wide chain conveyor which in turn feeds the main north side conveyor system. Interestingly the bunker was virtually empty at the time of the visit.
When asked about water ingress the guide mentioned an inrush on the south side near a fault. The water was contained and now a large pumping instalation using Mackley multistage pumps driven by a 1.5MW ? motor pumps the brine to the surface. This is a far cry from the original small three throw GD ram pumps originally installed.
Near the shaft towards the north are the two declines down into the polyhalite but as time was of a premium we did not visit the area.
Back to the surface was via the service winder with its three decks, seemly one cage is larger than the other. After a very slow ascent for about 200 or so metres we were wound at normal speed, when asked about the slow departure the answer was something to do with the steel work near the bottom?
From the top of the service shaft into the winder house for a very quick visit. Winders seem same as they were 40 years ago with a few things I noticed. These were Laddic signal interlocking cabinet replaced by Alspa PLC and possible upgrade of converter electronics on service winder. Mechanically looked the same.
Quick shower then out of the site by 5.30. When I was in the shower some CPL employee said a guy called John would like to see me but by the time I showered the chap had gone. I believe it was a sparky I once knew called John Richards!
Couple of quick points:- A lot of the underground control panels are not FLP although seemed rugged construction 3mm plate doors. all AllenWest/Wecol now Ampcontrol. Mixture of Wecol FLP GEBs and non FLP, All tansformers appear to be Brush FLP dry types some with Ampcontrol stamped on them. No leaky feeder system for comms. Seems to be a major 11kV substation on the north side a few miles inbye, although didnt vist main sub assume it to be 11kV to 6.6Kv. Miners are supplied at 3.3kV from 6.6kV to 3.3kV 1.5MVA.
Conveyors old ones Huwood, newer installations Continental CV.
Plenty of Manitou or similar forklifts, a few old LHDs and plenty of Landrovers and Ford Transits.
As potash price quite good the company seems to by doing the place up ie underground office block new windows , brickwork repairs etc and UG roadway improvements.
Thats All.
