Mines looking for an alternative to steel pipes to extract bore water from ultra-deep depths at high pressures need to look no further! The innovative Australian manufacturer, Crusader Hose, possesses cutting-edge layflat hose technology and has developed the Flexibore® 400 flexible rising main.
Crusader Hose, an Australian company with over 35 years in manufacturing, has a strong connection with the mining, pump and drilling industries. These relationships have remained strong through industry networks, site visits, trade shows and most recently, virtual sales trips. Francois Steverlynck, the Managing Director for 30 years, understands the needs of mining engineers concerning bore water pumping depths and pressures and has led his company to manufacture a world-first product to address those challenges.
The breakthrough by the Research & Development Team has been the development of an ultra-high-pressure layflat hose to extract bore water. The 4” Flexibore® 400 series hose is, they believe, the highest pressure layflat hose in the world designed for groundwater pumping. With laboratory tests demonstrating a burst pressure of 100 bar or 1000m, groundwater can now be extracted with high-pressure pumps from depths of up to 400m.
Crusader Hose has recently supplied two mines in Queensland with Flexibore® 400. Although one bore’s depth is only half the depth of the other, both projects sought to use layflat hose for its ease of installation versus steel pipe and its capability of handling high- to super-high pressures.
A large coal mine needed to extract water from a bore depth of 386 m using a 160 kW submersible pump. The engineers were pleased with the ease and speed of handling the continuous layflat hose for the ultra-deep bore and were very impressed with its strength. The extruded Flexibore® 400 is manufactured with a textile reinforcement of ultra-high tensile strength. With a recommended maximum tensile load of 10 tonnes, the 4” Flexibore® 400 with its patented couplings can withstand its own weight together with the column of water within it up to 400m without the need for a safety cable!
At the other mine, consultancy group, Mastermyne, turned to Arron McAndrew of R & T Pumps in Emerald for advice on a bore installation of 184 metres. As mines place efficiency and safety over anything else, McAndrew recommended Flexibore® 400 layflat hose.
“Ease of installation and fewer hours for the installation team was a factor, as well as working with layflat is a little less dangerous than using conventional steel pipe considering its depth.”
Arron McAndrew of R & T Pumps, in Emerald.
Flexible rising mains such as Flexibore®, have been the system of choice for many Australian mines for in-pit bores due to the simplicity with which the submersible pumps can be installed and retrieved. The typical installation method uses a roller, crane or mechanised spool, as the layflat riser is manufactured in one continuous length. This system has proved to be less time-consuming and arduous than using steel or fibreglass pipe.
“Mines are a leading powerhouse for the Australian economy and Crusader Hose is committed to supporting efficiency and safety in mining by investing in technology. We are doing this by designing and manufacturing world-best hose systems for vertical and horizontal dewatering.”
Francois Steverlynck, Managing Director of Crusader Hose.