Over the next 18 months, oil and lubrication company Shell will target the iron-ore market and introduce its bulk grease customer value proposition (CVP) through the Shell Grease Truck to various iron-ore mines in South Africa, says Shell South Africa technical manager Hentie Spangenberg.

The Shell Grease Truck is a closed lubrication system that pumps grease to the machine from sealed steel containers on the truck, called rockets, using advanced, flat-face couplers, which ensure that the grease does not have any contact with the external environment by immediately closing the fitting when the couplers are pulled out.

The CVP consists, firstly, of an effective supply chain as well as six containers, called rockets, with a capacity of 1400 kg of grease per rocket. The trucks deliver bulk grease at critical machines on site, typically with a pump rate of 40 kg of grease per minute.

It also includes a Grease Truck team supported by a Lube Experts team specialising in four different specialty greases that can simultaneously be pumped from the Grease Truck .

Shell developed a new Grease Truck that can now achieve a flow rate of about 50 kg per minute, an improvement on the existing flow rate, says Spangenberg.

Over the past ten years, Shell South Africa’s primary clients for the Grease Truck were in the platinum and coal industry, but he states that there is no reason why the product cannot be successfully used at an iron-ore mine.

Spangenberg argues that now, while iron-ore prices are low, is the right time for iron-ore producers to consider increasing their efficiency and reducing downtime.

“In this tough environment, iron-ore producers will aim to drive efficiencies and reduce production costs. Although lubricant costs account for only 1% to 2% of the total maintenance costs, producers can reduce operational and maintenance costs, extend equipment life and, in some cases, energy and fuel consumption through dedicated lubricants.”

Through the introduction of the Shell Grease Truck, the company has supplied bulk grease on site directly into critical equipment, such as draglines, shovels and excavators, to mining majors such as BHP Billiton. The Grease Trucks have eliminated downtime on critical pieces of equipment in opencast mining operations as well as introduced considerable cost savings, Spangenberg states.

“Our customers tell us that downtime, without using heavy duty equipment, can cost up to R350 000 to R450 000/h pending on the quality of the commodity in that specific mining area.”

The highly dusty environment of an opencast iron-ore mine creates high potential for grease contamination, but the Grease Truck mitigates this, he adds.

“There are similar suppliers of this service, often providing grease out of the back of bakkies and smaller trucks, but most of them do not comply with regulations on the mine or with Shell’s health, safety, security and the environment rules.”

In addition to administering lubricants, Shell also works with more than 3 000 original-equipment manufacturers to design lubricants that meet the requirements of their equipment and can withstand tough mining environments.