Slurry Pipelines

Common failures include liner wear-through, corrosion, joint leaks and blockages from poor velocity control. Correct specification is critical for reducing expensive extended shutdowns when maintenance is required. As an example, the Concentrate Piping we supplied to the MMG ⁠Dugald River zinc mine project became an essential upgrade needed urgently before a planned shutdown, as the site’s corrosive slurry corroded the interior of the original system.

The key decisions in slurry pipeline design are choosing the right liner material, sizing the diameter for proper velocity, using practical spool lengths, and planning bends that minimise turbulence and wear. These fundamentals are shown clearly in projects like Rio Tinto’s 13 km slurry pipeline build where correct specification delivered major lifecycle gains.

Flexible sections make slurry pipeline installation faster, absorb movement, reduce stress on joints, and lower long-term maintenance. We’ve covered this in depth in our article on hose-versus-pipe in the Learning Hub.

Longer spools reduce joins, installation hours and coupling costs, which lowers lifetime risk for your slurry pipeline. We’ve detailed this strategy in our spool-length case study.

Slurry pipeline audits and specification reviews check that the installed system still matches the actual slurry, operating pressures, and throughput. Regular reviews pick up emerging wear, mis-specification, or design issues early, so you can adjust materials or layout and keep the slurry pipeline performing at its best over the long term.

Time for a review of your pipeline? Avoid your next unplanned shutdown and talk to us about a Slurry Piping Audit.

Slurry pipeline optimisation is the process of improving pipeline performance by matching liner materials, pipe bore, flow velocity, and layout to actual slurry conditions rather than generic specifications. It reduces wear rates, energy consumption, and unplanned maintenance. For operating sites, optimisation typically starts with a condition audit to identify where the current specification is under-performing. 

A mining pipeline system is the network of pipes, valves, hose assemblies, and fittings that transports ore slurry, tailings, or concentrate between processing stages on a mine site. Unlike clear-water pipelines, mining systems require abrasion-resistant liners, controlled velocity to prevent settling, and regular condition monitoring to manage accelerated wear. 

A concentrate pipeline transports mineral-rich slurry from a processing plant to a storage or export facility, typically in copper, iron ore and lithium operations. Correctly specified wear-resistant lined pipe and valves are critical to maintaining throughput between shutdowns. For design guidance, see our slurry pipeline design guide and guide to slurry wear types in the Learning Hub.