THE ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF LONG DISTANCE SLURRY PIPELINES

The bulk solid materials that are the most likely candidates for large scale transport by slurry pipelines are coal, iron ore concentrates, potash, phosphate rock, sulfur, cement rock, nonferrous metal ores and concentrates, and waste tailings from mineral processing plants. Most of the foregoing materials are already being transported by pipelines in significant quantities over considerable distances. The author believes that the true potential of slurry pipelines has barely been scratched and to illustrate the point briefly reviews the salient points of four proposed slurry pipeline projects which are receiving serious consideration in various parts of the world. 1. A coal slurry pipeline about 1000 miles long, to transport between 30 and 40 million tons per year of low sulfur western coal, from the Colorado plateau to the lower Mississippi Valley. 2. A potash slurry pipeline about 900 miles long to transport about 6 million tons per year of potash from Southern Saskatchewan to Vancouver on the Pacific Coast. 3. An iron ore slurry pipeline about 500 miles long to transport about 25 million tons per year of iron ore from deep in the Amazon Valley, in Brazil, to a shipping port on the Atlantic Coast. 4. A tailing disposal pipeline system, with a maximum length of about 46 kilometers to collect tailings from several mines in Northern Luzon, in the Philippines, which are currently discharging their tailing into two rivers, and transport the tailing slurry to an offshore disposal point on the bottom of the sea.

  • Supplemental Notes:
    • Presented at HYDROTRANSPORT 3--Third International Conference on the Hydraulic Transport of Solids in Pipes, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colo., May 15-17, 1974. Sponsored by BHRA Fluid Engineering. Complete set of Conference papers available for $45.00.
  • Corporate Authors:

    Colorado School of Mines

    1500 Illinois Street
    Golden, CO  United States  80401
  • Authors:
    • Constantini, R
  • Publication Date: 1974-5

Media Info

  • Pagination: 11 p.

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00056483
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: British Hydrodynamics Research Association
  • Report/Paper Numbers: Paper K1
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Jul 15 1974 12:00AM