Preventing Unplanned Downtime in Mining Operations

MBCC has operations spanning from the Red Sea to the central desert, and the company continues to explore new international opportunities. MBCC leverages cutting-edge technology such as the Typhoon geophysical survey—as well as AI and data modeling—to enhance mineral exploration in Saudi Arabia, enabling more precise targeting of critical minerals while reducing environmental impact and improving resource discovery efficiency.  MBCC’s focus on sustainable innovation is visible across all projects. The company is pioneering new methods including a patent for circular recycling of gypsum and leveraging technology to reduce emissions and groundwater consumption as they build a sustainable future. Recently, while reviewing some of its open gear equipment, MBCC realized the components weren’t adequately protected, risking both unplanned downtime and early replacement. Struggling to protect their critical open gear mining equipment in Saudi Arabia, MBCC worked with Shell to carry out an audit of its existing lubrication practices. The audit by LubeExpert highlighted a range of issues with the open gear grease in use on the ball mill pinion gear, as well as with its application.

The previous grease product could not deliver adequate protection during the hottest and coldest periods of the year – a crucial feature needed by the mine to keep its open gear equipment running smoothly. In addition, the spray bar was poorly designed and placed. It delivered almost 60 percent of the grease to the unloaded side of the pinion gear, leading to 25 percent higher consumption than needed. Combined with a lack of monitoring and lubricant support services from the supplier, these issues meant that the pinion was not expected to meet the OEM industry standard life for equipment of its type. Delivering the audit of MBCC’s pinion gear as part of the Shell LubeExpert service, the Shell technical team made recommendations designed to enhance open gear protection and extend the equipment’s life. This included: Trialing Shell Gadus S4 OG Clear Oil 2000 as a higher-viscosity grease that offers better protection and pumpability in all weather conditions. Switching from the current grease to Shell Gadus S3 Repair as a preparatory step ahead of the trial. Redesigned the spray bar and moved it to a location where it could more effectively dispense lubrication. Installed larger 400 kg grease pots to increase the uptime on the lubrication system between refills. Made recommendations for the next planned shutdown of the open gear equipment. Shell’s expert team also: The trial of Shell Gadus S4 OG Clear Oil 2000 was successful, with the Shell technical team monitoring its performance over a two-month period. As well as providing a stronger film and better protection in warmer weather (upwards of 100°C), the grease now delivers better protection in colder weather (below 10°C) due to its superior pumpability. The redesign and relocation of the spray bar has eliminated the excess consumption of grease and improved its ability to protect the equipment. All of this has contributed to extending the lifetime of the pinion, reduced the labor costs associated with maintenance and prevented lost productivity from unplanned downtime.