Seven months. Approximately 3,000 work hours. Zero safety incidents. Behind a major underground infrastructure upgrade is a story of teamwork, problem-solving and people getting the job done safely.
Deep underground at Resolution Copper, crews recently completed a major upgrade to the 46 Level pump station, modernizing a critical system that helps manage water in the mine’s underground workings.
The work on the 46 Level pump station required months of planning, demolition, installation and electrical work. At any given time, approximately five to ten miners worked ten-hour shifts to complete the project, contributing approximately three thousand work hours.
The project addressed a major challenge: the previous pumping system was no longer meeting the standard needed to reliably manage water underground. Crews spent nearly three months removing the original pumps and associated electrical equipment before beginning installation of the new system.
Over the following four months, crews installed new pumping and electrical infrastructure, replacing four older pumps with two upgraded pumps. The new pumps are capable of moving approximately 500 to 1,400 gallons of water per minute.
Getting equipment underground was one challenge. Getting the entire project from drawings to commissioning took people with different skills working together.
From engineering and planning to hydrogeology, electrical and underground operations, multiple teams supported the project from its earliest stages through commissioning.
Mike Oldham, Underground Operations Superintendent, spent countless hours reviewing and redlining structural and electrical drawings while working through procurement challenges that came with the project.
Limited space added logistical challenges. Some equipment could not be transported underground fully assembled, so crews disassembled it on the surface, moved the components down the shaft and reassembled them underground with support from the Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) manufacturer.
Underground, Mike Lovett, Orlando Lovano, Matthew Rabago, Leon Prichard, Abe Torres, Joe Rios and Beth Rogers formed the core crew that stayed with the project throughout its duration. As the commissioning date approached, they worked weekends and stayed late to keep the project moving.
From drawings and deliveries to equipment moves, installation, testing and troubleshooting, every stage required coordination and people bringing different skills to the work.
For the core crew, completing the work meant more than bringing a new pump station online. It was the first major project they had completed together from start to finish. For everyone involved, it was a shared accomplishment built on teamwork, problem-solving and a commitment to working safely.
Seven months and approximately three thousand work hours later, the teams could step back and see what all that work had built. Most importantly, they did it with zero safety incidents.
“This project really came down to the commitment of the team,” said Mike Oldham, Underground Operations Superintendent. “There were challenges along the way, but everyone stayed focused, worked together and made sure we did the job safely. To take a project like this from the drawings all the way through commissioning and do it with zero safety incidents is something the entire team should be proud of.”
The upgraded system also provides another important benefit: greater pumping capacity and flexibility to manage changing underground water conditions.
Water collected and pumped from deep underground is part of Resolution Copper’s larger water-management system. Improving the reliability and pumping capacity of that system helps our teams better manage the water already present in the mine workings while supporting our broader commitment to responsible water stewardship.
That commitment extends beyond the mine site. Since 2009, Resolution Copper has provided more than 8 billion gallons of treated water to agricultural users near San Tan Valley, helping put water from deep in the mine to beneficial use and reducing the need to pump additional groundwater for agricultural use.
The 46 Level upgrade is one example of how we’re improving our existing infrastructure and preparing for the future. Behind that progress are people bringing different skills, solving challenges together and looking out for one another.
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