Abstract
One of the greatest challenges facing mining companies today is balancing productivity with managing the environmental impact of their operations.
Though companies utilize a variety of tactics to minimize their environmental footprint, one of the most overlooked opportunities is equipment lubrication. Knowing what lubrication factors to assess can result in insights that lead to meaningful improvements to your operation’s sustainability, including a reduction in emissions. For example, using higher quality lubricants can deliver significant energy efficiency benefits in both mobile and rotating equipment. Also, utilizing expert technical services can result in improvements to your maintenance program, as well as reduced oil consumption and waste oil disposal.
Imperial Oil’s Mobil Serv mining team has decades of experience helping mining companies achieve their environmental goals. For example, they helped an open pit mining operation switch to higher performance lubricants, resulting in reduction in engine oil consumption, which has helped reduce waste oil disposal and improve fuel economy, leading to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Drawing on these experiences, this paper will outline the crucial role lubrication can play in reducing the environmental impact of mining operations, as well as specific strategies mining companies can employ to address environmental-related gaps in their lubrication program.