Bore Cleaning at Cooljarloo West – 2008

Back in 2008, at Cooljarloo West, approximately 175 km north of Perth, Western Australia, a mineral mine site came to us with a serious problem. The site relied heavily on bore water for the critical vortex sorting and separation of raw mineral sands. But flow rates through their pipelines had dropped dramatically, threatening production efficiency.

When the headworks were dismantled, the issue became clear. Iron-related bacteria (IRB) had built up to the point where internal diameter was reduced by around 30%, choking the water supply. It was also safe to assume the pump and rising main were similarly fouled.

Normally, a full clean would involve pulling the pump, clearing the rising main, and using a surge block to scour the bore screen. But with dozens of bores in the bore field and high demand for water, downtime wasn’t an option.

Instead, the mine opted for a rapid cleaning strategy. Our team dosed the bores with BoreSaver Ultra C solution, cycling it through a tank and back down the borehole. This allowed us to dissolve iron oxide deposits and biofouling without pulling equipment. The streamlined process meant we could return two bores a day back into service, keeping operations running smoothly.

A full rehabilitation was scheduled later in the off-season, when water demand was lower, but this quick intervention bought the site valuable time and kept production on track.