Advanced Lubrication Technology

Shell Gadus OG grease enhances open gear operation in mining facility

Operating for long hours, under extreme loads, in high temperatures and dusty environments, ongoing wear is a significant challenge for open gears. This can lead to unplanned downtime and reduced equipment life—creating a barrier to effective operations. Leading mining and cement companies use advanced grease technology and technical inspections to help prevent open gear failure, optimize service life and ensure the smooth running of their operations.

The Shell Gadus OG greases range delivers a tailored and reliable solution to the challenges of maintaining open gear operations. Along with its proven load-carrying capacity and protection for open gears under shock loads, it also delivers the right balance of additives to reduce wear. 

Optimal graphite levels also provide emergency lubrication should unexpected spray system failures occur. In line with Shell’s focus on safety, all our greases are REACH compliant, contain no harmful chemicals or heavy metals and apply easily for maintenance teams. The Shell Gadus OG greases range offers high-performance open gear protection – helping to maximize equipment life, minimize downtime and optimize grease consumption.  By switching to Shell Gadus and working closely with the Shell LubeExpert team, the Maaden Barrick Copper Company (MBCC) in Saudi Arabia made estimated savings of almost $1.8 million.

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.

Lubrication and Operational Efficiency in Mining 

With equipment health crucial to the smooth running of mining operations, effective lubrication programs have a significant impact on the reliability and cost of site operations. By understanding the benefits of high-quality lubricants combined with digital services and expert technical advice mining facilities can build maintenance programs that improve their operational efficiency and support their sustainability goals.

This means focusing on operational efficiency and TCO, areas in which equipment maintenance has a critical role to play. Many sites are struggling to make the case for smarter investment in their lubrication programs whilst struggling with inefficient processes increasing the risk of costly breakdowns and unplanned downtime.

“One of the best arguments is highlighting how cheaper lubricants can end up costing you a lot of money,” said Michael Longbottom, Global LubeExpert Coach, Shell Lubricant Solutions. “Quality lubricants might cost you more up front but, if you know they’re being applied properly with the right processes in place, then the lubricant spend is going to be incredibly small compared to the wider maintenance budget.”

Lubricants selection is important, but not the only step miners must take if they want to drive operational efficiency through greater equipment health. They must manage their lubrication systems as effectively as possible to make the most of the high-quality products they use. It is an aspect of maintenance where digitalization presents new opportunities for greater operational efficiency.

“We are moving towards technology that allows operators to see a single lubrication point operating in the field and know if it performs as expected,” says Longbottom. “We are also trying to move a lot of our inspection reports to digital so, when we get off the machine, we can press a button and send that report directly to the operators.” 

This can make a significant difference to mining operations when past process would typically see miners receiving an inspection report two or three days after the inspection was completed. Now, they can simply open an app to see information needed to make informed maintenance decisions.

Future Mining Priorities 

MBCC is attempting to capture the potential of digital manufacturing across all its mining operations. Through a partnership with Hexagon, the company launched digital mining capabilities at Mansourah Massarah—a major step in enhancing efficiency, productivity and safety across the site. MBCC actively invests in Saudi Arabia's mining future by developing local talent and skills. By partnering with institutions like King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, MBCC can offer specialized mining degrees equipping future mining leaders with advanced skills and technology expertise. Additionally, the company signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with MP Materials to explore a rare earth supply chain in Saudi Arabia. Collaboration with Fleet Space Technologies was also launched to enhance exploration through advanced geophysical methods.

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