Paterson & Cooke recently hosted another successful Slurry Pipeline & Principles Course in Cape Town, South Africa, from 11 to 14 March, 2025.
Course Content Overview
This popular four-day course, held since 1995, consists of a series of lecture sessions, tutorial sessions and laboratory demonstrations of slurry flow behaviour.
The aim of the course is to provide attendees with a thorough overview of the various applications of slurry pipelines in the mining industry and to provide a basic understanding of the requirements for a successful slurry pipeline system. The course is presented by our senior staff who are always on hand to share their extensive knowledge.
The course covers, among other topics:
- Pipeline flow basics, providing an overview of the fundamentals of hydraulic design
- Pump and pipeline systems
- An introduction to slurry
- The differences between settling, non-settling and mixed regime slurries and how this affects the design of pumping systems
- An overview of slurry pipeline steady-state and transient hydraulics
- Centrifugal and Positive Displacement Pumps and where they are typically used in slurry systems
- Test work requirements for slurry systems
- Wear and material selection
- Various slurry system components to consider
- Backfill systems
- De-watering thickeners and filters
- Alternative tailings
- Long-distance pipelines
- Slurry pipeline operation, maintenance and management from the designer’s perspective
Course Highlight: Laboratory Demonstrations
One of the highlights of our course is a visit to the Paterson & Cooke Cape Town Laboratory. As part of our global network of testing facilities, this facility plays a crucial role in advancing our understanding of slurry transport.
During the visit, participants experience our state-of-the-art environment where critical slurry testing takes place. Here, we put theory into action—demonstrating key principles covered in the course and showcasing how real-world slurry testing is conducted.
This immersive experience deepens understanding and reinforces the importance of accurate data in slurry pipeline design. It’s a rare opportunity to witness how our experts tackle test work complexities and the analysis of the materials we process.
Our laboratory demonstrations include:
- A pipe loop to demonstrate various slurry principles e.g. settling velocity and the effects of different pipeline gradients
- Rotational viscometer rheology
- Thickening
- Filtration
- Hydraulic grade lines
- Backfill test work
What Our Delegates Had to Say
We received the following feedback from our course delegates:
- “Everything was great, the presenters have a vast amount of knowledge.”
- “I would definitely recommend this course and Paterson & Cooke’s expertise to colleagues and clients in future.”
- “Very well run and presented. I am sending my team next year!”
- “The presenters were excellent, and the flow of topics and course notes made it easy to follow the training.”
- “Thank you for conducting an excellent course.”
One of the key goals of our courses is to foster a strong professional network, giving participants the opportunity to connect and build valuable relationships with fellow delegates.
Visit our Courses & Training Page to view our upcoming courses.
Find out more about our Slurry Pipeline expertise.
