Paterson & Cooke brought together industry professionals in Cape Town, South Africa, for another successful Slurry Pipeline & Principles Course, held from 9–12 March 2026.
Course Overview
This well-established four-day course, running since 1995, combines engaging lectures, interactive tutorials, and practical laboratory demonstrations to explore slurry flow behaviour.
Designed to give our attendees a comprehensive understanding of slurry pipeline applications in the mining industry, the course also covers the key fundamentals required to design and operate a successful system. Sessions are led by our experienced senior team, who bring deep industry knowledge and are readily available to share insights and answer questions throughout.
The course topics includes:
- 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
Bringing Theory to Life with Laboratory Demonstrations
A standout element of the course is a visit to the Paterson & Cooke Cape Town Laboratory. As part of our global network of testing facilities, the lab plays a key role in expanding our expertise in slurry transport.
During the visit, participants step into a state-of-the-art testing environment where theory is brought to life. Key concepts covered in the course are demonstrated in real time, offering a first-hand look at how slurry testing is carried out in practice.
This hands-on experience strengthens understanding and highlights the value of accurate data in slurry pipeline design. It also offers a unique behind-the-scenes perspective on how our specialists approach complex test work and analyse the materials we handle.
Our laboratory demonstrations include:
- Rotational viscometer rheology
- Thickening
- Filtration
- Hydraulic grade lines
- Backfill test work
- Bulk Sample Handling
This year, our delegates were also treated to a sneak peak of our growing hydrometallurgical facility.
What Our Delegates Had to Say
We received the following feedback from our course delegates:
“This was a great introduction to theory and industry as well as market trends. I am very happy I attended and learned a lot.”
“All the lecturers were knowledgeable and professional, and the course notes are an invaluable resource!”
“The course is well structured, and it’s based on previous projects. Very well demonstrated.”
“Keep it up! Well-done to the Paterson & Cooke team. Everything was great, the presenters have a vast amount of knowledge.”
“I would definitely recommend this course to my colleagues.”
BSc Eng (Civil), MSc, PhD
Dr. Angus Paterson is a director of the Cape Town office of Paterson & Cooke, having founded the company together with Dr. Robert Cooke in 1991.