Fortis specializes in all aspects of mine shaft maintenance and repair and outfitting. Our experience ranges from shaft development through to service installations. Our team has worked on a variety of shaft rehabilitation projects that include concrete liner repair, ground rehabilitation, shaft steel installation and repairs and shaft services installation and removal... We have successfully completed numerous shaft electrical cable installations ranging from communication cable up to 25kVA shaft feeder cables. Fortis is well known for our mine shaft knowledge and expertise. We routinely develop safe and effective mine shaft procedures and plans for mines throughout the world.

Fortis has previously completed the design, fabrication and testing of several styles of shaft brackets for various shaft services. Fortis has facilitated electrical cable testing with shaft bracket assemblies including pre-testing of electrical cables, testing under load, and post-testing cables to ensure securing methods do not impact functionality of the services. Fortis has an in-house horizontal test bed capable of pulling up to 400,000lbs for non-destructive and destructive load testing.

Projects:

PCS Scissors Creek – Shaft Bracket and Feeder cable

Fortis supplied all manpower and equipment to install new 15kv Prysmian Airguard 350MCM shaft feeder cables. It was Installed from a cable reel mounted in the service cage bail as hoisted from underground to surface installing in CMP Zenith cable cleats on custom designed shaft brackets along the way.

Mosaic Esterhazy K1:

All manpower and equipment to install shaft brackets/wedges and (2x) 15kv Prysmian Airguard 350 MCM shaft feeder cables were supplied by Fortis. We did a top-Down installation of a feeder cable utilizing Fortis’ 44,000lb winch and custom designed Reel Trailer and Cable Lowering Sheave Stand.

McArthur River:

Fortis was commissioned to install 2 feeder cables, 2 ground cables, 2 fiber optic cable down two 8" boreholes 500 + Meters deep. These cables feed an underground substation in a mine. Fortis custom designed and tested cable clamps which combined and supported the sacrificial support cable, fiber optic cable, ground conductor and 25Kv Verlock feeder cable. Cable assembly was suspended by a Northern Strands 20T Suspension Gland on a Fortis custom designed Sheave Stand Assembly which also included (3x) terminations for the internal tensile support members of the Verlock feeder cable. The cable bending radius’s had to be carefully accommodated. Also a suspended load capability of 30,000 lbs had to be incorporated into the equipment design. As a result Fortis designed and built a wire rope sheave stand assembly to perform the task. See picture below. The job went very well, it was completed safely and ahead of schedule.

AltaGas, Forrest Kerr:

Supplied manpower and equipment to assist with install of 54 electrical cables in bus shaft at Forrest Kerr project. Performed a top-down installation utilizing pneumatic winch and custom reel trailer and sheave stand. All engineering and installation methodology developed by Fortis.

Mosaic Colonsay:

Fortis provided all manpower and equipment to install (2x) 13.8kv shaft feeder cables and associated instrumentation cables in No.2 shaft. Fortis executed a top-Down installation utilizing a Fortis’ 44,000lb winch, custom reel trailer and sheave stand. All engineering and installation methodology developed by Fortis.

Nutrien (Agrium) – Shaft Liner Remediation

Fortis has previously executed a very similar shaft liner remediation project at the Agrium Vanscoy Potash Operations mine site in the No.2 (Service) Shaft from approximately October 2013 through January 2015.The project was successfully executed over approximately 15 months with no recordable incidents. The methodology for the Agrium Shaft Liner Remediation included the design and fabrication of a shaft work deck, installation of ground support, installation of drain pipes and flow meters, controlled demolition of existing shaft liner, design and fabrication of a concrete delivery system, and forming & pouring of concrete in the repair area executed similarly to the proposed execution methodology for PCS Allan Production Shaft Liner Remediation project. Through the execution of the Agrium shaft liner remediation project Fortis has proven an ability to efficiently and collaboratively work with Alan Auld as a design engineer on a similar project.

Nutrien, Allan Division

Fortis completed shaft remediation on the concrete liner in #2 Shaft. Over time water began eroding the ground behind the concrete liner. This erosion then put pressure on the liner and began to push it out into the shaft. Fortis installed mine grid mesh and steel strapping to temporarily secure the liner until a long term plan is developed to repair the concrete liner.

Nutrien, Allan Division #2 SHAFT

Fortis successfully completed the loading pocket steel Installation. The scope of work included the supply and installation of tower steel from the loading pocket up to the potash level.

Mosaic Company, Colonsay Mine - #2 SHAFT UPPER SHAFT STEEL REPLACEMENT

Fortis was commissioned to remove and replace the structural tower steel. The project was time critical as this shaft is the service shaft which transports personnel and materials underground. Fortis successfully completed this project on time so Mosaic could return to their regularly scheduled cage times.

Nutrien, Lanigan Division - FEEDER CABLES

Fortis was contracted to install six 25kV Feeder Cables in the Service Shaft. Fortis successfully completed the installation of three cables in 2011 and the remaining three in July 2012. Fortis utilizes a cross head with integrated camera to guide the cable down the shaft to the lower drift level at the bottom of the shaft. The cross head is assembled in the shaft on top of the skip or cage. Camera provides live video of the cable being lowered down the shaft. Fortis is using a load cell to monitor the weight at the sheave.