Photo of the Month: Early bird in the sand mines
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- 27 April 2018
It’s that time of the month, readers. Our Photo of the Month competition is Bulk Fuel Australia’s way of showing our appreciation to our fantastic staff. Each month they send in snaps from moments on the job, whether they’re on-site refuelling in the bush or by the water.
One of our latest winners is this great snap of one of our units on a cold, windy summer morning that’s fuelling up the work barge for our customer who runs a sand mine at Kurnell in Sydney, NSW.
Our customer has been running their sand mine operation since the 1930’s and relies on Bulk Fuel Australia to access sandy terrain to refuel their barges on shore.
Insight into the sand mining industry
It may be a country surrounded by desert, but did you know that Saudi Arabia imports Australia’s sand? That’s right, much of its sand (and camels) is imported from a collection of Australian sand mining companies.
The United Arab Emirates is not buying it in small amounts either. According to a UN report, the UAE imported $456 million worth of sand, stone and gravel in 2014 alone. What’s the reason for this? Sand is used as a construction material. It’s what’s helped Dubai transform from its former life as a fishing settlement and desert to one of the most luxurious cities in the world in less than 50 years.
The problem for the UAE is a two-part: Firstly, it’s already exhausted its marine sand supply and secondly, wind-formed desert sand (which UAE is surrounded in) has a high salt content and is too smooth to be used in construction. Australia, on the other hand, has well-established sand and mineral industry that’s perfect for sandblasting, paints, industrial abrasive and concrete that can be laid quickly.
On-site, flexible delivery of bulk fuel for mining equipment
Bulk Fuel Australia has a long history in servicing the mining industry, from providing fully bunded bulk fuel tanks to timely on-site fuel delivery to keep your fleet moving. Contact Bulk Fuel Australia today for a competitive fuel delivery quote.