What is total fluid management in underground mining – and why does it matter?
Total fluid management (TFM) is a structured lubrication strategy that helps to improve equipment reliability, reduce downtime and enhance productivity in underground mining.
Imagine blasting rock to excavate a shaft without following the correct process. It would be an inefficient – and potentially dangerous – way to operate. And the same can be said for maintaining your equipment.
The extreme conditions your equipment operates in accelerate component wear and increase the risk of equipment failure, making effective lubrication essential for efficiency and for safety. This means taking a systematic approach to lubrication management.
By managing how your lubricants are stored, applied, monitored and replaced, TFM helps you to reduce unplanned downtime, extend equipment life, reduce consumption and lower maintenance costs. For example, one South African underground site increased productivity by USD$502,000 after implementing dedicated lubricants as part of an effective management programme to keep its mechanised fleet running smoothly1.
Seven key elements of total fluid management for underground mining
So, how do you apply TFM to improve reliability and productivity? Here are the seven elements you should have in place to get the most from your machines:
1. Reliable product supply
A dependable lubricant supply helps to avoid costly disruption, especially when you are operating in some of the most remote locations on Earth.
2. Storage and handling
Effective storage and handling of lubricants on site helps to improve worker safety and minimise costs through reduced waste. It also helps maintenance teams to manage inventory and refill dispensers efficiently – avoiding over- or under supply.
3. Contamination control
From storage to dispensing, it is vital to understand and address the areas of your lubrication processes where products are at risk of contamination before they reach the equipment components.
4. Temperature control
The heat of an underground mine puts additional stress on lubricants as well as components. Providing temperature control across storage, dispensing and application can help to extend oil drain intervals and improve protection.
5. Intelligent dispensing
Exploring smarter ways to dispense products at the right time and in the right amount (including automation) is an essential way to improve equipment protection, avoid overconsumption and reduce the safety risks of manual practices in underground mines.
6. Condition monitoring
Monitoring the lubricants you have in use can provide insights into the condition of components and offer an early warning system for equipment failure. This allows you to act before breakdowns occur, helping to prevent unplanned downtime, repair costs and operational disruption.
7. Waste management
Having a clear plan for managing the waste created by lubricant use (including how you recycle used oils) can contribute to the overall efficiency of your lubrication programme while helping you to comply with environmental regulations.
Increasing productivity by USD$502,000 a year in South Africa with total fluid management
Opportunity
Extracting one of the largest gold ore bodies in the world, South Deep mine operates a fully mechanised fleet covering 264 pieces of equipment across a 3.3km deep site. While achieving increases in production, the mine also had scope to control operating and maintenance costs.
Solution
The Shell technical team conducted audits at each level of the mine – identifying that wear caused 23% of transmission failures and 35% of axle failures. A key reason for this was the low performance of the previous transmission and axle oils. So, the Shell team recommended dedicated lubricants for these components.
Impact
With lubrication monitoring support from technical experts and a reliable lubricant supply, transmission and axle failures were reduced, resulting in a USD$502,000 increase in productivity and a USD$77,000 annual reduction in operating costs.1
How underground miners can implement total fluid management
The seven steps above show that – like blasting rock – there is more to effective lubrication than purchasing the ‘right’ products. And there are clear benefits to going beyond the lubricants themselves. By implementing TFM, you can better protect components – improving machine health and reliability while extending equipment life. This means reduced downtime and greater system efficiency, helping you to increase productivity, improve safety and reduce the carbon emissions generated by your site operations.
Breaking New Ground: Beneath the Surface
Demand for critical minerals and metals is increasing to support industrial progress around the world. How can underground miners address this growing demand while meeting production targets, managing operational costs, and transitioning towards more sustainable practices all together?
Read our whitepaper to explore how effective lubrication helps underground miners achieve both sustainability and productivity.
References:
1 Shell. Based on Shell and customer data. 2025
