I had a sticky-beak to see if I could see on Google Earth where I work at my new job.
Yep!
It is a Clay Mine and processing Plant where we turn cruddy old white Clay that is hidden in white sand, into pure Kaolin Clay.
The plant itself looks like a Petroleum Refinery with it's giant tanks and pipelines running all over the place.
The 1st pic shows where we are located. Out in the nowhere land!
In the 2nd pic I have marked the areas I am responsible for.
Just 2 of us per shift actually make the clay, add all the chemicals, check it's purity, density etc etc (and all the other technical stuff we do). The other staff dig it up and seperate the sand (all before we get it), then after us it goes to the bagging and export section.
In the parts I have marked (my bits) the round things are the Huge Tanks (about 60 feet across and 20 feet deep). The building to the top right is where I press it and get the water out, then we send it through 15 different processes on conveyor belts going everywhere like spagetti. In my other areas are pumps, pump houses, chemical sheds etc. Everything in my sections are connected by over 150 different pipelines and valves (which I have learnt most of), and we have about 30 different control panels full of lights and switches (a bit like NASA control Rooms without the Video screens). One control panel has over 200 lights and switches on it (I'm still struggling to learn this one).
What I am happy about is that we are completely environmentally friendly. The only waste thing that comes out of the whole plant is clean steam from the hot water used to warm the clay. Even all our water is recycled. The water that comes out of the clay is used in the other parts of the process and other departments. There is only one tap (in the Smoko Hut for our coffee) that is connected to mains water!
It is hot, dusty, smelly, and very physically and mentally
demanding, but atleast I'm still there!
Thanks for reading this. It may not be a very interesting post but I thought I'd share it anyway
