Rick 2.5 Ton Super Pump Installed: Is the $200,000 Investment Really Worth the Money?
At Duncan Creek, a broken water pump has shut down Rick’s operation for four days. But against all odds, Rick secured a lease on a new one.
Rick: “Yeah, that’s a big pump too! How you doing, guys?”
Sean: “Good, how are you?”
Sean: “Right on, Rick. Nice to meet you.”
Rick: “Nice to meet you, man.”
Deon: “Deon, nice to meet you, buddy.”
Rick: “So let’s look at this thing. What does it hold for fuel?”
Deon: “About 560 gallons.”
Rick: “Right on. We’re just about ready to pop this new one in there.”
Deon: “We’ll give you a hand.”
Rick: “I’ll take it! Extra hands, absolutely.”
If all goes well, they should be able to sling the pump off the trailer and walk it down. Rick is cautious with the setup because the new pump weighs over two and a half tons and costs $200,000. Damaging it would end his season. After carefully getting it in place and hooking up the discharge line, Rick and the team attach the intake hose, drop the basket into the water, and test the pump.
Rick: “Ready to rock and roll. We also have this remote feature with this unit.”
Deon shows Rick how the pump can be started remotely from the plant, and the pump starts up perfectly. Rick is thrilled to be back in business.
Rick: “Let’s get the hell out of here; we got to get back to work.”
The pump starts bringing water back, and after a three-day shutdown costing $20,000 in lost gold, Rick is back in production, chasing his weekly 20-ounce goal.
But shortly after, the pump dies again. They realize it ran out of fuel—a simple but costly mistake. Buzz catches the problem, and they refill it quickly. Despite these setbacks, they manage to keep production going.
By the end of the week, Rick tallies up their gold: 12.33 ounces, worth about $15,000. It’s below the weekly target but enough to keep moving forward. Rick and his small crew have pulled over 100 ounces this season, though they’re not yet running at full capacity.
Rick: “We’ll have to up these numbers to hit a thousand ounces by season’s end, but we’ll get there with a few more people, more machines, and keeping the tempo up.”
With perseverance, Rick and his crew are determined to keep the operation going, despite the challenges of Duncan Creek.
