Guy wire supported flare stacks, Seven Numbers, in GASCO-Ruwais NGL plant are in service for more than three decades. The stacks and wire ropes sustaining them in position were mainly designed for a life of 20 years & subjected primarily to visual inspections (on-stream / during shutdown). Consequently, stack structural integrity may be compromised causing costly downtime & possible fatal injuries which is more relevant in Ruwais area since continuing deterioration of aging wire rope / stack is a major problem in marine environments. Any flare related failure / unplanned downtime may disrupt operations, lower customer confidence & damage company's HSE reputation along with revenue reduction. Accordingly, an online state of art integrity management approach has been adopted to mitigate threats to stack integrity since visual inspection only proves to be inadequate especially for assessing guy wire condition. Main elements of this online strategy are: Guy wire tensioning/ flare stack verticality checks: Done annually & proactive recommendations issued. Electromagnetic inspection of guy wires (Remote operated Magnetic Flux Leakage): Detection of Loss of Metallic Cross Section / Local Faults caused by internal wear etc done & condition based proactive recommendations issued. Activity done every five under 5 year business plan. Optical imaging of flare stacks & thermal imaging of flare tip using remote operated unmanned aerial vehicle: Assess flare tip condition (esp hot spots) during operation by thermal imaging & evaluate coating damage / external corrosion (esp above flare stack platforms) by optical imaging. Based on survey findings & past reports assessment, a flare stack refurbishment strategy is being proposed. Additionally, as per findings of finite element based stack design appraisal, corrective actions are executed to extend life of stacks by another 20 years.
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