May 2013
Safety/Loss Prevention
Flare header failure: An investigation
A 60-in. flare header suffered three identical failures with buckling and cracking at the circumferential weld at the bottom of the pipe. The failures are believed to have originated during hot relief..
The Author
John Tharakan is a Static Equipment SME at Suncor Energy Inc.’s Enterprise Technical Department. He has a post-graduate degree in mechanical engineering design and more than 30 yr of experience in the oil industry. Mr. Tharakan renders consulting services to various business units of Suncor on complex problems involving static equipment and piping. He also leads a Suncor-wide static equipment and piping excellence network that develops best practices and proactively drives mechanical integrity. He previously worked for Kuwait Oil Co. in Kuwait and for Kochi Refineries in India.
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