A vertech rope access rigging, rope access mechanical and rope access electrical team conducting the pluto LNG flare stack and tip inspections and maintenance in Karratha

Flare IRM Package (V-FLARE)

Vertech’s V-Flare Specialist Package provides end-to-end maintenance, remediation and replacement services for onshore or offshore flare tips. Using a combination of inspection techniques, Non-destructive Testing (NDT) methods, rope access and specialist access systems, our expert team can create a solution to meet any client’s needs. As flare tip replacement, remediation or repair projects are typically completed during shutdown, turnaround, or outage periods, these scopes are usually the critical path to production.

Delays can cost operators millions in lost revenue. Over the last decade, Vertech has refined our pre-planning, pre-mobilisation training and work scope assessment processes to ensure every small detail is accounted for and our teams arrive on-site armed with everything necessary to deliver the job safely, on time and within budget.

An offshore platform from the facility flare tip as part of a V-FLARE package, flare tip replacement.

Vertech has completed many flare tip replacement projects providing:

Integrated Activity Planning
Non-Destructive Testing (NDT)
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle inspection (UAV)
Specialist Access & IRATA Rope Access
Multi-Disciplined IRATA Rigging, Electrical & Mechanical Trades
Remediation & Repair Work Packs
Rigging & Lift Planning
Pre-Mobilisation Mock-up and Scope Specific Training
Coordinating Engineering and Fabrication

Flare Survey & Inspection

Vertech can offer a fully accredited surveying and inspection service to ascertain the condition of a flare’s structure, tip, and associated ancillaries. Inspection data and photogrammetry can closely monitor areas of concern or ongoing conditions, allowing Vertech to plan effectively for required maintenance years before critical replacements, repairs, or remediation projects.

Our CASA-accredited Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) can complete UHD visual inspections of piping, structure, ancillaries, and the flare tip during normal operations. This data can generate a digital twin of the flare, high-resolution 3D models (with measurement), and annotation tools. UAVs can also provide the data sets required to build comprehensive work packs, access plans, remediation plans, and rescue procedures well before implementation.

Non-destructive testing (NDT) involves detecting and assessing flaws in materials without causing damage. The National Association of Testing Authorities Accreditation (NATA) certifies Vertech Group to ISO 17025 as an NDT inspection body. With over a decade of experience in applying NDT, Vertech’s IRATA personnel can provide a full suite of inspections to quantify the condition of the flare structure.

Flare Project Planning

The foundations of a successful flare project are built through detailed planning and early engagement with the implementation team, engineering team, operator, and other specialist contractors. Early engagement ensures a comprehensive and shared understanding of the project’s specifics and unique challenges while aligning all parties on the most efficient methodology to complete the scope in its entirety.

Regardless of the age of the asset or condition of the associated structure, our experience with detailed surveying is invaluable to the planning phase as it removes assumptions while reducing the risk of variables when we arrive on site.

Vertech’s V-FLARE package has been refined over several tip replacement and specialist flare maintenance projects across Australasia. Our V-FLARE project planning capability includes various project management services to complement the operator’s personnel and ensure a safe, efficient, and high-quality implementation procedure.

Scope of works in this area include;

Constructability Development
Risk Engineering Collaboration & Consultation
Safe Work Methodology Development
Integrated Activity Planning
Rescue Scenario Development
Rigging & Lift Planning
Remediation / Coating Procedure Qualification
Procurement and Logistics
Competency Management
Pre-job Mock-up Trials & Training
Work pack generation
Rescue planning

Flare Tip Replacement

Flare tip replacements require meticulous project and activity planning. Ensuring a good interface between the contracting parties and site leadership is critical to successful project execution.

Vertech has a team of multi-skilled maintenance specialists experienced in the unique challenges associated with flare tip replacements, remediation, and construction. Vertech has constructed replicas of the flare structure in our training facility to familiarise each team member with the scope and equipment specific to the project. Scope-specific training is invaluable and maximises efficiency when the teams are on site.

Our flare tip replacement experience covers using helicopters to complete the flare tip lifts, vessels as transport/lay-downs, predesigned flare handling packages, and custom-designed lifting packages to remove and replace flare tips safely.

In our experience, no flare tip or flare structure is ever the same. However, the fundamentals of a successful project never change: people, safety, quality, and innovation.

Flare Maintenance

As Flare tip projects are typically completed during shutdown, turnaround, or outage periods, our team plans preventative maintenance, upgrades, or critical repairs to be as time-efficient as possible. Work done during this time can significantly add value to the asset, extend the life of the structure, and save OPEX costs throughout the asset’s life.

Detailed inspection and surveying data is initially collated by our UAV and IRATA NDT teams and then continuously reviewed throughout the flare project planning phase.

This approach allows us to optimise the scope and schedule other critical remediation or repair works during the project time window. Vertech’s specialist maintenance teams will assess every structure elevation as part of a flare tip replacement and identify additional scopes of work that can be completed during the flare maintenance window of opportunity.