Flare Piping Material Selection for the Offshore Oil and Gas Industry

Optimal operation of offshore plants depends on the correct material selection for offshore piping systems. Flare systems, in particular, play a critical role in the safety of personnel in the plant. This study aims to determine the most suitable material for flare piping in order to prevent such failures in the future. In order to select the optimum piping material for flare systems, a systematic material selection process, called value engineering (VE), in conjunction with initial screening has been selected. Flare piping materials are selected according to six criteria: internal and external corrosion resistance, mechanical strength, cost, low-temperature resistance and availability. Using the VE method, the weight factor is determined by comparing each parameter pair-wise. A score is then calculated for each parameter for each material. For the flare system, five different types of material candidates were assessed in terms of performance. As a result, Inconel 625 was found to be the most suitable material for flare systems, while 6MO was the second choice. © 2022, The Institution of Engineers (India).