Flare Tip Manufacture for the Dan and HalfDan Platforms — TotalEnergies, North Sea
The Client
GC Logicals was engaged by a specialist Nickel Alloy Fabricator working in partnership with Argo Flare Services Ltd, a UK design house specialising in flare gas recovery systems, active across the Middle East and the North Sea. The end client was TotalEnergies. The project required the manufacture of four Inco 625 flare tips — two per platform, each comprising a High Pressure and Low Pressure flare — for installation on the Dan and HalfDan Platforms in the North Sea.
The Challenge
The Dan and HalfDan platforms presented a step up in technical complexity from previous flare tip programmes. The material specification — Inconel 625 throughout — combined with a TotalEnergies technical specification that imposed requirements significantly beyond the baseline demands of ASME Section IX, created a welding qualification and compliance challenge that required careful and methodical management from the outset.
Inconel 625 Throughout
Unlike previous flare tip projects involving multi-alloy combinations, this package was fabricated entirely in Inconel 625 — a corrosion-resistant nickel alloy selected for its exceptional performance in the aggressive offshore environment. Welding Inconel 625 consistently across all components demands precise heat input control, strict interpass temperature management, and welders with the skill and discipline to adhere to procedure parameters without deviation.
Stringent Client Specs
TotalEnergies imposed a highly demanding technical specification governing amongst others the welding of Corrosion Resistant Alloys. The specification introduced requirements that went significantly beyond standard ASME IX compliance:
- Charpy Impact Testing at -196°C — all PQRs were required to include impact testing at cryogenic temperature, reflecting the extreme service conditions of the offshore environment and the stringency of the client specification
- Small Bore Pipe Qualification — WPS qualification for small bore pipework was required to be carried out on small bore pipe itself. This is an additional requirement beyond standard ASME IX practice, where diameter is not ordinarily a qualifying variable. It is a distinction that catches out engineers more familiar with EN standards than ASME, and one that had to be identified and addressed at the qualification stage
- Full Weld Audits During Manufacture — in-process weld audits were conducted throughout fabrication, verifying actual amperage, voltage, travel speed, and heat input against WPS parameters for every weld. This went beyond standard inspection hold points and required a structured audit approach across the full manufacturing programe.
Welding Procedure Gap Analysis
A thorough gap analysis of existing PQRs was carried out against the project specification. The review identified gaps requiring both the generation of new PQRs and the addition of supplementary tests — including the cryogenic impact tests — to existing qualifications. All gaps were closed before fabrication commenced.
The GC Logicals Approach
Welding Engineer Role
GC Logicals acts as Welding Engineer for the manufacturing facility on a retained basis. The facility holds BS EN ISO 3834 certification — the international standard for quality requirements for fusion welding — and operates with a highly trained, technically disciplined welding workforce. This existing relationship meant that procedural compliance, welder competency, and quality culture were already embedded before the TotalEnergies project commenced.
Procedure Qualification
New PQRs were generated to address the identified gaps, with cryogenic impact testing at -196°C incorporated as a supplementary requirement. Existing PQRs were reviewed and supplementary tests added where required to satisfy the TotalEnergies specification. All qualifications were completed and approved before a production weld was made.
In Process Weld Auditing
Formal weld audits were conducted throughout the manufacturing programme — verifying that actual welding parameters remained within the WPS envelope at the point of welding. Heat input, amperage, voltage, and travel speed were all recorded and checked. The result was unambiguous — the weld shop’s 3834-certified welders adhered to procedure parameters consistently and without deviation throughout the programme. Clean throughout.
Works Documentation
A complete suite of works procedures and documentation was generated and issued, covering:
- Welding procedures and welder qualifications
- NDT — 100% examination of all pressure-retaining butt welds
- Weighing procedures
- Load testing
- Pressure testing
Programe Management
Four flare tips across two platforms, each with HP and LP variants, representing a significant volume of high-specification fabrication. Programme management was maintained throughout to ensure manufacturing sequence, qualification readiness, and documentation approval aligned with the delivery requirement.
The Outcome
All four flare tips were manufactured, tested, documented, and delivered on time and ahead of budget to the satisfaction of TotalEnergies.
The project stands as a demonstration of what a 3834-certified facility, disciplined welding engineering oversight, and thorough upfront qualification management can deliver against even the most demanding client specifications. Every weld was audited. Every parameter was within tolerance. Every document was approved.
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