ONGC required an open flare system capable ofoperating under demanding upstream conditions, with strict expectations forsafety, reliability, and emissions performance. The project needed to address:

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• Fuel gas variability: Strong fluctuations in gas flow and composition demanded a flare that could stabilize combustion across a wide     operating range.
• Smokeless operation: ONGC mandated an air-assist system that eliminates smoke formation even at high firing loads.
• Ignition reliability: Continuous ignition availability was essential, requiring redundancy and automatic re-ignition capabilities.
• Weather & environmental exposure: The flare had to maintain flame stability during wind, monsoon, heat cycles, and rapid pressure changes.
• High DRE compliance: Achieving >97% destruction removal efficiency under dynamic field conditions.

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CRA delivered a complete, engineered flare packagetailored for ONGC’s high-demand operations.

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Core System Delivered

• Flare Stack: 30 m
• Air-Assist System: For smokeless combustion
• Ignition System: Redundant Flame Front Generator (FFG) with multiple pilots
• Burner: CFD-validated, air-assist tip geometry
• Control & Safety: Independent ignition paths, interlock logic, radiation & noise modelling
• Skid: Fully assembled & factory-tested flare skid

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Engineering & Design

• Developed a CFD-optimized burner enabling stable flame profiles, reduced smoke, and controlled fireball movement.
• Executed FEA and structural analysis for tall-stack stability under wind and thermal expansion.
• Designed a multi-pilot ignition network with independent pathways for uninterrupted pilot availability.
• Integrated automatic re-ignition logic, ensuring safe operation during feed interruptions.

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Fabrication & Testing

• All components-stack, pilots, burner, FFG skid-fabricated in-house.

• Factory  Acceptance Testing (FAT) conducted for ignition reliability, airflow tuning, and burner performance.

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Installation & Commissioning

• On-site assembly and alignment of stack and skids.
• Live ignition trials, smoke-free combustion validation, and safety interlock testing.
• Handover with operatortraining and technical documentation.

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• Smokeless combustion across fluctuating loads due to air-assist burner design.
• >97% destruction removal efficiency, meeting ONGC’s combustion performance targets.
• High ignition reliability through redundant FFG networks with automatic re-ignition.
• Stable flame behaviour even under heavy winds and monsoon weather.
• Noise and radiation levels kept within regulatory limits via CFD/FEA engineering.
• Turnkey delivery ensured rapid deployment and seamless integration into ONGC’s operational workflow.

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This project underscores CRA’s capability to engineer and deliver advanced flaring solutions tailored to demanding upstream conditions. By integrating air-assisted combustion, redundant FFG ignition, and CFD/FEA-validated design, CRA provided ONGC Ankleshwar with a robust system that ensures smokeless operation, >97% destruction removal efficiency, and high ignition reliability under variable fuel gas loads and harsh weather exposure. The turnkey execution highlights CRA’s expertise in delivering safe, compliant, and repeatable flaring systems that strengthen operational reliability and environmental performance in upstream oil and gas production.