Flares and Relief Systems: Efficient Design, Safe Operation and Maintenance - SMRP Certification

Start Date End Date Venue Fees (US $)
03 May 2026 Dubai, UAE $ 3,900 Register
30 Aug 2026 Istanbul, Turkey $ 4,500 Register
25 Oct 2026 Al-Khobar, KSA $ 4,500 Register

Flares and Relief Systems: Efficient Design, Safe Operation and Maintenance - SMRP Certification

Introduction

This Flares and Relief Systems training course provides a comprehensive overview of relief and flare systems for oil & gas processing facilities. This course begins with defining the need for pressure control (over and under pressure protection), continues with the key engineering and design aspects including code considerations and concludes with selecting and defining the components of a relief flare system. The material presented is applicable to onshore field production facilities, pipelines, gas plants, terminals and offshore production facilities.

Participants will develop the following competencies:

  • Understand the purposes of relief and flare systems and their importance in safe operations
  • Understand the causes of over-pressure and the ways to control or mitigate them
  • Appreciate the process engineering principles underpinning relief systems
  • Determining the set / relieving pressures to meet operational, safety, and code requirements
  • Selection and sizing of other key components of a relief / flare system

Objectives

    By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

    • Defining the possible relief scenarios
    • Commonly used pressure-relieving devices, selection and sizing
    • Operational considerations of maintenance, testing, certification, and disposal of fluids
    • Designing and operating relief and flare header systems considering fluid characteristics, service conditions, volumes, gas dispersion, and radiation

Training Methodology

This is an interactive course. There will be open question and answer sessions, regular group exercises and activities, videos, case studies and presentations on best practice and the fundamentals of shutdown and turnaround management. Participants will have the opportunity to share with the facilitator and other participants on what works well and not so well for them, as well as work on issues from their own organizations.

Who Should Attend?

Personnel who should attend are:

  • Engineers responsible for designing relief and flare systems in oil and gas facilities
  • Operations Personnel responsible for operating relief and flare systems in oil and gas facilities
  • Maintenance Personnel responsible for the maintenance of relief and flare systems in oil and gas facilities

Course Outline

Day 1: Typical Flare and Relief System

  • Purpose of relief and flare systems

  • Principle of process relief devices and process design of relief systems

  • Overview of typical relief and flare systems

  • Key components including:

  • Knockout drum

  • Flame arresters

  • Pressure Vacuum Relief Valves (PVRV)

  • Pressure Relief Valves (PRV)

  • Rupture / Bursting Discs

  • Flare Header and flare stacks

  • Interlocks

  • P&ID

Day 2: Possible Relief Scenarios

  • Vessel and Tank Design

  • Safety implications

  • Causes of overpressure

  • Overpressure protection philosophy

  • Inherent safety

  • Source isolation and relief

  • Flammability

  • Explosions and BLEVE

  • Operational characteristics

  • Causes of improper performance

Day 3: Operational Considerations of Maintenance, Testing, Certification and Fluid Disposal

  • Codes and standards including good practices

  • Environmental considerations

  • Radiation considerations

  • Purge gas

  • Risk-based inspection and testing

  • Records

Day 4: Determining Set / Relieving Pressures to Meet Safety and Code Requirements

  • Liquids, Pressure and Hydraulic relief

  • Flow of Liquids

  • Reynolds number, the pressure drop in pipes

  • Compressible flow

  • Choked flow

  • Two-phase and Multi-phase Flow

  • Design and specification considerations for relief valves and header systems, including:

  • Fluid characteristics

  • Service conditions

  • Material selection

  • Header sizing

  • Determination of relief requirements and defining set point pressures

  • Blow-down / depressurizing: purpose, design and operational considerations

Day 5: Selection and Sizing of Key Components

  • Safety and relief valve types,

  • Application and sizing of common relief devices

  • Selection and sizing of key components:

  • Knockout drums,

  • Seal drums,

  • Vent / flare stack,

  • Flare ignition systems

Professional Recognition & Accreditations

We are recognized by the Society for Maintenance & Reliability Professionals (SMRP) as an Approved Provider. The SMRP Approved Provider status allows us of a host number of maintenance & reliability-related continuing education training. This training course is approved by SMRP to issue 25 Continuing Education Course Hours (CECHs) towards recertification of CMRP, CMRT or CAMA credentials.

Accreditation

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