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Gas Flares

Alaska. Cook Inlet. A gas flare or flare stack is an elevated vertical stack or chimney found on oil wells or oil rigs, and in refineries, chemical plants and landfills used for burning off unusable waste gas. On oil rigs and in refineries and chemical plants, its primary purpose is to act as a safety device to protect vessels or pipes from over-pressuring due to unplanned upsets. This acts just like the spout on a tea-kettle when it starts whistling as the water in it starts boiling. The flammable gases are burned as they exit the chimney producing a weak to a bright flame depending upon the amount of gas being exhausted. Steam can be added to reduce the amount of black smoke that is generated. In order to keep the flare system functional a small amount of gas is continuously burned, like a pilot light, so that the system is always ready for its primary purpose—an overpressure safety device.

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Alaska. Cook Inlet. A gas flare or flare stack is an elevated vertical stack or chimney found on oil wells or oil rigs, and in refineries, chemical plants and landfills used for burning off unusable waste gas. On oil rigs and in refineries and chemical plants, its primary purpose is to act as a safety device to protect vessels or pipes from over-pressuring due to unplanned upsets. This acts just like the spout on a tea-kettle when it starts whistling as the water in it starts boiling. The flammable gases are burned as they exit the chimney producing a weak to a bright flame depending upon the amount of gas being exhausted. Steam can be added to reduce the amount of black smoke that is generated. In order to keep the flare system functional a small amount of gas is continuously burned, like a pilot light, so that the system is always ready for its primary purpose—an overpressure safety device.