Preparing Your Burner and Combustion Systems for Winter: What Operators Need to Know

As temperatures begin to drop, oil and gas operations face a familiar challenge: keeping equipment operating reliably in conditions that can push combustion systems to their limits.

Freezing temperatures can create issues throughout burner and combustion systems, from frozen orifices and burner trains to unexpected downtime and difficult site access. For operators working in remote locations, a combustion issue during a deep freeze can mean more than an inconvenient service call, it can create operational disruptions when conditions are at their worst.

That’s why winter preparation should start before the temperature drops.

A winter-ready combustion system is designed with cold-weather conditions in mind, helping operators reduce the risk of freeze-offs, maintain reliable combustion, and keep critical equipment operating through extreme temperatures.

Why Winter Can Be Hard on Combustion Systems

Cold weather can introduce additional challenges for equipment operating in the field. Moisture and freezing temperatures can affect fuel flow and combustion components, while frozen orifices and burner trains can interrupt normal operation.

These issues can become particularly challenging for remote facilities where sending personnel to site during extreme weather is time-consuming and costly.

Rather than waiting for freezing conditions to expose vulnerabilities in a combustion system, operators can take a proactive approach by evaluating their equipment before winter arrives.

Start With the Orifice: Preventing Freeze-Offs

One important component to consider when preparing a burner system for winter is the orifice.

When an orifice freezes, fuel flow can be disrupted, potentially affecting burner performance and creating an interruption in operation. Noralta’s nSure Heated Orifice Block was developed specifically to address this challenge.

The patented heated orifice technology uses warm glycol circulated from the engine skid to transfer heat directly to the orifice. By keeping the internal orifice heated, the system is designed to reduce the risk of freeze-offs and maintain reliable operation in cold weather.

The nSure Heated Orifice Block is engineered for temperatures as low as -40°C and can be integrated into existing burner systems. It supports both wet natural gas and propane applications, providing flexibility across different operating environments.

Beyond Freeze Protection: Smarter Burner Management

Cold-weather reliability isn't only about preventing components from freezing. Operators also need visibility into how their burner systems are performing.

Noralta’s nFerno Smart Combustion Solutions combine burner management, automation, and monitoring to help optimize burner performance, reduce maintenance costs and fuel consumption, and minimize downtime.

Noralta provides burner solutions for both new and legacy installations, with different fuel configurations and I/O options available. Burner systems can also be integrated with Noralta’s nTerface platform, allowing operators to receive notifications of issues through the company’s 24/7 control centre.

This type of visibility becomes especially valuable during winter.

When a site is operating through extreme temperatures, knowing that a burner system is functioning properly and being notified when something changes, can help operators respond more efficiently without relying solely on routine site visits.

The goal isn't simply to keep a burner running. It's to give operators the tools and information needed to manage combustion performance proactively.

Winter-Ready Combustors

For facilities that require waste-gas destruction, winter preparation also needs to extend to the combustor itself.

Noralta’s nCinerate Advanced Enclosed Combustor is designed for both high- and low-pressure applications and provides a solution for the destruction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other waste gases.

But what makes nCinerate particularly relevant to winter operations is its approach to freeze protection.

The system uses a glycol-heated burner train that heats individual burner orifices to reduce the risk of freezing. This design is intended to help prevent interruptions caused by frozen burner trains and support reliable operation in extreme cold.

nCinerate also offers high-efficiency combustion, HP and LP functionality, and SCADA integration for remote monitoring and control. Operators can track performance, identify potential issues, and schedule maintenance from their preferred device.

For operations facing harsh Canadian winters, that combination of combustion performance, freeze protection, and remote visibility can make winter preparation much more than a seasonal checklist.

A Winter-Readiness Checklist for Operators

Before winter arrives, take the time to evaluate your burner and combustion systems.

Consider:

Freeze protection: Are your burner orifices and burner trains protected against freezing?

Equipment condition: Are your burners and combustion systems properly maintained and ready for another winter?

Remote monitoring: Can your team monitor critical combustion equipment without being physically at the site?

System performance: Do you have visibility into burner performance and potential operating issues?

Fuel and application requirements: Is your combustion equipment configured appropriately for the fuel and operating conditions at your facility?

Long-term reliability: Are you addressing known winter vulnerabilities before they turn into unplanned downtime?

A proactive winter-readiness review can help identify opportunities to improve reliability before extreme weather arrives.

Prepare for Winter Before Winter Arrives

Winter will always be part of operating in Canada's energy sector. The goal isn't to eliminate the challenges that come with extreme cold, it's to make sure your equipment is prepared to handle them.

From heated orifice technology that helps prevent freeze-offs, to smart burner management and monitoring, to enclosed combustors engineered for harsh winter conditions, Noralta Technologies provides combustion solutions designed with cold-weather reliability in mind.

The best time to find a weakness in your combustion system isn't during a -40°C cold snap.

Is your combustion system ready for winter?

Talk to Noralta Technologies about preparing your burner and combustion equipment for the conditions ahead.

Learn more about Noralta’s Burner & Combustion Management solutions →