Gas Flaring: A Wasteful and Polluting Practice on the Rise

Recent Report:

• World Bank's Global Gas Flaring Tracker Report (2023): Revealed a 9 billion cubic metre (bcm) increase in global gas flaring, reaching 148 bcm, the highest level since 2019.

What is Gas Flaring?

1. Definition: The burning of natural gas that is produced alongside crude oil extraction.
2. History: A persistent practice since the early days of oil production over 160 years ago.
3. Reasons: Driven by various factors, including market and economic constraints, lack of regulations, and insufficient political will.
4. Wasteful: Flaring represents a significant waste of a valuable natural resource.

Why is Gas Flaring Still Practiced?

1. Relative Safety: Flaring is considered a relatively safe method to dispose of associated gas from oil production, despite its negative environmental impacts.
2. Lack of Alternatives: Re-injecting or utilising the gas for productive purposes often requires infrastructure and investments that are not always feasible.

Environmental Impacts:

1. Emissions: While flaring converts hydrocarbons into carbon dioxide and water, reducing some climate impact, it also produces harmful nitrogen oxides (NOx).
2. Air Pollution: NOx gases contribute to air pollution and negatively affect air quality.
3. Climate Change: Methane, the main component of natural gas, is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes significantly to climate change when released into the atmosphere.

Reducing Gas Flaring:

1. Re-injection: Re-injecting associated gas back into the reservoir can help conserve it and reduce flaring.
2. Utilisation: Using the gas for productive purposes, such as power generation, is a more sustainable approach.
3. Regulation and Incentives: Governments and international organisations can play a role in reducing flaring through stricter regulations and economic incentives.

What is Natural Gas?

1. Composition: A mixture of hydrocarbons, primarily methane (70-90%), along with ethane and propane.
2. Properties: Colorless, odorless gas that is a valuable energy source but also a potent greenhouse gas when released into the atmosphere.

Additional points:

1. Gas flaring not only wastes valuable resources but also contributes to air pollution and climate change.
2. Efforts to reduce gas flaring are essential for transitioning towards a more sustainable energy future.
3. Technology and policy solutions are available to address the challenges associated with gas flaring.

 

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