Routine flaring
This article may be too technical for most readers to understand.(January 2020) |
Routine flaring, also known as production flaring, is a method and current practice of disposing of large unwanted amounts of
Over 145 billion cubic metres (5 trillion cubic feet) of natural gas is estimated to have been flared worldwide during year 2018.
Routine flaring, along with intentional
Causes
The routine flaring and venting of APG has been practised since the
The decision processes leading to wasting of APG in modern times depend greatly upon regional circumstances. Generally, the near-term
- rapidly expanding oil extraction into regions farther remote from the existing gas pipeline infrastructure.[1]: 49
- acceleration of extraction schedules driven by concerns of asset impairment.[14]
- increased challenges in logistics, such as delays in expansions of transport capacity.[15]
- oversupply of natural gas leading to low or negative producer prices.[16]
- competition from lower cost and lesser contaminated sources of natural gas.[17]
- more transitory (both temporal and geographical) nature of some oil extraction operations (e.g. tight shale oil).[7]
- lack of on-site alternatives with sufficient agility for integration with differing operations and schedules.[1]: 55
- weak regulation, as caused by political instability.[3]
Year 2018 statistics
In 2018, 100 million tonnes (145 billion cubic metres) of associated gas was flared throughout the world, representing about 3-4% of all gas produced from both oil and gas wells.
The costs to eliminate flaring are better understood and vary widely between instances. The World Bank estimates the total mitigation cost at US$100 billion.[18] If brought to the natural gas market in a developed economy such as that in the United States, the flared gas could supply about 17% of the 30 trillion cubic feet of U.S. consumption,[21] and potentially be valued at nearly US$20 billion.[18] In less developed nations, the benefits could have a further effect. For example, it could supply all current usage throughout South and Central America. If used to generate 750 billion kWh of electricity, it could supply the entire needs of the African continent.[18]
While flaring is wasteful and produces harmful byproducts like other burning of fossil fuels, it is less disruptive in the near term than venting the associated gas which consists primarily of methane. The buildup of atmospheric methane is responsible for about 25% of the changes in climate forcing, despite its nearly 100x lower abundance compared to CO2.[22] According to the International Energy Agency, at least[23][24] 75 million tons of methane was released by the oil and gas industry through venting and fugitive emissions, and an estimated 4 million tons was released through flaring inefficiencies.[25] The use of fossil fuels by humans is responsible for about 20% of all methane emissions,[26] and those from the oil and gas industry are responsible for about 25% of all anthropogenic sources.[22] These sources are also in need of more extensive tracking and mitigation efforts since natural gas is projected to continue to be the most rapidly growing supply of global primary energy.[27]
Alternatives
Similar to crude oil, APG is a
Traditional uses
Global data from year 2012 indicates that 15% of all associated gas was flared or vented, while 85% was utilized or saved for the following economic benefits:[18]
- 1. longer-term storage.[29]: 542 (58%)
- 2. transmission to a trading refinerymarkets. (27%)
Other uses
The following list includes other existing commercially viable alternatives to routine flaring and venting that can be performed on-site or nearby:
- 1. liquid fuels production with Flare Gas Recovery Systems (FGRS) and trucking to consumption markets.[29]: 542 [1]: 50
- a. natural gas liquid(NGL) extraction from the flare stream using mobile equipment.
- b. portable compressed natural gas (CNG) production.
- c. portable liquefied natural gas (LNG) production.
- d. small-scale gas to liquids (GTL) conversion.
- a.
- 2. electricity generation with portable engines or microturbines.[29]: 548 [1]: 51
- 3. heat generation for water treatment or other industrial processing at the wellpad.[1]: 52
A 2019 report from the
Cryptocurrency "miners" have recently identified flare gas as a potential low-cost source for their energy-intensive computing. A number of partnerships have emerged between these two unusually different miners, with the further aim of minimizing each of their substantial carbon footprints.[30][31]
Effectiveness
Gas flares using
APG consists primarily of methane along with lesser amounts of
Most other
Monitoring
Available global data on gas flaring volumes are highly uncertain and unreliable until about year 1995. Following formation of the GGFR in 2002, participating researchers from
Satellite surveys
Since most flares are operated as open flames, volumes can be inferred during aerial surveys by measuring the amount of light emitted. The first set of global data extending back to 1995 were generated in 2006 using
Additional satellites and instruments have, and are scheduled to continue to come online with capability to measure methane and other more powerful greenhouse gases with improving resolution.
Ground and aerial surveys
Portable instruments from suppliers like
Researchers for the Environmental Defense Fund have extensively mapped methane emissions from oil and gas operations in the U.S. Permian Basin spanning years 2019–2020. Their results show emissions at least three times larger than those reported by operators and some degree of malfunctioning of more than 10% of flares.[53][54] About half of the malfunctioning flare stacks were found to be unlit and releasing their gases with no abatement.[55]
Reduction progress
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
The
From 1996 through 2018, a 10% reduction in global flaring volume (measured in cubic metres - m3) was realized while global oil production rose 40% (right figure).[10] It was accompanied by a 35% reduction in global flaring intensity (measured in cubic metres per barrel oil produced - m3/bbl).[57] This was due especially in part to earlier reduction efforts in GGFR partner countries such as Russia and Nigeria.[37] As of 2018, Canada, Brazil, and several Middle East nations flared at intensities below 1 m3/bbl, compared to the global average of 4.1 m3/bbl. Several African nations continue to flare at over 10 m3/bbl, including Cameroon at over 40 m3/bbl.[58]
Just four nations are responsible for nearly 50% of all gas flared: Russia, Iraq, Iran, and the United States.[59] Their flaring intensities range from about 3 to 10 m3/bbl, and have not improved substantially in the last few years.[60] Each country has extensive infrastructure and access to advanced technologies, but also complex business and political cultures that may be more resistant to change.
Growth in the United States
Reported flaring and venting in the U.S. declined in the decades following World War II, based on data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.[5] Near the end of the 20th century, it reached lows close to 1.5% of APG extracted, and 0.5% of all gas extracted from both oil and gas wells.
However, since about 2005, gas flaring activity has once again been increasing, as shown in the accompanying charts. 32 states host and regulate gas flaring and/or venting.
Gas flaring increased in the United States as measured both by volume and by percentage. In 2018, gas flaring reached nearly 50-year highs, with 500 billion cubic feet of gas flared, which represents 10% of APG being flared. Reports of negative producer prices for natural gas, and of a further doubling of activity in the Permian, drove continued growth in this destructive practice in 2019 in the United States.[16][63] In 2018–2019, the amount of gas wasted daily in the Permian alone was capable of supplying the residential needs of the entire state of Texas.[64][65] Five new long-distance gas pipelines from the region are under construction, with the first entering service in Q3 2019,[66] and the others scheduled to come online during 2020–2022.[1]: 23
A loosening of U.S. federal regulations starting in 2017 enabled further increases to the waste of APG from both public and private lands.
- 1) "the rollback of the ... limits on methane leaked, vented, or flared from oil and gas wells on federal lands"; and
- 2) "removing the requirement that companies seek out and repair leaks, requirements for reducing emissions from a variety or equipment elements, and requirements that companies prepare plans for minimizing waste before getting drilling permits"
See also
- Natural gas in the United States
- Environmental impact of the petroleum industry
References
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- ^ "Top 30 Flaring Countries (2014 –2018)" (PDF). World Bank. June 2019.
- ^ U.S. Energy Information Administration. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
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