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We put together a short commentary looking at what some brand new data tells us about oil and gas flaring, and what can be done to tackle this wasteful practice
https://iea.li/2LhdeK0 1/5
https://iea.li/2LhdeK0 1/5
Flaring levels have unfortunately been creeping up in recent years and the world is now flaring as much as it did 10 years ago. This is a huge waste of natural gas and results in around 300 MtCO2, the same as annual emissions as Italy. 2/5
In 2019, almost half of flaring worldwide occurred in four countries: Russia, the US, Iraq and Iran. Despite a number of initiatives looking to clamp down on so-called “routine” flaring, around two-thirds of flaring come from flares that are operating continuously. 3/5
Operators often argue flaring is needed because it is uneconomic to bring produced gas to market. But new data shows that more than half of volumes flared in 2019 took place at sites that were less than 20 km from an existing natural gas pipeline. 4/5
Within ten years, flares need to more-or-less disappear to put the world on a more sustainable pathway. More transparent monitoring and reporting, both via satellites and site processes, will be key for regulators to track and enforce improvement 5/5
