Ipieca, the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP), and the World Bank’s Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership (GGFR) have released the Flaring Management Guidance for the Oil and Gas Industry, which provides a framework for oil and gas companies, governments, and regulators to reduce or eliminate flaring.
By reducing or eliminating flaring, which produces carbon dioxide and methane, and can adversely affect local air quality, the industry can significantly reduce its effect on the climate. By making use of the gas as an additional energy source, it also can support sustainable growth.
The new guidance is composed of three sections. An introduction presents core concepts, definitions, and the wider context. A section for oil and gas operators outlines a framework for flaring management. And a section for governments and regulatory bodies shows ways to encourage productive use of associated gas instead of flaring. The guidance also includes case studies of successful flare-reduction projects.
The guidance outlines a framework for action on reducing or eliminating routine flaring. It describes various scenarios where flaring occurs, both upstream and midstream, listing approaches that can help reduce volumes flared, including technology deployment, operational improvements, and industry good practices.
The guidance supports governments and regulators to address flaring for both greenfield hydrocarbon projects and legacy operations, advising on institutional setup, regulations and guidelines, data-management system, and flare-gas-to-market project origination. It also offers ideas on initiatives or practices that may catalyze the development of gas-monetization projects.