Oil producers such as Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell are burning off gas in the largest oil field in the United States without required Texas state permits, the environmental group Earthworks said in a report.
Energy producers flare gas, an unwanted byproduct of oil extraction, when they cannot transport the gas to consumers. Flaring reduces, but does not eliminate, methane emissions and contributes to climate change by releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Texas, the nation's biggest oil producer, has more permissive rules on flaring than other oil- and gas-producing states, and regulators there have opposed additional regulations to limit emissions.
The report compared permitting records from Texas regulators with flares witnessed on flights equipped with gas-imaging cameras that were conducted by the Environmental Defense Fund. It found that of 227 flares observed, between 69% and 84% were likely unpermitted.
Big producers such as Shell, Exxon, and Diamondback Energy were among the companies with multiple flares that had no permits, the report said.
Shell and Exxon, who did not review the full report ahead of publication, dismissed the topline findings, saying they follow all regulations and work toward ending routine flares. Diamondback did not respond to a request for comment.
A Shell spokesperson said it has not "routinely flared in the Permian Basin" since 2018 while Exxon's spokesperson Julie King said its Permian Basin flaring is at a "record low of less than 1%."