flaring

The practice of burning off natural gas is relatively rare in Colorado, but tough rules on flaring and venting may help the state meet greenhouse gas reduction goals.

Oil and gas producers in the state are being asked to submit data and economic analysis on why they cannot sell natural gas before they are granted permission to flare it.

Commissioners approved a revamped form that will be used by oil and gas operators to apply for an exception to flare gas during oil and gas operations. The form provides specific guidance on when an exception to flare would be permissible, under which circumstances, and for how long.

Two of Europe’s biggest oil companies urged Texas regulators to end the routine flaring of natural gas, joining with large investors who want greater oversight of the harmful environmental practice.

The Oil and Gas Climate Initiative has announced a technical and financial sponsorship commitment of nearly $1 million to the Payne Institute for Public Policy at Colorado School of Mines to develop a transparent web platform to support real-time mapping and tracking of global gas flaring data.

The Texas Railroad Commission’s chairman has said the commission will look into policies to “drastically reduce” natural gas flaring from the state’s shale patch as investors become increasingly sensitive to climate-change concerns.

Recommendations include changes to current forms and reports used to track flaring.

The combined effect of COVID-19 and an ongoing oil price war has ushered in one of the worst downturns for the energy industry in modern history. Yet, a bright side is shining through; flaring levels in the Permian Basin have fallen sharply and will continue to decline, a Rystad Energy report shows.

Flaring has roughly tripled in 2 years in the Permian. As flaring has skyrocketed, so have the calls to curb it. But there is little agreement on how that should be done.

Instead of burning money, why not make electricity? This is the big pitch being made by a growing number of technology companies who see green every time they see a red-hot flare burning associated gas.