Global gas flaring slightly up to 140 billion cubic meters in 2011

Global gas flaring recorded a slight jump of two billion cubic meters (bcm) to 140bcm in 2011 from 138bcm in 2010, new satellite data published July 3, 2012 has revealed.

The 140bcm global gas flaring also accounts for some 360 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.

The increased gas flaring during the year was attributed to high hydrocarbon production in Russia and shale oil and gas operations in the US state of North Dakota.

Meanwhile, officials of the World Bank-led Global Gas Flaring Reduction partnership (GGFR) in a statement said though not significant when viewed against the longer-term 20% drop in flaring since 2005 — from 172 to 140bcm, the new increase is a “warning sign”.

Gas flaring reductions since 2005 have cut greenhouse gas emissions by a volume equivalent to that emitted by some 16 million cars.

“The small increase underlines the importance for countries and companies to sustain and even accelerate efforts to reduce flaring of gas associated with oil production,” said Bent Svensson, manager of the GGFR partnership.

Svensson warned that major gains over the past few years could be “lost if oil-producing countries and companies don’t step up their efforts.”

The main contributors to the increase – US, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Venezuela were urged to step up their efforts in associated gas utilization. The same applies to Iraq, the GGFR added.

Russia still tops the world’s flaring countries, followed by Nigeria, Iran and Iraq.  The USA is now the fifth flaring country in the world, with some 7.1bcm of gas flared in 2011.

The satellite data further showed there has been some continuous progress in flaring reduction in Nigeria, Algeria, Mexico and Qatar.

By Ekow Quandzie