How Pipelines Are Solving Texas' Flaring Problem

摘要

Millions of dollars' worth of Texas gas is being lost in flaring and venting. In parallel with burgeoning oil and gas output, the amount flared and vented rose to 650,000 mcf/d in 2018, as recorded by the Texas Railroad Commission (TRC). Although flaring is more common than venting, both routinely occur during oil and natural gas development. Natural gas flaring is the process of combusting natural gas at the well-head using a dedicated flare. Venting refers to the direct release of gas into the atmosphere and is often banned or restricted. When possible, flaring is preferred because methane, the main component of natural gas, is a potent greenhouse gas, more potent than carbon dioxide, which is the main product of flaring. The reality is that increases in oil output automatically lead to increases in associated gas production. In the Permian Basin alone, oil production rose from just 719,480 bpd in 2008 to 2.73 MMbpd in 2019.