Flaring/Venting

As oil and natural gas companies worldwide face tighter scrutiny on environmental, social and governance (ESG) metrics, two key indicators are trending the wrong way for Mexico’s state oil company Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex). Natural gas flaring and production of high-sulfur fuel oil (HSFO) both have increased substantially for the national oil company in recent years,…

A symbiotic relationship is burgeoning in North America between oil and natural gas producers and miners of the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Both groups are seeking to capitalize on immense volumes of excess and/or stranded natural gas flared off or shut in by a lack of infrastructure. Bitcoin mining offers a new outlet for this gas at…

New Mexico upstream and midstream operators have until 2026 to reduce routine natural gas flaring and venting by 98% under rules enacted Thursday. The Oil Conservation Commission (OCC) completed the two-year rulemaking process to update gas capture regulations. The undertaking followed months of testimony and virtual public hearings, with the oil and gas industry pledging…

As Texas regulators attempt to determine how much is too much, an industry coalition on Wednesday said it would snuff out natural gas flaring in the state by 2030. The announcement by the Texas Methane & Flaring Coalition, made up of seven trade associations and more than 40 top operators, came one day after the…

The U.S. oil and gas industry faced a unique set of challenges this year but it did not deter the Environmental Partnership from making strides to reduce natural gas flaring in upstream operations. The 80-plus members, which together represent more than 70% of total oil and gas production in the Lower 48, launched its latest…

Natural gas venting and flaring in the United States reached an all-time high of 1.48 Bcf/d in 2019, with North Dakota and Texas accounting for 85% of the total, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said Tuesday. Vented/flared gas accounted for 1.3% of gross gas withdrawals nationwide, also a record, EIA researchers said. “As crude oil…

Permian Basin giant Pioneer Natural Resources Co. has formally adopted targets by 2030 to sharply cut emissions across its Lower 48 operations, and it plans to tie executive incentive compensation to the goals. The strategy, to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 25%, with methane emission intensities by 40%, was laid out in the Dallas-based…

Colorado regulators have given preliminary approval to a rule change that would make it the first Lower 48 state to prohibit routine venting and flaring of natural gas by upstream operators.* The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) last week voted 5-0 in favor of the Rule 903 changes, which are to go before…

Producers working Texas oilfields will be required to show why they need permission to flare or vent natural gas under updated rules approved by state regulators Wednesday. However, the three-member Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) stopped short of imposing more stringent requirements to limit emissions.  For months the RRC has weighed how to balance exploration…