FLARING PRACTICES

IN PETROLEUM
INDUSTRY
VINITA AGARWAL (R020208043
VISHAL PARASHAR (R020208044)
VIVEK ZAVERI (R020208045)
KUHU SHARMA (R020208047)

Introduction
The option to release gas to the
atmosphere by flaring or venting is a
necessary practice in the production of
oil and gas.
Most developing countries that produce
oil also flare and vent large volumes of
associated gas, a blend of hydrocarbons
released when crude oil is brought to
the surface.
This practice of burning gas or releasing
it into the atmosphere not only harms
the environment, including by adding

Ideally, the associated gas will be sold to a

customer as a fuel or petrochemical
feedstock. However, unlike oil, gas is not an
easily transportable fuel.
A customer must be reasonably physically
close in order for the additional expense of
gas processing and transportation to be
economically justifiable.
The customer must also be willing to enter
into
the
necessary
commercial
arrangements.
The political will also needs to exist within
government to provide an appropriate fiscal
regime which will allow the project to go

However, these conditions can be

difficult to achieve in practice because
The government may have other national
priorities that conflict with developing a
supportive financial regime.
Potential customers may have other
projects they wish to pursue.
Technology may also offer new ways to
commercialize associated gas reserves.

Although gas itself is relatively difficult

to transport, it can be liquefied and
then transported more easily.

 In

recent years, the exploration

and production industry has
significantly
improved
gas
liquefaction
technologies
technologies which until recently
could only be applied to the
largest gas reserves.
In
the situation where the
associated
gas
cannot
be
commercialized,
only
three
options remain

Flaring

Flaring is the controlled burning of natural gas in

the course of routine oil and gas production
operations.
This burning occurs at the end of a flare stack or
boom. A complete flare system consists of the
flare stack or boom and pipes which collect the
gases to be flared.
The flare tip at the end of the stack or boom is
designed to assist entrainment of air into the
flare to improve burn efficiency.
Depending on the design, one or more flares may
be required at a production location. A flare is
normally visible and generates both noise and
heat.

Sources of Gas Flaring

It

may be excess to that which can

be
supplied
commercially
to
customers.
It may be unburned process gas from
the processing facilities.
It may be vapors collected from the
tops of tanks as they are being filled.
Sometimes, the gas may be from
process
upsets,
equipment
changeover or maintenance.
Occasionally, a production shutdown

It is in the oil companys interest to

realize as much value as possible
from the hydrocarbon accumulations
the company is producing.
Therefore, it is also in the companys
interest to minimize the amount of
gas being flared. In this respect, the
commercial aims of the company are
consistent with good environmental
practice.

FLARING
ALTERNATIVES
If operated properly, incinerators generally
have more efficient combustion than flares
because combustion occurs in an enclosed
chamber, away from the effects of wind and
weather, and the air to fuel ratio required for
complete combustion can be precisely
controlled.
Although
they can be highly efficient,
incinerators are mainly used at sour gas
processing plants and not for routine waste
gas flaring.
The reasons are that incinerators are more

 Other

alternatives

to

flaring

include:
Conserving the waste gas for
processing at natural gas facilities,
Re-injecting
the
waste
gas
underground to maintain reservoir
pressure during production,
Connecting well test gases to
existing pipeline systems for in-line
well testing,
Using the gas to power micro-

FLARING EFFICIENCY
The

efficiency of a flare is a
measure of how effective that
flare is in converting all of the
carbon in the fuel to C02.
Previous studies have indicated
that flares have highly variable
efficiencies, on the order of 6299%.

FACTORS AFFECTING
FLARING EFFICIENCY
The

tips of the flare can be exposed to

wind, humidity, and temperature
variations that reduce efficiency and
increase variability.
The composition of the waste gas
stream entering the flare, which varies
from site to site.
Improper flaring practices that cause
unsteady combustion conditions.

Low efficiency flares do not completely combust all

of the fuel gas and unburned hydrocarbons and
carbon monoxide are emitted from the flare with
the carbon dioxide.

If the waste fuel entering the flare contains

impurities and/or liquid droplets, many other byproducts can also be emitted from the flare stack.
These products include: particulate matter, volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene,
toluene
and
xylene,
polycyclic
aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAH), and small quantities of sulfur
compounds such as carbon disulfide (CS2) and
carbonyl sulfide (COS).

Reinjection is a practicable option for some

oilfields, but not in all cases. In some
situations, the geological nature of the
underground formations is such that the
injected gas would migrate back to the oil
production wells too easily, leading to
inefficient and energy intensive gas
recycling.
Even for formations where reinjection is
geologically practicable, the oilfield itself
may be too small in economic terms to
support
the
additional
reinjection
infrastructure.
Although
the
current
viability
of

Venting
Venting is the release of gases directly to
the atmosphere either intentionally to get
rid of unwanted waste gases or
unintentionally through equipment leaks
and failures.
Venting can occur from the following:

Oil and natural gas production and transport,

Oil and gas well drilling and servicing,
Accidental equipment failures,
Equipment leaks from bleed valves, fuel gas
operated pneumatic equipment, imperfect seals,
and
Surface casing vents, blows, and gas migration.

SAFETY & ENVIRONMENTAL

ASPECTS

Flaring is both a concern to the public and a government priority

because of the potential health risks and environmental concerns
associated with the activity and also because it wastes a valuable
nonrenewable resource.
Furthermore, the noise, odor, and smoke produced from flaring
activities can interfere with nearby residents and their enjoyment
of the outdoors.
Flaring is an environmental concern with regards to global
warming and acid deposition. Emissions of carbon dioxide and
unburned natural gas from flares contribute to the greenhouse gas
effect and global warming.
Acid deposition is the combination of nitrogen, sulfur oxides
(released from flaring), and water in the atmosphere to form acids
that are deposited either directly or with precipitation.
The acids can fall near flaring activities or be carried for hundreds
or thousands kilometers before being deposited.
Acid deposition can lead to lakes and streams becoming acidified
and it is harmful to the environment.

The United Nations Environment Program's

(UNEP) Information Unit on Climate Change
(IUCC) states that global emissions of C02
from gas flaring peaked during the mid1970s and has been declining since.
Gas that previously was flared is now
increasingly captured for use as a fuel due
to improvements in technology, higher gas
prices and demand.
Global emissions of carbon dioxide for 1989
from gas flaring were estimated at 202
million tones, or approximately 0.8 percent
of anthropogenic (man made) carbon
dioxide emissions.

Concerns in safety
Even where associated gas is being sold or reinjected, small amounts of gas will still need
to be flared or vented for safety reasons.
Oil and gas processing and storage equipment
is often operated at high pressures and
temperatures.
When abnormal conditions occur, the control
and safety systems must release gas to the
emergency flare or vent to prevent hazards to
the employees or public.

 Good

maintenance and
operating strategies are the
main mechanisms used to keep
this already small volume as
low as practicable.
Emergency flares are normally
fitted with pilot systems
maintaining a small flame as
the ignition source in case the
full size flare is activated.
Recently, new flare equipment

 Another

safety issue in the

application of flaring and venting is
the toxicity of the gases being
disposed.
In some situations, the toxicity of
the gas relative to the toxicity of its
combustion products may need to
be considered when choosing
between flaring and venting as a
means of disposal.

Conclusion
The option to release gas to the
atmosphere by flaring and venting is an
essential practice in oil and gas
production, primarily for safety reasons.
The availability of a flare or a vent
ensures that associated natural gas can
be safely disposed of in emergency and
shut down situations. Where gas cannot
be stored or used commercially, the risk
of fire and explosion must be reduced by
either flaring or venting.
For
environmental
and
resource

Available data indicate that, on a worldwide

basis, gas flaring contributes only 1% of
anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions,
and flaring and venting contribute only 4%
of anthropogenic methane emissions.
Industry needs to be able to choose from
among a variety of creative and common
sense approaches to address flaring and
venting concerns in specific operations.
To achieve this, governments need to
provide an energy policy framework which
will encourage and allow companies to
select from among very different
approaches in order to achieve the best

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Flare efficiency Study, EPA-600/2-83-052, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH, July1983.
IEA Report No. PH2/7 (Jan 1997), Methane Emissions from the Oil
and Gas Industry.
www.cdm.unfccc.in
GGFR (Global Gas Flaring Reduction Public-Private Partnership).
2002. Report on Consultations with Stakeholders. World Bank
GGFR Report 1. Washington, D.C.
2004a. Regulation of Associated Gas Flaring and Venting: A
Global Overview and Lessons from International Experience.
World BankGGFR Report 3. Washington, D.C.
2004b. A Voluntary Standard for Global Gas Flaring and Venting
Reduction. World Bank GGFR Report 4. Washington, D.C.

THANK
YOU