Flaring is performed by the major energy companies such as Exxon and BP. It is the intentional burning of natural gas as companies drill faster than pipelines can move the energy away. And, according to data from the three largest shale-oil fields in the United States, it is increasing significantly. Last year, operators across the three basins together flared or vented a record 320 million cubic feet of gas, more than 40 percent above levels seen just five years ago. The pace for the first two quarters of 2019 has been even higher.
Why is it done? There aren’t pipelines close enough to a well to capture and transport the gas, or because gas prices are so low that it’s cheaper to discard the gas than to try to sell it.
Why is this a bad thing? Because natural gas is a potent contributor to global warming and also wastes vast amounts of energy.
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