People often question why do the oil companies flare "valuable fuel" non-stop 24x7 for months and years. Can`t they use or sale those fuel instead of "wasting" by flaring them up?
It's a very valid question !!
Let me try to answer in simple language. When oil is produced, certain amounts of gas also comes out from the reservoir. Depending on the proportions of oil and gas present in the reservoir and the production conditions, the amount of gas may vary. However, production of these "associated gas" is inevitable.
We can have buyers for oil in the immediate vicinity or if need arises, we can also transport them by laying pipelines or by tankers to a distant market. However, demands or markets for gas may not be as big as that of oil. Moreover, it is very difficult and costly to transport gas to a far flung market. The oil companies do their best to utilize the produced associated gas by using it internally as fuel, re-injecting back into the reservoir where possible or required. After all these, the excess gas that has no buyer needs to be disposed off.
If they release the excess inflammable gas into the atmosphere, it is a safety issue as well as environmental concern. Therefore, they dispose by flaring them so that safety is not compromised and environmental damage is minimized.
I hope, the article will help understand the why the oil companies are forced to flare the excess gas.
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