Gas flaring is the
controlled burning of excess gas in oil production. The process is easily
recognizable as tall cylindrical stacks belching plumes of fire in areas of oil
activity or by glowing red lights dotting the earth as seen from satellite
images. Using satellite technology, the National Oceanic Administration
Association (NOAA) reports that gas flares collectively pump 400 million tons
of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere worldwide each year – the equivalent of
emissions from 77 million cars.
As one might expect,
when global oil production increases, gas flaring follows suit. As of 2012, the
United States was the fifth leading contributor of gas flaring, falling behind
Russia, Nigeria, Iran and Iraq, according to the NOAA. Furthermore, World Bank
data shows that U.S. gas flaring has increased 223% in the last five years.
While oil and gas
companies find that burning off excess gas is more cost-effective than building
infrastructure to capture, utilize or get the gas waste to market, the
environmental impact of this increase is alarming. Environmental degradation
associated with gas flaring has been shown to have significant impact on local
populations. The Journal of Environment Pollution and Human Health is one of
innumerable reports that link gas flaring to severe health issues such as
cancer, lung damage, skin problems and deformities in children, as well as the
loss of livelihood due to subsequent acid rains and loss of agriculture due to
contaminants in the air and soil.
The Global Gas
Flaring Reduction Partnership (GGFR) offers several solutions to reduce gas
flaring and its hazardous impacts; among them: invest in infrastructure to
minimize flaring and implement policies and regulations such as increasing the
cost of flaring by fining and taxing the process.
Responding to
increased awareness and lobbying for action, some states are considering
implementing tax royalties to companies willing to use green initiatives to
collect and reduce the amount of gas being flared.
In Texas,
Houston-based Well Power, Inc. has secured the licensing rights to Texas, with
the first right of refusal on the other U.S. states, to a new technology
solution to process waste natural gas such as flared gas into “clean power” and
engineered fuels.
The company’s plan
is to be able to provide its technology in conjunction with full-service
engineering, design, construction, modular fabrication, and maintenance and
construction management services. Well Power will also offer consulting
services, process assessments, feasibility studies, technology evaluation and
project finance structuring, among other services, to clients in the upstream
areas of exploration and production.
The amount of flared
gas in the United States has doubled since 2000, and Well Power is
advantageously positioned to offer its solutions to companies exploring options
to reduce gas flaring emissions.
For more
information, visit www.wellpowerinc.com
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