U.S. oil fields flared and vented more natural gas again in 2019 – data

(Reuters, 3 Feb 2020) Feb 3 (Reuters) - The U.S. drilling industry flared or vented more natural gas in 2019 for the third year in a row, as soaring production in Texas, New Mexico, and North Dakota overwhelmed regulatory efforts to curb the practice, according to state data and independent research estimates.

By Nichola Groom and Jennifer Hiller

Feb 3 (Reuters) - The U.S. drilling industry flared or vented more natural gas in 2019 for the third year in a row, as soaring production in Texas, New Mexico, and North Dakota overwhelmed regulatory efforts to curb the practice, according to state data and independent research estimates.

Flaring, or deliberately burning gas produced as a byproduct to oil, can worsen climate change by releasing carbon dioxide. Venting releases unburned methane, which is many times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. Oil drillers tend to flare or vent gas when they lack pipelines to move it to market, or prices are too low to make transporting it worthwhile.

"You've got a real waste issue," said Colin Leyden, a policy advocate for the Environmental Defense Fund, which tracks flaring. "And everyone should be concerned about that."

External link

Reuters, 3 Feb 2020: U.S. oil fields flared and vented more natural gas again in 2019 – data