Flares are now monitored routinely from local, site-based sensors to aircraft and satellites. This is driven by ever-increasing societal pressure to eliminate routine and continuous flaring. Flaring is typically grouped in three defined categories: (i) routine flaring, (ii) safety flaring; and (iii) non-routine flaring.

• Routine flaring of gas at oil production facilities is flaring during normal oil production operations in the absence of sufficiently sized facilities, offtake via pipeline, or amenable geology to re-inject. The World Bank has a goal to eliminate routine flaring by 2030, and many IOGP Member Companies have targets or aspirations related to flaring and venting.
• Safety flaring of gas is flaring to ensure safe operation of the facility.
• Non-routine flaring of gas is all flaring other than routine and safety flaring.

What does good look like?

• Design flareless facilities whenever possible (within economic and technical limits).
• No routine flaring of associated gas while producing oil.
• Minimize any continuous and non-routine flaring in operations.
• Design and operate facilities to minimize safety flaring.
• Vents containing methane and hydrocarbons should be eliminated in support of managing GHG and fugitive emissions.

How is it achieved?

• Hydrocarbons currently being flared or vented can be recovered and sold as product. When flaring is necessary, the destruction efficiency should be high to convert methane to carbon dioxide, reducing GHG. Good processing concepts supported by standards, best practices and guides are important for achieving adequate performance for flares and vents.
• See list of recommended publications
  • IOGP Report 647 – Guidelines for design and operation of flare gas recovery systems
  • IOGP Report 673 – Guidelines for design and operations to minimize and avoid flaring
  • IOGP Report 675 – Guidelines for venting minimization and vent recovery systems
  • IOGP-Ipieca-GGFR Report 467 – Flaring Management Guidance
  • IOGP INFO44 – Flare Destruction Efficiency References
  • Zero Routine Flaring by 2030 (ZRF) (worldbank.org)
  • API 521 – Pressure-relieving and Depressuring Systems
  • API 537 – Flare Details for Petroleum, Petrochemical, and Natural Gas Industries
  • MGP reports
    • MGP Best Practice Guide: Equipment Leaks (multiple languages)
    • MGP Best Practice Guide: Flaring (multiple languages)
    • MGP Best Practice Guide: Operational Repairs (multiple languages)
    • MGP Best Practice Guide: Pneumatic Devices (multiple languages)
    • MGP Best Practice Guide: Venting (multiple languages)