Flaring

Example of text that may be presented in your iEMS

During the formation appraisal stage of an exploration programme, as well as during production, it is often or always necessary to flare all or some of the reservoir fluids and gases. Flaring can be a major contributor to atmospheric emissions and it is therefore necessary to examine options to limit flaring to levels that are as low as practically possible.

Constituents of flaring emissions include CO (carbon monoxide), CO2 (carbon dioxide), NOX (nitrous oxide), and SO2 (sulphur dioxide) and PM 2.5-10 (particulate matter). Unburned flare gases may include CH4 (methane) and other hydrocarbons including C3H8 (propane), CH3 (CH2)4 CH3 (hexane), and C6H6 (benzene). In addition BTEX, oxides of heavy metals, organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and other toxic substances may be released to atmosphere.

The impacts associated with flaring are diverse and should be addressed at source through mitigation measures, which may include:

Reduce flaring to levels that are as low as practically possible;
Ensure maximum efficiency of the flare to dispose of gases and fluids;
Conduct air quality monitoring;
Conduct emissions calculations and modelling;
Monitoring and maintenance of machinery on site;
Research and develop options to reduce the volume of pollutants entering into the atmosphere.

To reduce atmospheric emissions associated with flaring Company proposes to:

Limit the time spent initially testing the flow of a well;
Hook up all wells requiring extended testing to temporary or permanent production infrastructure;
Inject associated gases back into the producing formations;
Etc.

These measures, whether commercially driven or for the sake of reducing atmospheric emissions can significantly reduce our carbon footprint, thereby reducing the volume of gases that contribute to the Greenhouse effect and those also which deplete the Ozone Layer.

Outlined briefly below are some of the reasons why flaring is avoided as far as is practically possible.

Local Implications of Flaring

At the Local Level, impacts may relate to human health, in particular respiratory illnesses; accumulation in plants, soil and water; as well as damage to buildings and infrastructure that result from the products of burning, and a visual impact of clouds of smoke.

Regional Implications of Flaring

At a Regional Level the effects may still result in illness and deposition of the products of flaring over a wide area, such as acid rain.

Global implications of flaring

At a Global Level the main impact of flaring is associated with its contribution to the processes that cause Global Warming and the depletion of the Ozone Layer. The main Green House Gases (GHG) associated with flaring include Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Methane, Nitrogen Oxide, Hydrogen Sulphide and hydrocarbons such as Benzene, Toluene and Xylene. In addition, the breakdown of these gases in the atmosphere and their reaction and interaction together can generate products that become GHG or deplete the Ozone Layer.

Climatic Change

The greenhouse effect is a natural process that occurs because certain gases in the atmosphere absorb heat radiated from the earth and reflect it back to the earth's surface. At equilibrium, GHGs balance the heat that passes through the atmosphere with that returned to space. However, human activity may have contributed to increased concentrations of the main GHGs, carbon dioxide (+31% since 1750), methane (+151%) and nitrous oxide (+17%) in the atmosphere, causing an increase in temperatures resulting in climate change.

Acid rain

The photochemical oxidation of SO2 in the atmosphere results in the production of H2SO4, which, as acid rain results in widespread contamination of the ground-surface effecting aquatic and terrestrial habitats.