Paper Example on Natural Gas Flaring

Introduction

Significant quantities of methane are contained in oil reservoirs and it leaks out during oil extraction. Around 140 billion cubic meters of this methane gas is burned off (flared) in oil wells around the world each year, thus transforming to carbon dioxide gas, which is a major greenhouse gas (Elvidge et al., 2018). Gas flaring is considered one of the most tasking and also top environmental challenges. International organizations such as the United Nations have developed policies to reduce gas flaring and such policies are critical in ensuring that the environmental impacts of gas flaring are mitigated. Gas flaring generates heat, foul odor, and noise, which can be observed from hundreds of meters from the site of production. During gas flaring, non-renewable natural gas resources are lost when unutilized efficiently, which is cost beneficial. The paper presents gas flaring volumes, existing policies for mitigating gas flaring, and the environmental impacts of gas flaring.

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Gas Flaring

Policies such as the Paris Agreement developed under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) include actions and targets aimed to tackle climate change. Targets in this policy include commitments such as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Implementing gas flaring reduction policies traces reduction targets to the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (Elvidge et al., 2018). Regulations on flaring are set at the national and sub-national levels in various countries. For example, in Russia, the law requires that 95% of the gas be utilized, while flaring in Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea is illegal. However, the government can grant specific exceptions. In the United States, flaring is legal, although there are conditions and reporting requirements at the state level.

Organizations such as the World Bank through Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership (GGFR) launched the initiative on “zero routine flaring by 2030” (Calel & Mahdavi, 2020). The initiative promotes flaring regulations and financing of gas infrastructure to a lesser degree. GGFR emphasizes in implementation of reforms in regulations to decrease flaring activities. GGFR also identifies solutions to address the technical and regulatory barriers to reduce flaring through country-specific flaring reduction programs (Calel & Mahdavi, 2020). Other activities include conducting research, raising awareness, sharing the best practices in the markets, and increasing the commitments of oil-producing countries around the globe to end routine flaring and advancing measurement and reporting on flaring.

The existing country-specific regulations and policies on resource management establish legislation to ensure that government policies related to gas flaring are achieved effectively and efficiently (Oyewunmi & Oyewunmi, 2016). The legal powers on gas flaring can be embedded in the primary legislation relevant to hydrocarbon and petroleum laws or legal instruments that are secondary including regulations, licenses, codes, and guidelines. Countries and jurisdictions that develop policies on gas flaring also tend to comply with the secondary legislation and regulations (Oyewunmi & Oyewunmi, 2016).

An advantage of incorporating gas flaring regulations to secondary instruments is the fact that it allows for adaptability and flexibility in the changing conditions of oil production and natural resource management (Oyewunmi & Oyewunmi, 2016). Government institutions are tasked with undertaking regulatory tasks and have responsibilities related to the use and management of natural resources and assessing the environmental impacts of flaring. Noncompliance with state regulations in most countries results in revoking of the production license.

Environmental Impact of Gas Flaring

Contents of gas flaring, for example, carbon dioxide (CO2), contribute to global warming when released into the environment (Sekyi, 2017). Global warming causes climate change, a phenomenon that is dangerous to humans and ecosystems. Problems associated with climate change such as the melting of arctic glaciers due to increased temperatures and desertification, threaten wildlife and humans inhabiting such environments (Sekyi, 2017). Besides, extreme weather patterns, for instance, increased rains cause flooding and displacement of people and wildlife. Increased water levels at the coast also threaten millions of people that live along the ocean coastlines. Greenhouse gases are also a threat to the ozone layer that protects the earth from harmful ultraviolet waves, and it is contributed to highly by the release of methane during flaring (Sekyi, 2017).

Gas flaring also has a severe impact on the environment due to the chemical composition of the emissions. Acid rain is one of the effects of gas flaring (Sekyi, 2017). Acid rain consists of a high concentration of sulphuric acids and occurs in the form of snow, fog, and also small particles that settle on earth. The impact of acid rain is significant in lakes, wetlands, streams, and aquatic environments. Metal-laden aquatic environments are toxic to aquatic animals such as dish, clams, and crayfish. The absorbent acids can also make their way into the top of the food chain through non-aquatic species, for instance, birds. Acid rain also destroys ecosystems such as forests in higher altitudes. Leaching of essential nutrients also occurs, leading to low plant yields, poor adaptation, and inhibition of plant production (Sekyi, 2017).

Gas flaring also impacts environmental air quality. Poor air quality is harmful to humans and animals (Sekyi, 2017). Carbon monoxide, a by-product of gas flaring, is one of the primary causes of reproductive toxicity among humans, including delayed onset of productivity, early onset of menopause, and altered pregnancy length. Exposure to hydrogen sulfide gas can cause soft tissue irritations at the eyes, nose, throat, and breathing difficulty. Severe exposure can lead to death (Sekyi, 2017). Nitrogen oxide also causes complex health conditions among adults and children, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, lung tissue damage, and premature death.

Conclusion

In summary, although exercised by a majority of oil producing nations, gas flaring is a threat to the environment and living organisms. Policies developed to govern gas flaring activities differ among states. Although the United Nations has set up policies such as the Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership, its implementation capacities are minimal. A majority of countries consider gas flaring illegal and have set exceptional policies for undertaking the activity. Some of the environmental impacts of gas flaring include increased greenhouse emissions, acid rain, and poor air quality. All these impacts are a threat to human beings and ecosystems.

References

Calel, R., & Mahdavi, P. (2020). Opinion: The unintended consequences of antiflaring policies—and measures for mitigation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(23), 12503-12507.
https://www.pnas.org/content/117/23/12503

Elvidge, C. D., Bazilian, M. D., Zhizhin, M., Ghosh, T., Baugh, K., & Hsu, F. C. (2018). The potential role of natural gas flaring in meeting greenhouse gas mitigation targets. Energy strategy reviews, 20, 156-162.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211467X17300962

Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership Data 2019. Ggfrdata.org. (2020). Retrieved 29 September 2020, from https://www.ggfrdata.org/.

Oyewunmi, O. A., & Oyewunmi, A. E. (2016). Managing gas flaring and allied issues in the oil and gas industry: Reflections on Nigeria. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 7(4), 643.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305273051_Managing_Gas_Flaring_and_Allied_Issues_in_the_Oil_and_Gas_Industry_Reflections_on_Nigeria

Sekyi, K. (2017). The Impact of Gas Flaring On Man and His Environment and the Way Out. International Journal of Engineering and Management Sciences, 2(3), 82-90.
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/323165708.pdf.