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Oil business flare more natural gas, defying effort to remove practice

Oil business worldwide last year burnt the most natural gas in five years while likewise increasing the strength of the extremely contaminating practice, a. World Bank report found on Thursday.

With only six years left to meet a World Bank objective of. stopping regular flaring, the business burned off an approximated. 148 billion cubic meters of gas in 2023, up 7% from 2022 even as. crude oil production increased only 1% over the same time.

Drilling for oil frequently yields natural gas too, and some. companies decide to flare, or burn, this gas rather of catching. and saving it, generally arguing that developing the infrastructure. needed is not commercially feasible.

The development in flaring more than reversed decreases made in. 2021 and 2022, the report from the World Bank's Global Gas. Flaring Tracker said, including that global efforts to minimize gas. flaring have actually not been sustainable and urgent action is required.

Eliminating the practice would cut at least 381 million. tonnes of co2 equivalent in ecologically damaging. emissions released into the environment.

Substantial reductions in gas flaring and flaring intensity. are achievable through efficient collaborations and the creation. of options to monetize associated gas, the report stated.

9 significant oil-producing countries represent 75% of. flaring and 46% of oil output. They are Russia, Iran, Iraq, the. United States, Venezuela, Algeria, Libya, Nigeria and Mexico, in. order of volumes of gas burnt.

The report stated Algeria and Venezuela had reduced flaring,. but those gains were worn down by Iran, Russia, the United States. and Libya, among others.

Flaring strength, or the volume of gas flared per barrel of. oil produced, is the highest in nations impacted by. instability, conflict or violence.

The World Bank, dealing with the Colorado School of Mines in. the United States, determined the flaring figures based on data. from satellites.

(source: Reuters)