You might see flames at oil fields and think energy is wasted. Flare gas is often burned off, but it can power whole areas if used. Look at this table to see how big the problem is:
Aspect | Data / Description |
|---|---|
Percentage of global flare gas wasted annually | About 5% of the world’s natural gas is flared each year. |
Volume of wasted flare gas | Billions of cubic meters; Russia: 50 bcm, Nigeria: 15 bcm, West Africa: 10 bcm |
Potential electricity generation | Enough for almost $20 billion in steady electricity each year. |
Economic and environmental impact | Flaring gives off 400 million metric tons of CO2 each year, like 77 million cars. |
A Flare Gas generator lets you use this wasted gas to make electricity and cut down on pollution. Here is what happens when you use flare gas for energy:
You lower greenhouse gases and bad air pollution.
You get back useful energy that would be lost.
You have a cheap power source, sometimes paying for itself in a few years.
You help fix energy shortages in places like sub-Saharan Africa.
Flare gas is natural gas that gets burned at oil sites. This burning wastes energy and causes pollution.
Flare gas recovery systems and generators can use this waste gas. They turn it into electricity. This helps cut pollution and saves money.
Flare gas power can lower greenhouse gases. It also lowers fuel costs. It helps meet energy needs in faraway or oil-rich places.
New tools like mobile turbines and digital flare mitigation help a lot. They make using flare gas easier and better.
Real projects show flare gas electricity can cut emissions. It can save fuel and make jobs. It also helps protect the environment.
Flare gas is seen at oil and gas sites. It comes out when oil and gas are taken from the ground. When companies drill for oil, they also find natural gas. This gas is called flare gas. It is not the main thing they want. Flare gas is made of light hydrocarbons like methane, ethane, propane, and butane. Sometimes, it has things like hydrogen sulfide or other chemicals. The mix of gases is different in each place.
Burning flare gas can make the air dirty. It lets out things like benzene and formaldehyde. These are dangerous chemicals. Flaring tries to make the gas safer, but it still wastes a lot.
Here is a table that shows where most flare gas is wasted:
Aspect | Data / Description |
|---|---|
Global flare gas volume (2024) | About 151 billion cubic meters flared each year |
CO2 emissions from flaring (2024) | Around 389 million tonnes CO2 released, the most since 2007 |
Percentage of global flaring by top countries | Nine countries do about 75% of all flaring |
Top flaring countries | Russia, Iran, Iraq, United States, Venezuela, Algeria, Libya, Mexico, Nigeria |
Major regional hotspots | West Siberia, Middle East, Alberta, West Texas, North Dakota |
Economic loss from flared gas | About $63 billion lost in 2024, over half the cost to stop flaring |
Regulatory context | Weak rules and poor checks let flaring keep happening |
Progress examples | Kazakhstan cut flaring by 71% since 2012 with fines; Angola, Egypt, Indonesia also cut flaring |
Flaring intensity comparison | Norway’s flaring is 18 times lower than the US and 228 times lower than Venezuela |
You may ask why so much flare gas is wasted. There are many reasons for this problem:
Companies do not always have pipes or tools to catch flare gas. Building these is expensive, especially far from cities.
Flaring is used to keep sites safe. It helps control pressure and stops explosions.
When starting, stopping, or fixing things, workers use flaring to get rid of extra gas.
Some rules say flaring is needed to make gases like hydrogen sulfide less risky.
Some companies care more about oil than gas, so they waste flare gas.
Where you are also matters. In some places, weak rules or bad checks mean more flaring and waste. In other places, strong laws and fines help stop waste. For example, Kazakhstan cut flaring by 71% since 2012 by using fines.
Landfill gas is a lot like flare gas. Landfill gas comes from trash breaking down in landfills. Like flare gas, it is often wasted. Both gases can make the air dirty and add to climate change. Many places now try to catch landfill gas and flare gas to stop waste and help the environment. If you use these gases instead of wasting them, you can help cut pollution and save resources.
A flare gas recovery system helps stop wasting flare gas. These systems catch gas before it burns at the flare stack. They have a few main parts. Flare closure mechanisms decide when the flare works. Gas recovery compressors squeeze the gas so it can be used again. Seal drums keep the pressure right and block air from getting in. Flare ignition systems make sure the flare lights up safely.
The system grabs routine flare gas, like methane and other light hydrocarbons, before it gets to the flare. The compressor moves the gas into storage or pipes. This gas can be used as fuel for other machines or sent to a flare gas generator. Seal drums help keep things safe by stopping dangerous backflow and keeping pressure steady.
Flare gas recovery systems can save up to 87% of the energy in flare gas. This means you use less fuel, waste less, and lower pollution. One refinery saved money and cut pollution by catching 97% of its routine flare gas.
These systems work best during normal times, like when starting up or shutting down. Emergency flaring happens fast and in big bursts, so it is usually not recovered. It costs too much and is hard to manage.
A flare gas generator turns waste gas into useful energy. There are different kinds of generators, but they all try to stop waste and make electricity or heat.
Some new flare gas generator systems use mobile gas turbines. For example, the Solar Turbines Mobile Turbomachinery 60 (SMT60) can turn flare gas into 5.7 megawatts of electricity right at the site. You do not need much gas cleaning, and it is quick to set up. This helps oil producers use less diesel, save money, and lower methane emissions.
Other systems, like the ElectraTherm Power+ Generator, use waste heat from flare gas to make electricity. You do not need expensive gas cleanup or lots of maintenance. These generators help oil fields follow rules that limit flaring and cut pollution.
Lean-burn gas generator sets also work. They burn flare gas cleanly and make both electricity and heat. They help meet global goals, like the World Bank’s Zero Routine Flaring by 2030. You get power for your site and waste less gas.
Tip: Using a flare gas generator can pay for itself in a few years. You save money on fuel and help the planet at the same time.
Gas engines and turbines can turn flare gas into energy. They burn the gas and use the heat to make motion, which then makes electricity.
Gas turbines are good if you need lots of energy. They use the force from burning flare gas to spin blades and make power. Many turbines use Dry Low NOx (DLN) systems. These systems lower pollution and can handle different flare gas types, even with heavy hydrocarbons or sulfur. Some turbines have gas boosters inside, so they can use low-pressure gas.
You may need to change engines or turbines to use flare gas instead of regular natural gas. The machines must handle sour gas, high CO2, and nitrogen. They also need special controls to keep pollution low. Some turbines can run on gas with heating values from 350 to 2500 Btu per cubic foot. They can handle H2S up to 6,500 parts per million and CO2 up to 70%. Modular designs let you change the system for your site.
Gas engines work well for smaller places. They burn flare gas in cylinders, like a car engine, and turn it into electricity. You can use these engines for remote oil fields or places without a power grid.
Note: Using gas engines and turbines stops flare gas from being wasted and turns it into energy. You also use less diesel, which means less pollution and easier work.
New technology is making flare gas recovery and gas-to-power better. Here are some new trends and ideas:
Gas re-injection puts flare gas back into oil wells to get more oil and cut emissions.
LNG projects turn flare gas into liquid fuel for moving or selling.
Gas-to-methanol plants change flare gas into chemicals for factories.
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) traps carbon from flare gas before it gets into the air.
Hybrid systems mix flare gas recovery with renewable energy, like solar or wind, to lower pollution.
Small flare gas recovery units now let you use even small amounts of waste gas.
Trend/Advancement | Description |
|---|---|
Regulatory Drivers | New rules make companies recover more flare gas and waste less. |
Energy Efficiency | Saved flare gas powers generators or makes steam, saving money. |
Technological Improvements | Better burning and separation tech means more gas is saved. |
Automation and Digitalization | Smart sensors and data tools make systems safer and more reliable. |
Modular and Scalable Systems | You can add or remove parts to fit your site’s needs. |
Methane Emission Reduction | Focus on cutting methane, a strong greenhouse gas, from flare gas waste. |
Now, you can use flare gas generator systems for small or big sites. These systems help you follow strict rules, save money, and protect the environment. Gas-to-power projects using flare gas are growing quickly, and new ideas keep making them better.
You can make electricity from flare gas by following some easy steps. First, you catch the gas at oil sites before it burns. Then, you use gas turbines like the GE Vernova TM2500 to burn the gas and make energy. These turbines work with many types of gas and are fast to set up. You put them where you need power. The turbines spin and create electricity for your site. If you have more electricity than you need, you can send it to the local grid. This helps homes and businesses nearby. These systems work almost all the time, even in hard places. You get steady power and waste less gas.
Using flare gas for electricity means you use less diesel and save money. You also help the environment by making less pollution.
Here are the steps in a simple list:
Catch flare gas at the source.
Move the gas to a turbine or engine.
Burn the gas to make heat and motion.
Spin the turbine to create electricity.
Use the electricity onsite or send it to the grid.
When you make electricity from flare gas, a lot of heat is left over. You can catch this extra heat and use it to make more energy. Systems like the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) use the hot exhaust to make extra electricity. You can also use the heat for steam, heating buildings, or making clean water. This saves fuel and gives you more energy from the same gas. It also lowers pollution and saves money. Many sites get their money back in just a few years. By using both the electricity and the extra heat, you get the most from flare gas.
Landfill gas electricity works a lot like flare gas electricity. Landfill gas comes from trash breaking down in landfills. You can catch this gas and use it to make power. Both landfill gas and flare gas can pollute the air if not used. When you use landfill gas for electricity, you stop methane from getting out. This helps fight climate change. Landfill gas electricity uses engines or turbines, just like flare gas systems. You can use the power at the site or send it to the grid. Many cities use landfill gas electricity to power homes and factories. Both landfill gas and flare gas electricity turn waste into useful energy. They help save money, protect the environment, and give steady power.
Feature | Flare Gas Electricity | Landfill Gas Electricity |
|---|---|---|
Gas Source | Oil and gas production | Decomposing waste in landfills |
Main Benefit | Cuts oilfield emissions | Reduces landfill methane |
Typical Use | Remote sites, oilfields | Cities, waste facilities |
Power Output | Medium to high | Low to medium |
Environmental Impact | Lowers CO2 and methane | Lowers methane |
Landfill gas electricity and flare gas electricity both let you turn waste into energy. You help the planet and get steady power.
When you use flare gas for electricity, you help the planet. Instead of just burning the gas, you make power from it. This stops harmful gases from getting into the air. Studies show this can keep about 107 tonnes of CO2, CO, and H2S out of the air every day. This choice really helps the environment. In Oman, a project used flare gas to make electricity. It cut greenhouse gases by about 30%. That is a big move for cleaner energy. You also help stop routine flaring, which means less waste and less pollution.
Some new systems use hybrid technology. For example, a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell with a gas turbine can lower CO2 by about 0.21 kg for each kilowatt-hour made. If you use these at big oil and gas sites, emissions can drop a lot. This is a smart way to help the earth and move to cleaner energy.
Using flare gas for power is a good way to use waste. You keep the air cleaner and support better energy.
Turning flare gas into electricity saves money. Many companies see up to 90% less flaring emissions and 75% less CO2 at their sites. Methane can go down by 82%. Steam use can drop by half. New flare tips can cut steam by 30-60%. Combustion efficiency can get as high as 99.5%. This means less fuel is wasted.
Metric/Aspect | Improvement/Benefit |
|---|---|
Flaring Emissions Reduction | Up to 90% reduction |
CO2 Emissions Reduction | 75% reduction |
Methane Emissions Reduction | 82% reduction |
Steam Consumption Reduction | 50% reduction |
Combustion Efficiency | Up to 99.5% |
Cost Savings | Lower fuel and utility bills |
Operational Efficiency | Better use of resources |
You do not need to spend a lot on new power lines or upgrades. Flare gas power can cost the same or less than regular power, especially if you use a lot. You only pay for what you use. You do not pay during outages. This makes your costs easier to plan. You also have less risk from prices going up as energy gets cleaner.
Oilfields can use flare gas to make power instead of wasting it. Many companies have started using this idea and seen big changes. The table below shows some top examples:
Project / Operator | Location | Technology / Approach | Results Achieved | Additional Benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Naftogaz | Egypt (Alam El Shawish East) | Gas compression and delivery to pipeline | Reduced flaring by 10-15 million scf/day; 800,000 CO2-equivalent tonnes emissions saved per year | Independent flare data verification; alerts for operational upsets |
DNO / Genel Energy | Kurdistan (Peshkabir and Tawke fields) | Gas capture, treatment, pipeline transport, gas reinjection for EOR and power generation | Reduced flaring from ~30 to ~10 million scf/day; 478,000 to 1.2 million CO2-equivalent tonnes saved annually; 2.4 bcf gas captured in 2020 | 400,000 barrels reduced water production; 200,000 barrels incremental oil recovery; diesel consumption reduction |
Pharos Energy | Egypt (El Fayum Silah and North Silah Deep) | Gas-to-power units installation | 30% flare reduction (~1 million scf/day baseline); ~40,000 CO2-equivalent tonnes saved annually; 730,000 liters diesel saved per year | ~$2 million fuel cost savings; reduced HSE risks; community cooking gas supply |
Crusoe Energy Systems | Bakken shale, Montana | Gas-to-power for onsite high-intensity computing (data centers) | Consumed ~1.2 million scf/day of flare gas; generated up to 6 MW electricity; substantially reduced flaring | Monetization of flare gas via computing services; innovative flare mitigation approach |
Independent Operator | Algeria (Hassi Berkine basin) | Flare system upgrade: valve replacement and flare tip change | Reduced flare volume by 9 million scf/day; 10% combustion efficiency improvement; 2 million CO2-equivalent tonnes saved annually | $7 million increased revenue; methane emission reduction; regulatory compliance support |
These projects show that using flare gas can cut pollution and save money. Some places use the gas for cooking or to run computers. Others use it to help get more oil or use less diesel.
Factories, mines, and far-away places can use flare gas for energy. These places often have problems getting regular power. Here are some common problems and smart ways to fix them:
Challenges:
Small sites may not save enough money for big projects.
Remote wells make it hard to build pipelines.
Gas quality can change, making it hard to use.
Rules and permits can slow down work.
Flare sites far apart raise costs.
Solutions:
Build small gas plants for factories or homes.
Pipe flare gas to nearby users for heat or power.
Set up compressed natural gas stations near flare sites.
Use mobile turbines or engines for changing gas flows.
Put gas back in wells to get more oil.
Install microturbines that need little gas cleaning.
Use mobile data centers to use energy at the site.
Switching from diesel to flare gas can save a lot of money. Some places save $250,000 each month on fuel. You also get steady power without waiting for the grid. This helps oil-rich areas and growing countries. You help the planet and support local jobs.
Digital flare mitigation is a new way to use flare gas, even at small sites. Companies like Crusoe Energy put small data centers right at the well. These centers use the gas to run computers for things like bitcoin mining or AI. This works at sites as small as 300,000 scf/day, much smaller than old systems.
Digital flare mitigation burns almost all the methane—up to 99.9%. This is much better than regular flaring, which lets more methane escape. Methane is very bad for the climate, so this makes a big difference.
You do not need to spend a lot on big pipelines or plants. You can start small and grow bigger later. The table below shows some new projects and what they have done:
Project Name and Organization | Objective | Reported Outcomes | Funding (Federal / Non-federal / Total) |
|---|---|---|---|
Hyliion Inc. - KARNO Generator | Convert flare gas to near zero emissions electricity with 99.9% combustion efficiency | Significant methane emissions reduction compared to typical flaring (which combusts 90-98% methane), economic growth, job creation, improved air quality | $6,000,000 / $2,395,817 / $8,395,817 |
M2X Energy, Inc. - Modular Gas-to-Methanol Plants | Convert stranded flare gas into low-carbon methanol at oil well sites | Methane emissions elimination, community engagement, workforce development | 0,000 / $7,599,720 |
Pioneer Energy, Inc. - Onsite Methanol Synthesis | Eliminate flaring emissions using internal combustion engines as compressors/reactors | Flaring elimination, emissions reduction, workforce inclusion for underserved communities | $6,000,000 / $1,500,000 / $7,500,000 |
You can see that digital flare mitigation helps the climate, creates jobs, and finds new uses for wasted gas.
You can use special systems and generators to make electricity from flare gas that would be wasted. These tools help the air stay cleaner, save energy, and cost less money. Studies show using flare gas for power can cut greenhouse gases by about 52.7% compared to older ways. Many countries now want these solutions to help the planet and keep people healthy. If you want more information, you can look at Zeeco’s resources or read reviews about how to manage flare gas in a better way. Leaders and rule makers can team up to build good systems and share smart ideas.
Flare gas shows up at oil and gas sites. It is extra natural gas from oil production. Oilfields burn it to keep the site safe. Burning also helps control pressure. Sometimes, they cannot catch or use the gas because they lack the right tools.
You can use flare gas for electricity at many places. Some sites need special machines or rules. Remote oilfields, factories, and small wells can use flare gas generators. They just need the right setup to work.
Flare gas electricity helps cut greenhouse gases. You use waste gas to make power instead of burning it. This lowers CO2 and methane in the air. It also means you use less diesel, so the air is cleaner.
Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
Lower emissions | Less CO2 and methane in the air |
Cost savings | Cheaper than diesel or grid power |
Energy recovery | Turns waste into useful electricity |
Grid support | Helps power remote or weak grids |
You need gas engines, turbines, or special generators. Some places use mobile units. Others use systems that catch waste heat too. If the gas has lots of impurities, you may need cleaning equipment.
