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Why was associated gas often flared at oil wells in the past?
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natural gas
The Troll A natural gas production platform in the North Sea, 80 km (50 miles) northwest of Bergen, Norway. Troll A, the largest movable structure ever built, rests on the seafloor some 300 metres (990 feet) below the surface and rises more than 100 metres (330 feet) above the sea. The platform regulates the recovery of gas from 40 wells located on the seafloor.
In the past, associated gas—a fossil fuel found alongside crude oil—was frequently treated as a nuisance by-product of oil production. Because it was often separated from the oil stream during extraction, producers sought to eliminate it as cheaply as possible, leading to the common practice of flaring, or burning it off.123
Historically, this practice persisted for several reasons:
- Economic Viability: Many oil wells are located in remote areas where the infrastructure required to capture, process, and transport the gas to market is prohibitively expensive.3
- Lack of Demand: Before the energy shortages of the late 1960s and early 1970s, natural gas was not widely recognized as a critical global energy source, providing little incentive for conservation.1
- Operational Limitations: While some gas is reinjected into reservoirs to maintain pressure, excess gas that could not be reinjected was flared as a disposal method.3
As the value of natural gas has increased, conservation efforts have grown, though flaring remains a significant environmental concern due to the release of greenhouse gases.13