U.S. Flaring Decline and Continued Progress Reducing Emissions

Mark Green
Posted June 27, 2024

America’s oil and natural gas companies continue to improve their ability to capture methane from operations – seen in a new U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) report showing U.S. flaring and venting fell to an 18-year low in 2023.

EIA estimates the annual reported volume of natural gas that was flared or vented declined to 0.5% of gross withdrawals in 2023, based on preliminary state and federal data. EIA’s graphic:

EIA reported that the percentage of flared or vented natural gas decreased from 1.3% in 2018 and 2019 to the 0.5% figure last year, even as natural gas production increased over the same period, to a record average of 125 billion cubic feet per day in 2023.

The EIA data points to company efforts to use new technologies and procedures to become more efficient in terms of capturing as much methane as possible during operations – methane being the chief component in natural gas.

These efforts include greater collaboration through industry-led initiatives including The Environmental Partnership (TEP), whose participating companies represent about 70% of U.S. onshore oil and natural gas production.

TEP is based on eight action programs, including flare management. That program is designed to implement best practices to reduce flare volumes, promote the beneficial uses of natural gas that accompanies oil production, and to calculate flare intensity – measuring flaring per unit of production, which reflects efficiency. Participants reported a 14% reduction in total flare volumes and a 2.4% reduction in flare intensity in 2022. (Stay tuned for TEP’s 2024 annual report later this summer, with 2023 data.)

Coincidentally, EIA’s flaring report comes as the Biden administration detailed plans for $850 million for methane-reduction projects – with a shared goal similar to The Environmental Partnership and its programs to reduce emissions from oil and natural gas operations.

The flaring progress reported by EIA is good news, but not the end of the story.

America’s oil and natural gas companies want to reduce emissions further. Their business is bringing natural gas to families and businesses, and reducing emissions is important environmentally.

TEP participants are working together to use innovative facility design, improve operations, and advance their ability to detect and measure emissions, which is key to improved emissions reporting. And building on the significant progress these companies have made to reduce flare volumes, their focus has now expanded to implementing best practices to ensure optimal flare efficiency and performance for when flaring is necessary. 

Emily Hague, TEP director and Chevron’s Vanessa Ryan, its chair wrote:

“The progress reported by our participants reflect the ingenuity, creativity, and know-how of the women and men powering our lives while minimizing environmental impacts. The Partnership has been integral to developing energy and environmental solutions and serves as a springboard to advance technological innovation, cultivate best practices, and reduce energy-related emissions.”