During Petroleum exploration, water, which is trapped in underground formations, is brought to the surface along with oil or gas. This water, referred to as Produced water, has constituents that make it unsafe to be discharged into the environment without adequate treatment. In offshore locations, the situation is even more difficult since there is always limited space for produced water treatment. The treatment of Produced water will not only provide water for use but will protect our environment against pollution. This paper has reviewed exhaustively the various ways of handling produced water on the basis of its constituents, expected use of the effluent fluid, adherence to the local regulations on environmental protection, available expertise, and cost of its treatment. Furthermore, the paper has selected some key produced water treatment techniques, discussed their advantages as well as limitations to enable oil and gas operators to make informed decision depending on the circumstances surrounding their operations.

It is believed that production of crude oil and natural gas without flaring and venting is neither technically nor economically feasible. In the face of this challenge, it is pertinent to understand the technical, economic, environmental, and social effects of flaring and venting in the production of crude oil and natural gas. This paper is a review of the role of flaring and venting in the production of oil and gas and an exposition of the environmental consequences of flaring and venting with respect to the production of crude oil and natural gas. The study exhaustively and systematically revealed the global and local effects of flaring and venting of natural gas on the environment and thereafter suggested various mechanisms through which flaring and venting could be drastically reduced using commercial models, regulation, new technologies and re-injection.

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