Measuring Gas Flaring in Russia with Multispectral VIIRS Nightfire

Abstract

According to the data reported by the international and governmental agencies, the Russian Federation remains one of the world’s major associated petroleum gas (APG) flaring nations. In the past decade, numerous studies have shown the applicability of satellite-based methods to estimate gas flaring. New satellite-based observations might offer an insight in region-, company-, and site-specific gas flaring patterns, as the reported data are often incomplete. We provide a detailed catalog of the upstream and downstream gas flares and an in-depth analysis at the country, region, company and site level of the satellite monitoring results of flaring in Russia from 2012 to 2020. Our analysis is based on the VIIRS Nightfire data and validated against high-resolution daytime satellite images and geographical and geological metadata published by the oil and gas companies and the Russian government. Gas flaring volumes in Russia are estimated to average at 23 billion cubic meters (BCM) annually (15% of global flaring), with 19 BCM (82% on national scale) corresponding to the oil upstream flaring, which has been subject to heavy government regulations since 2013. Despite initially dropping, observed flaring volumes have been on the climb since 2018. We are able to monitor seasonal variations, accidents in gas processing and to track the activities to reduce gas flaring. An effect of gas composition on the flare temperature is reported for oil and gas fields in Russia.

Optimising policies and regulations for zero routine gas flaring and net zero

“…Economic benefits, commonly prioritised by oil and gas-rich nations over climate change concerns, are the main barriers to functional policy implementation (Korppoo, 2018b;Ylä-Anttila et al, 2018). Various studies (including those by Svensson, 2005;Castelo Branco, Szklo and Schaeffer, 2010;Loe and Ladehaug, 2012;Buzcu-Guven and Harriss, 2014;Olusegun G Fawole, Cai and Mackenzie, 2016;Korppoo, 2018c;Mrabure and Ohimor, 2020;Olujobi and Olusola-Olujobi, 2020;Zhizhin et al, 2021;Rodrigues, 2022;Bello, 2023;Shahab-Deljoo et al, 2023;Wen, Xiao and Peng, 2023) have identified the need for an enabling framework including fiscal incentives and emission reduction incentives for investments and a weak natural gas market and tax reductions to reduce flaring. However, the extent to which this criterion hinders flaring reduction globally has not been sufficiently researched.…”

Air Quality and Health Impacts of Onshore Oil and Gas Flaring and Venting Activities Estimated Using Refined Satellite‐Based Emissions

“…The VIIRS Nightfire data set (Elvidge et al, 2013;Elvidge et al, 2015;EOG, 2023;Zhizhin et al, 2021) was processed for annual natural gas flared volume in the U.S. from 2017 to 2020 (Figure 1). In 2019, the year with highest flare gas volume during the above period, there were 17.7 BCM of natural gas flared in both production (97%) and processing (3%)-the same amount of flare gas volume was reported in Chen et al (2022).…”

Overview of Methods for Enhanced Oil Recovery from Conventional and Unconventional Reservoirs

“…The method of flooding with aqueous solutions of surfactants can be effectively used in strictly defined geological and physical conditions, as evidenced by many years of experience (since 1971) in the use of surfactants in Tataria to enhance oil recovery from terrigenous Devonian deposits, as well as the use of surfactants in the Samotlor field [31,32]. Numerous experimental studies carried out at «TatNIPIneft» have shown that the use of concentrated surfactant solutions under conditions of primary oil displacement from models of terrigenous rocks significantly improves the process of oil displacement.…”