Flaring - How Big Oil Could Help on Climate Change in Iraq (1 Viewer)

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With its outdated oil field technology, Iraq currently "flares" (burns off) 600 million cubic feet of natural gas per day and ranks fourth in the world for release of greenhouse gases because of it.

Technology will change that for the better, putting the natural gas on the market and helping clean up the environment.

FE_DA_080215Iraq_flares185x168.jpg

Oil field natural gas "flaring" shows up red in this satellite picture.

US News & World Report
How Big Oil Could Help on Climate Change in Iraq
Marianne Lavelle
February 15, 2008 02:29 PM ET


Look at this satellite image of fires rising up from Iraq:

These hot spots, detected from 500 miles into space, were not sparked by bombings or by gunfire on the war-torn ground. They are neither flames of insurgency nor of combat. This is a snapshot of energy waste and the pointless release of millions of tons of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.

This image shows the flaring, or burning, of natural gas that is brought to the surface as the Iraqis extract oil. There's no way to get the oil out without releasing this "associated" gas. Flaring is the cheap and dirty way to get rid of this combustible fuel when there are no pipelines, gas-fired power plants, or export terminals nearby. Iraq is by no means alone in gas flaring; it is the fourth-worst offender in the world, behind Russia, Nigeria, and Iran. Sadly, flaring still goes on in remote oil fields in the United States, although the volumes are much reduced over the years and much less than in Iraq and the other top-flaring countries.

READ MORE
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/beyond-...help-on-climate-change-in-iraq.html#read_more
 
With its outdated oil field technology, Iraq currently "flares" (burns off) 600 million cubic feet of natural gas per day and ranks fourth in the world for release of greenhouse gases because of it.

Technology will change that for the better, putting the natural gas on the market and helping clean up the environment.

FE_DA_080215Iraq_flares185x168.jpg

Oil field natural gas "flaring" shows up red in this satellite picture.

US News & World Report
How Big Oil Could Help on Climate Change in Iraq
Marianne Lavelle
February 15, 2008 02:29 PM ET


Look at this satellite image of fires rising up from Iraq:

These hot spots, detected from 500 miles into space, were not sparked by bombings or by gunfire on the war-torn ground. They are neither flames of insurgency nor of combat. This is a snapshot of energy waste and the pointless release of millions of tons of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.

This image shows the flaring, or burning, of natural gas that is brought to the surface as the Iraqis extract oil. There's no way to get the oil out without releasing this "associated" gas. Flaring is the cheap and dirty way to get rid of this combustible fuel when there are no pipelines, gas-fired power plants, or export terminals nearby. Iraq is by no means alone in gas flaring; it is the fourth-worst offender in the world, behind Russia, Nigeria, and Iran. Sadly, flaring still goes on in remote oil fields in the United States, although the volumes are much reduced over the years and much less than in Iraq and the other top-flaring countries.

READ MORE
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/beyond-...help-on-climate-change-in-iraq.html#read_more

Without environmental laws and regulations, and enforcement of such regulations I don't see how they could be beneficial.

One of the reasons these companies want to operate overseas is that they escape environmental laws in more advanced industrial countries.

Hence why big oil sees Iraq as a bonanza.
 
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So the war wasn't to look for WMD's or for oil or for democracy for Iraqi's it was...to SLOW GLOBAL WARMING!!!


;)
 
It's part of a World Bank project. Clean up the environment and turn a better profit and reduce poverty and provide electrical power all at the same time. Put that natural gas to use instead of burning it off.

Launched at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in August 2002, the Global Gas Flaring Reduction public-private partnership (GGFR) brings around the table representatives of governments of oil-producing countries, state-owned companies and major international oil companies so that together they can overcome the barriers to reducing gas flaring by sharing global best practices and implementing country specific programs.

The GGFR partnership, a World Bank-led initiative, facilitates and supports national efforts to use currently flared gas by promoting effective regulatory frameworks and tackling the constraints on gas utilization, such as insufficient infrastructure and poor access to local and international energy markets, particularly in developing countries.


http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXT...168427~piPK:64168435~theSitePK:578069,00.html
 
So the war wasn't to look for WMD's or for oil or for democracy for Iraqi's it was...to SLOW GLOBAL WARMING!!!


;)

Which makes Al Gore, and not the neocons, the true villain. Should have guessed that from the start.

/justkiddingofcourse
 
Seems pretty straight-forward to me.

As part of the leasing agreement, the Iraqi government wants the oil companies to establish a natural gas recovery system, which is hooked into a pipeline and reservoir system, which the oil companies will build, to run natural gas electric plants, which the oil companies will also build. Wasteful burning off of natural gas turns into a nationwide electrification program.

Sounds like a win-win-win situation all the way around to me.
 
Seems pretty straight-forward to me.

As part of the leasing agreement, the Iraqi government wants the oil companies to establish a natural gas recovery system, which is hooked into a pipeline and reservoir system, which the oil companies will build, to run natural gas electric plants, which the oil companies will also build. Wasteful burning off of natural gas turns into a nationwide electrification program.

Sounds like a win-win-win situation all the way around to me.

Not necessarily. Sure, Iraq gets electrification, but without basic environmental laws oil companies might be allowed to do whatever they want to do to the environment around them, which is not necessarily a win-win proposition.

Sure, natural gas fires are put out, but without basic environmental laws regulating all functions of the oil industry, it may do more damage to Iraq's ecosystem than it will benefit. Not straight forward. Unless of course, the Iraqi government passes some basic environmental regulations. None of our business, nonetheless, but we'll probably make it our business. Goodie.
 
Not necessarily. Sure, Iraq gets electrification, but without basic environmental laws oil companies might be allowed to do whatever they want to do to the environment around them, which is not necessarily a win-win proposition.

Sure, natural gas fires are put out, but without basic environmental laws regulating all functions of the oil industry, it may do more damage to Iraq's ecosystem than it will benefit. Not straight forward. Unless of course, the Iraqi government passes some basic environmental regulations. None of our business, nonetheless, but we'll probably make it our business. Goodie.

The environmental concerns are what's driving the World Bank program, linked above.

The Iraqis don't have to enact a bunch of legislation. All they have to do is have the oil companies agree to comply with the World Bank's Global Gas Flaring Reduction program.

By complying, the oil companies are also turning a bigger profit, with excess natural gas to be sold. There's more natural gas being burned off every day than is needed to run the entire electric grid in Iraq. 600 million cubic feet per day is a lot waste!
 
Without environmental laws and regulations, and enforcement of such regulations I don't see how they could be beneficial.

One of the reasons these companies want to operate overseas is that they escape environmental laws in more advanced industrial countries.

Hence why big oil sees Iraq as a bonanza.
So it's not because of cheap labor and the location of the world's largest undeveloped oilfields?
 
All they have to do is have the oil companies agree to comply with the World Bank's Global Gas Flaring Reduction program.

By complying, the oil companies are also turning a bigger profit, with excess natural gas to be sold. There's more natural gas being burned off every day than is needed to run the entire electric grid in Iraq. 600 million cubic feet per day is a lot waste!

There's more to protecting the environment than just reducing natural gas flares. What about laws pertaining to storage of hazerdous materials? What about waste? What about laws regarding the safe storage and shipping of oil?

I shudder to think if oil companies in this country were only required to reduce natural gas flares without any other laws or regulations. So yes, I think if Iraq is going to have a bunch of oil industries operating in its country, if it wishes to protect the environment, it would have to pass some basic regulations which protects the environment and the ecosystem.
 
There's more to protecting the environment than just reducing natural gas flares. What about laws pertaining to storage of hazerdous materials? What about waste? What about laws regarding the safe storage and shipping of oil?

I shudder to think if oil companies in this country were only required to reduce natural gas flares without any other laws or regulations. So yes, I think if Iraq is going to have a bunch of oil industries operating in its country, if it wishes to protect the environment, it would have to pass some basic regulations which protects the environment and the ecosystem.

I think they're better off with updated oil and gas recovery technology than they have been with the antique equipment left over when they nationalized their oil fields back in the 1970s, don't you?

By all accounts, the stuff they're using is literally held together with bailing wire.
 
I think they're better off with updated oil and gas recovery technology than they have been with the antique equipment left over when they nationalized their oil fields back in the 1970s, don't you?

By all accounts, the stuff they're using is literally held together with bailing wire.

Not necessarily.

Frankly I could really care less, it's really none of our business. American oil companies I think are going in there precisely because they know they won't have to follow environmental/labor laws they have to follow elsewhere, which I don't think is necessarily good for their environment. Yes, by all accounts one problem is solved, but with very little other regulations regarding the basic operation of the oil industry I wouldn't argue for a second that the environment or the Iraqis will be better off. No laws regarding storage of waste? What about shipping? Cleaning up spills? Industrial accidents? No, I'm not sure if Iraq's ecosystem is better off here. One of the reasons oil companies are so insistent about safety and pay attention to environmental protection is that they're forced to--and with good reason because they made lots of messes before real environmental regulations.

But it's none of our business. I'm sure we'll make it our business once the environmentalists get in the act. :shrug:
 
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Do any of you believe that they no longer flare off gasses here in the US?
 
Do any of you believe that they no longer flare off gasses here in the US?

Like the article above says, "Sadly, flaring still goes on in remote oil fields in the United States, although the volumes are much reduced over the years and much less than in Iraq and the other top-flaring countries."

Yes, the rest of the country considers Louisiana and Mississippi to be "remote," no doubt about it.
 
1 - Notice the big red mark that is Kuwait? We've been there since the first Gulf War. Why hasn't our superior technology shown any effect there?

2 - To piggy-back on staphory...there is a Chevron pipeline that goes through the Anniston/Oxford area. Yes...they flare off gas there too.
 

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