Article: US satellite images show where natural gas goes up in smoke

Gas flaring sends 84,000 tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere worldwide every year

THE GLOBAL hydrocarbons industry is flaring off between 150 billion and 170 billion m^sup 3^ of gas every year, according to the first study of flaring using satellite images.

The figure equates to about a quarter of the annual natural gas consumption of the US and adds 84,000 tonnes of carbon emissions into the atmosphere.

Gas flaring is a widespread practice in petroleum producing areas where there is no infrastructure to make use of the natural gas. Because the process involves incomplete combustion, large amounts of soot and carbon monoxide are produced.

Gas flaring is widely recognised as a waste of ...

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