Flaring at Russia’s Yuzhno Russkoye oil and gas field
The uphill battle against flaring and methane emissions
While some countries have made significant strides in reducing routine flaring and methane emissions, the global picture is still marked by slow progress and growing volumes
Some countries have made notable progress in cutting routine flaring and methane emissions from the oil and gas sectors in recent years, with those that joined the World Bank’s Zero Routine Flaring by 2030 (ZRF) initiative launched in 2015 performing markedly better than those that have not. Overall progress, however, remains poor. Global flare volumes climbed in 2024 to their highest level in 17 years, according to the bank, while flaring intensity—the amount of associated gas burned off per barrel of oil produced—has barely changed over the past decade-and-a-half. Zubin Bamji, manager of the World Bank’s Global Flaring & Methane Reduction Partnership (GFMR), cites two main reasons for
Also in this section
1 April 2026
Golden Pass’s startup offers QatarEnergy a timely boost but may also force a difficult choice between honouring disrupted contracts and capitalising on soaring spot LNG prices
1 April 2026
It is not a case of if or when, but the length and magnitude of economic damage from elevated oil prices
1 April 2026
The US-Iran conflict demonstrates the need for diversification in several senses of the word. It also exposes the limits of Washington applying pressure on major oil and gas producers it considers geopolitical adversaries
31 March 2026
Disappointing results in its bidding round are a reality check for Libya, and global exploration generally
