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Global Gas Flaring Hits Highest Level Since 2007, OIES Says

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Global gas flaring rose in 2024 to its highest level since 2007, with volumes of associated gas burned during oil production continuing to underscore a decade-long failure to materially curb waste and emissions, the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies strategists said in a note on Wednesday.

OIES analysts said that despite repeated international commitments to reduce routine flaring, the amount of gas flared per barrel of oil produced has remained broadly unchanged for about 15 years, highlighting a persistent structural challenge in upstream oil and gas operations.

The increase in 2024 volumes was driven primarily by a small group of major producers, the energy institute said.

The top nine flaring countries, the same core group identified in 2012, albeit in slightly different order, increased their combined flaring by about 30% over the period, lifting their share of global totals to 83% in 2024.

Though most other countries showed improvement, the broader global picture was less encouraging.

OIES said that about three-quarters of more than 60 countries that flare above 0.01 bcm per year reduced their volumes over the same timeframe, indicating that mitigation efforts have been successful outside the largest emitters.

However, the energy institute said the improvement has been insufficient to offset increases elsewhere.

Structural constraints continue to limit progress, including persistently low domestic gas prices in some producing regions, as well as sanctions and geopolitical instability that restrict investment in gas capture and utilization infrastructure.

OIES said that ongoing geopolitical tensions, including the war between Russia and Ukraine and the Middle East conflict, are further headwinds. Energy infrastructure has increasingly become a target in conflict zones, with damage to upstream processing and gathering systems exacerbating flaring levels.

Going forward, the OIES said global flaring in 2025 is unlikely to show meaningful improvement, with Russia in particular expected to remain a major contributor amid continuing conflict-related disruptions.

The institute said that 2026 could see further increases if damage to oil and gas infrastructure in the Gulf region persists.

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