World Bank says global gas flaring hit highest in over a decade in 2019

Global gas flaring increased to 150 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 2019, the highest level in more than a decade, primarily due to increases in the United States, Venezuela and Russia, the World Bank said.

Gas flaring, the burning of natural gas associated with oil extraction, in fragile or conflict-affected countries climbed from 2018 to 2019, in Syria by 35% and in Venezuela by 16%, the World Bank report said.

Flaring was up 23% in the United Sates, and 9% in Russia.

The top four gas flaring countries - Russia, Iraq, the United States, and Iran - continue to account for 45% of all global gas flaring, for three years running (2017-2019), the World Bank said.

However, gas flaring fell by 10% in the first quarter of 2020, with declines across most of the top 30 gas flaring countries, it added.

“The current COVID-19 pandemic and crisis brings additional challenges, with sustainability and climate concerns potentially sidelined,” said Christopher Sheldon, practice manager in the Energy & Extractives Global Practice, World Bank.

(Reporting by Diptendu Lahiri and Swati Verma in Bengaluru; Editing by Bernadette Baum)

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