Venting is the direct discharge of unburned methane, carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, sulfur compounds, and gas impurities into the atmosphere. An alternative to venting is flaring because methane is a more potent greenhouse gas (GHG) than carbon dioxide, the main product of flaring.

Venting occurs at several points in the oil and gas development process, including well completion, well maintenance, and pipeline maintenance. Natural gas may be flared or vented to manage the volume of associated gas that is produced during crude oil production and that cannot be monetized or transported because of inadequate infrastructure (lack of pipeline access or gas processing facilities) or insufficient demand.

Venting is subject to state and federal regulations that seek to limit GHG emissions from oil and gas activities. For more information on these regulations, see Article, State of Play of US Methane Regulations and Country Q&A, Oil and Gas Regulation in the United States: Overview: Question 22.