A controlled burning process that is used to dispose of unwanted, excess, or natural gas that is uneconomical to transport or monetize. This is often the case for associated gas in the Permian and Eagle Ford basins in Texas and the Bakken basin in North Dakota where the focus is on crude oil production and there is limited infrastructure to capture, process, and transport natural gas. During flaring, natural gas is piped to a remote and elevated location and burned in the open air.

Flaring produces several gases, including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. However, it is more environmentally friendly than venting, which produces methane, a greenhouse gas.

An even more environmentally friendly method of disposing unwanted gas is re-injection of the gas into the well.

Flaring is subject to federal and state regulations (for example, 16 Tex. Admin. Code § 3.32). 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.