Natural gas in Guyana - flaring and venting

As Exxon continues oil production, natural gas is also being produced. There seems to be a lack of clarity about this process so, while I am no expert, I will try to explain what I have learned.

As the oil is extracted natural gas will also come with it. The amount and composition of the gas varies from well to well and time to time. However the gas is largely methane. It is not the same as 'cooking gas' which is propane or butane. Natural gas can be processed to produce 'cooking gas' and other products.

Large amounts of natural gas can be a real problem for the oil company. There seem to be four options for handling it. It is often reinjected back into the well which can increase the amount of oil available for extraction. This requires compressing the gas to force it back down into the well especially if the well is deep as it is for Guyana.

Secondly, to transport the gas to the shore which requires a pipeline on the sea bed which is a big project requiring time and resources to put in place. This may be the best option in the medium term. As I understand it transporting the gas by ship is not an option as this would require liquefying it first - a difficult and energy intensive operation.

Then there is venting which simply invisibly releases the gas into the atmosphere. This is sounds simple but is a very bad idea since methane is a powerful, potent greenhouse gas and will contribute to global warming. There would seem to be other potential hazards too as methane is invisible, inflammable and can be harmful.

And finally there is flaring which means burning the gas in a spectacular plume of flame. If this done properly the gas will be fully converted to carbon dioxide which is also contributes to global warming. However it is much less potent than methane and thus it a much more responsible way than venting to dispose of unusable natural gas.

I am unsure what the current status is here in Guyana regarding natural gas but hope this outline may help understanding. There is clearly no existing pipeline for gas. Reinjection and some flaring does take place.

An issue not mentioned above is leakage of methane. No matter how the gas is handled there will be some amount of leakage. It is the job of the oil company to minimise this as far as possible. Such is the concern about methane that satellites are being used to track sources of methane leaks.

Sources:

Natural gas for domestic demand by 2023

https://guyanachronicle.com/2019/11/07/natural-gas-for-domestic-demand-by-2023/

Natural gas

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_gas

Environmental Implications of Flaring and Venting in Crude Oil and Natural Gas Production

http://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/html/10.11648.j.ijema.20160406.13.html

Despite Their Promises, Giant Energy Companies Burn Away Vast Amounts of Natural Gas

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/16/climate/natural-gas-flaring-exxon-bp.html