Working to eliminate routine flaring

Examples of member action

• Baker Hughes, bp
• Tullow Oil
• PETRONAS
• Trident Energy
• Baker Hughes

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  Baker Hughes emissions abatement technology enables bp to achieve flare emissions monitoring breakthrough

  Baker Hughes has achieved a breakthrough in flare emissions monitoring through its collaboration with bp. Using Baker Hughes' flare.IQ technology, bp is now able to quantify methane emissions from its flaring operations.

  bp and Baker Hughes conducted one of the largest ever full-scale studies of flare combustion, including testing a range of flares under challenging conditions and verifying the accuracy of flare.IQ technology. This technology has been implemented at 65 flares across seven regions, allowing bp to carry out early interventions and reduce emissions.

  This collaboration is part of bp's efforts to achieve its emissions reduction targets and demonstrates the importance of technology in addressing environmental challenges.

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  Eliminating routine flaring in Ghana

  Ghana

  Routine flaring is a longstanding method of disposing of excess gas generated during oil production when processing capacity is insufficient for sale or use as an energy source. Tullow Oil’s strategy to eliminate routine flaring in Ghana is centred on increasing gas processing capacity at the Jubilee and TEN fields. Implementing the necessary modifications requires temporary operational stoppages at each site to allow for equipment upgrades.

  In 2023, Tullow Oil completed the required modifications at the TEN field, enabling the elimination of routine flaring by 2025. Most of the necessary upgrades at the Jubilee field have been completed, with the remaining enhancements scheduled for early 2025.

  On the Jubilee floating production offtake vessel (FPSO), six gas compressor motors were replaced with larger electric motor drivers, and a high-capacity compression wheel was installed on different units, increasing gas processing capacity by approximately 35%. These enhancements ensure the upgraded compressors can process the anticipated higher gas flow from current and new production wells. Additionally, gas dehydration capacity was expanded by repurposing an unused process vessel. A final expansion of the intermediate gas cooling system is planned for early 2025.

  At the TEN FPSO, modifications were made to allow the routing of low-pressure separated gas into the gas compression system. Previously, excess low-pressure gas had to be flared, but with these upgrades, both high- and low-pressure gases can be processed, eliminating the need for flaring.

  These improvements position Tullow Oil to eliminate routine flaring by 2025, with final capacity modifications expected during the next planned Jubilee FPSO shutdown in early 2025.

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  Achieving zero routine hydrocarbon venting in Malaysia

  Malaysia

  Since 2013, PETRONAS’ upstream operations in Malaysia have been collectively working towards achieving zero routine hydrocarbon venting in all its 22 operated oil facilities (based on a 2017 baseline) by 2024.

  As of 2023, this significant achievement towards PETRONAS’ Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050 Pathway has cumulatively resulted in the reduction of over 9 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per year (mil tCO2e), contributing to a methane emissions reduction of more than 80%, from 2013 levels.

  Close collaboration between PETRONAS’ Malaysia Assets and its Carbon Management Division and Enterprise Decarbonisation team enabled the accomplishment through a combination of gas to recovery sales projects (86% = 7.84 mil tCO₂e) and vent to flare projects (14% = 1.29 mil tCO₂e).

  PETRONAS’ zero routine hydrocarbon venting efforts in Malaysia reflect the company’s support for the World Bank’s Zero Routine Flaring by 2030 initiative.

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  Gas flaring reduction

  Brazil, Equatorial Guinea

  Trident Energy focuses on reducing gas flaring as part of its commitment to responsible resource usage and minimising greenhouse gas emissions. In Brazil, they achieved a significant 48% reduction in flaring-related emissions through various improvements, such as enhancing compression redundancy, repairing gas lift networks, and implementing vapor recovery units. These efforts demonstrate their ability to manage mature assets effectively and improve environmental performance through targeted investments.

  In Equatorial Guinea, where infrastructure limitations pose challenges, Trident Energy is progressing with an investment programme aimed at reducing gas flaring, with the first phase of the FEED process completed. This programme aligns with their strategic objective of reducing carbon intensity by 50%. Trident Energy's approach to flaring is guided by its HSE Management System framework, ensuring the identification, assessment, and mitigation of environmental impacts. They prioritise gas utilisation, emissions reduction, and effective incident response while investing in asset productivity and reliability to further improve emissions performance.

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  Baker Hughes supports the State Oil Company of Republic of Azerbaijan to eliminate routine flaring by 2030

  Azerbaijan

  Baker Hughes and SOCAR are collaborating on an integrated gas recovery and hydrogen sulphide removal system that will significantly reduce downstream flaring at SOCAR’s Heydar Aliyev Oil Refinery in Baku, Azerbaijan.

  Building on the pledges formalised by Azerbaijan’s entry into the Global Methane Pledge and the COP28 presidency’s Oil & Gas Decarbonization Charter (OGDC), the project is a tangible step toward ending routine flaring by 2030 at SOCAR’s site. The project is expected to recover flare gas equivalent up to 7 million Nm³ of methane per year and further reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 11,000 tonnes per year.

  Baker Hughes will integrate its innovative gas recovery and hydrogen sulphide removal system into the refinery’s existing infrastructure to help abate methane and sulphur – two of the most potent greenhouse gas emissions – and remove hazardous hydrogen sulphide from the site. The system will also enable SOCAR to use the recovered gas, which would have previously been flared, as fuel for the refinery. This will reduce overall fuel gas consumption and operating costs at the refinery, creating new opportunities for value enhancement and efficiency gains.

  The project's rapid progression from concept to contract in only nine months demonstrates the two companies’ commitment to driving action and highlights the value achieved through close collaboration and early engagement.

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