New CATF report shows that flaring emissions are more than double for 10 of the largest oil companies when including emissions from their non-operated assets
A new report from Clean Air Task Force (CATF), determines, for the first time, the true impact of flaring from ten major international oil companies (IOCs) showing that emissions are more than double when accounting for the emissions of both their operated and non-operated assets. Thus, companies must expand their commitments to virtually eliminate all flaring—both routine and non-routine—at both their operated and non-operated assets.
“Flaring is a wasteful and polluting practice that’s driving up methane emissions around the world, and this report shows that IOCs are responsible for a large share of those emissions,” said Jonathan Banks, Global Director for Methane Pollution Prevention at CATF. “The oil and gas industry is still far from meeting targets to minimize flaring in line with global climate goals, and we need IOCs to step up and show leadership in putting an end to methane flaring.”
The report uses satellite observations combined with detailed asset and ownership data from Rystad Energy to attribute flare volumes to companies based on their percent ownership stake in the flaring asset, regardless of whether they operate the asset. The ten IOCs examined in the report are BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Eni, Equinor, ExxonMobil, Occidental Petroleum, Repsol, Shell, and TotalEnergies.
Key findings
- The ten IOCs are responsible for 7% of global flaring, based on their ownership percentages in flaring assets. In 2023, this amounted to approximately 10 bcm of gas, or enough gas to meet the demands of Norway and Austria combined.
- These IOCs could directly influence up to 15% of global flaring through their involvement in assets and up to 40% by leveraging their financial and operational relationships with National Oil Companies and other partners to improve flaring practices.
- Flaring volume for the 10 IOCs more than doubles when accounting for activity at their non-operated assets, and seven of the ten IOCs have higher flaring intensities at non-operated assets than at their operated ones.
- None of the IOCs analyzed have achieved flaring intensities below 0.6 cubic meters per barrel of oil/condensate produced (m³/bbl) across their operated and non-operated assets, despite the International Energy Agency’s Net Zero Emissions Scenario target of 0.3 m³/bbl by 2030.
- Eni, a signatory to the World Bank’s Zero Routine Flaring Initiative (ZRF) since 2015, has the highest flaring intensity at 8.2 m³/bbl, well above the global industry average
Flaring is a common practice used by the oil and gas industry to burn associated and excess gases during the exploration, production, processing, and transportation of oil and gas. The environmental, climate, and health impacts of gas flaring are significant.
- The combustion process emits carbon dioxide, a primary greenhouse gas, along with other hazardous air pollutants that pose detrimental effects to human health and the environment.
- Moreover, methane—a potent greenhouse gas—is also released due to incomplete combustion at the flare; the less efficient the flare, the more methane is emitted.
The ten IOCs have committed to ending routine flaring—flaring during normal oil production without the means to re-inject, use, or market the gas—by 2030 under the ZRF Initiative. However, in 2022, only 30% of their total flaring was classified as “routine.” This means that even if they meet this target, 70% of “non-routine” flaring could remain unaddressed, jeopardizing the IEA’s goal of a 95% global reduction by 2030.
“Focusing solely on ‘Zero Routine Flaring’ is no longer enough,” said Jonathan Banks. “We must raise the level of ambition to eliminate nearly all flaring—both routine and non-routine—at oil and gas assets worldwide. Turning that ambition into real, measurable flaring reductions requires a combination of regulatory, financial, and economic measures, alongside technical solutions and strong company leadership.”
The full report also provides detailed datasets on flaring by country and company for each of the ten IOCs to advance the discussion on how IOCs can reduce flaring at both operated and non-operated ventures globally. It also features an overview of operational and technical solutions for eliminating flaring and key regulatory and financial levers that can be used to implement them.
Contact presse
Troy Shaheen, Communications Director, Clean Air Task Force, [email protected], +1 845-750-1189
À propos de Clean Air Task Force
Clean Air Task Force (CATF) is a global nonprofit organization working to safeguard against the worst impacts of climate change by catalyzing the rapid development and deployment of low-carbon energy and other climate-protecting technologies. With more than 25 years of internationally recognized expertise on climate policy and a fierce commitment to exploring all potential solutions, CATF is a pragmatic, non-ideological advocacy group with the bold ideas needed to address climate change. CATF has offices in Boston, Washington D.C., and Brussels, with staff working virtually around the world. Visit catf.us and follow @cleanaircatf.
