Why do oil rigs flare ? posted by Croft Productions 2016 FLARING CAN OCCUR FOR A COUPLE REASONS…
Where you will most commonly see flaring is on offshore rigs due to the rig being so remote. Most times when gas is being flared, it is because that gas is not able to be processed or sold. The reasoning is due to a lack of pipeline infrastructure to trasport the gas to a refinery or processing plant. So your next questions may be, “If there is no pipelines to transfer the gas then why would we drill for it?” Well you see, those companies are drilling for oil but associated gas is often accomanied with the oil. So where do you put the gas when there is no where to store it, trasport it, or use it? You burn it off as unusable gas. So for example, the Bakken is an area that is lacking pipeline infrastructure which it is known to flare a lot of natural gas. According to eia.gov, the North Dakota Pipeline Authority estimates that more than 1/3 of the flared gas is a result from the lack of pipeline infrastructure.
ECONOMICS
One reason that companies may flare natural gas is that it is simply worth less than oil. Oil has a higher market value than gas so companies in the Bakken are likely more interested in drilling for oil rather than gas.
PRESSURIZING
Another reason for flaring is simply for safety. It can be very dangerous if industrial plant equipment, vessels, or pipes over-pressurize. Flaring is a way that can help relieve over-pressuring.