GGFR June 29, 2016


                    Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership
                             Gas Flaring Definitions
The objective of this document is to group the various types of gas flaring at oil production facilities in
three defined categories: routine flaring, safety flaring, and non-routine flaring. Categorizing each type
of gas flaring in this way allows identification of potential actions for its mitigation in new or existing
facilities. This mitigation may be through:
   Commercial solutions, on-site utilization, or re-injection for routine flaring; or
   Improved facility design and/or operational procedures for routine, non-routine, and safety flaring.
The below examples of routine, safety, and non-routine flaring are illustrative and therefore not an
exhaustive list.

Routine flaring
 Definition                             Examples of Routine Flaring
 Routine flaring of gas at oil            Includes:
 production facilities is flaring
                                           Flaring from oil/gas separators;
 during normal oil production
 operations in the absence of              Flaring of gas production that exceeds existing gas
 sufficient facilities or amenable          infrastructure capacity;
 geology to re-inject the produced
                                           Flaring from process units such as oil storage tanks, tail gas
 gas, utilize it on-site, or dispatch
                                            treatment units, glycol dehydration facilities, produced water
 it to a market.
                                            treatment facilities, except where required for safety
 Routine flaring does not include           reasons.
 safety flaring, even when
 continuous.


Safety flaring
 Definition                             Examples of Safety Flaring
 Safety flaring of gas is flaring to      Includes flaring of:
 ensure safe operation of the
                                           Gas stemming from an accident or incident that jeopardizes
 facility.
                                            the safe operation of the facility;
                                           Blow-down gas following emergency shutdown to prevent
                                            over-pressurization of all or part of the process system;
                                           Gas required to maintain the flare system in a safe and ready
                                            condition (purge gas/make-up gas/fuel gas);
                                           Gas required for a flare’s pilot flame;




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Definition                          Examples of Safety Flaring
                                       Gas produced as a result of specific safety-related operations,
                                        such as safety testing, leak testing, or emergency shutdown
                                        testing;
                                       Gas containing H2S, including the volume of gas added to
                                        ensure good dispersion and combustion;
                                       Gas containing high levels of volatile organic compounds
                                        other than methane.




Non-routine flaring
Definition                          Examples of Non-Routine Flaring
Non-routine flaring of gas is all     Non-routine flaring is typically intermittent and of short
flaring other than routine and        duration. It is either planned or unplanned.
safety flaring.
                                     Includes flaring during:
                                       Temporary (partial) failure of equipment that handles the gas
                                        during normal operations, until their repair or replacement,
                                        e.g. failure of compressors, pipeline, instrumentation,
                                        controls;
                                       Temporary failure of a customer’s facilities that prevents
                                        receipt of the gas;
                                       Initial plant/field startup before the process reaches steady
                                        operating conditions and/or before gas compressors are
                                        commissioned;
                                       Startup following facility shutdowns;
                                       Scheduled preventive maintenance and inspections;
                                       Construction activities, such as tie-ins, change of operating
                                        conditions, plant design modifications;
                                       Process upsets when process parameters fall outside the
                                        allowable operating or design limits and flaring is required to
                                        stabilize the process again;
                                       Reservoir or well maintenance activities such as acidification,
                                        wire line interventions;
                                       Exploration-, appraisal-, or production-well testing or clean-
                                        up following drilling or well work-over.



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