Flaring of natural gas is one of the main sources of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions worldwide. Although it is sometimes necessary for safety reasons or due to the lack of infrastructure to capture and process gas, its excessive use represents a serious environmental threat, a waste of energy and industrial resources, and a risk to public health.
According to the most recent World Bank report (Global Gas Flaring Tracker 2024) and the BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2024, 4.059 trillion cubic meters (Nm3) of natural gas were produced globally in 2023, of which 4.010 trillion Nm3 were consumed and approximately 192,989 million Nm3 were flared, releasing about 192,716 million Nm3 of equivalent CO₂.
The 10 countries that contributed the most CO2 emissions from natural gas flaring that year are:
| Position | Country | Natural Gas Flaring (million Nm3) | CO2 Emissions (million Nm3) | CO2 Emissions (%) |
| 1 | Russia | 30.126 | 30.046 | 18.7 |
| 2 | Iran | 21.897 | 21.801 | 13.6 |
| 3 | Iraq | 17.992 | 18.007 | 11.2 |
| 4 | United States | 10.600 | 10.622 | 6.6 |
| 5 | Venezuela | 9.763 | 9.661 | 6.0 |
| 6 | Argelia | 8.368 | 8.447 | 5.3 |
| 7 | Mexico | 7.252 | 7.284 | 4.6 |
| 8 | Libya | 6.834 | 6.879 | 4.3 |
| 9 | Nigeria | 5.858 | 5.817 | 3.6 |
| 10 | Saudi Arabia | 3.487 | 3.440 | 2.1 |
| Total | 122.176 | 122.003 | 63.3 |
These countries accounted for approximately 63.3% of all global natural gas flaring in 2023.
The case of Venezuela: an environmental, economic, productive and social crisis
Venezuela is among the five countries that emit the most CO₂ from the flaring of natural gas. In 2023, the country produced 29700 million Nm3 of natural gas, of which approximately 9763 million Nm3 (32.9%) were flared, generating a total of 9661 million Nm3 of CO₂ emissions. This level of emissions has remained practically constant since 2013. Another important fact is that, in Venezuela, CO₂ emissions from energy consumption, industrial processes, methane and natural gas flaring reached a level of 113809 million Nm3, with natural gas flaring representing 8.5% of total CO₂ emissions.
The current average price of natural gas in the regional market is $4.20 per million British thermal units (MMBtu), which is equivalent to $214.45 per metric ton or $0.154 per Nm3 of gas. Considering that 26.75 million Nm3 of natural gas are burned daily in Venezuela, this represents economic losses estimated at $4.12 million per day or $1.5 billion per year.
Taking advantage of the natural gas that is currently being wasted through flaring would not only significantly reduce CO₂ emissions, but also guarantee the supply of a key input that the Venezuelan energy and petrochemical industry needs to recover its productive capacity, boost the generation of added value and ensure its sustainability. The indiscriminate burning of natural gas represents not only an energy loss, but also a wasted opportunity to feed our refineries and petrochemical complexes, which today more than ever need this strategic resource to maintain their operations, replace imports and reduce their carbon footprint.
In addition to the economic impact, the indiscriminate flaring of natural gas in Venezuela has severe environmental consequences, by massively releasing CO₂, methane and other pollutants that contribute to climate change and degrade air quality. It also generates social consequences, as communities near oil and gas fields – especially in the states of Zulia, Anzoátegui and Monagas – report significant increases in respiratory diseases, cancers and other serious conditions associated with continuous exposure to toxic pollutants. Added to this are industrial risks, as lack of maintenance and deterioration of infrastructure have caused fires and explosions in natural gas operations, increasing the dangers for workers and nearby populations.
Possible solutions and courses of action
Reducing natural gas flaring in Venezuela is not only an environmental and economic necessity, but also a strategic opportunity to reactivate the energy and petrochemical sector. There are several solutions that, with political will, investment and technical cooperation, could be implemented:
- Gas capture and reinjection, through the installation and modernization of compression and reinjection systems, would allow the use of excess gas to maintain reservoir pressure, improve oil recovery and reduce emissions.
- The construction and repair of processing infrastructure, through capital investment in gas separation, fractionation and processing plants, would enable the conversion of gas into higher value-added products, such as dry gas, natural gas liquids (NGL) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
- Electricity generation from associated gas. The gas that is currently flared could be used to feed local thermoelectric plants, helping to mitigate the national electricity crisis and diversify the energy matrix.
- Implementation of small-scale micro- and mini-liquefaction systems. These systems would make it possible to liquefy gas in remote sites and transport it to consumption centers, avoiding waste.
- Establishment of regional monetization projects through public-private partnerships and international financing schemes. Captured gas could be used to supply electricity generation industries, petrochemical plants, refineries and regional exports, integrating the value chain.
- Regulation and independent oversight. Establishing clear and enforceable targets for flaring reduction, accompanied by independent audits, is key to ensure sustainable progress in line with international emission reduction commitments.
Adopting these solutions would not only reduce economic and environmental losses, but also revitalize the Venezuelan petrochemical industry, improve energy security and strengthen Venezuela’s position in regional and international markets.
The position of the Maduro regime in the face of this environmental, economic and social crisis
The regime of Nicolás Maduro has shown systematic negligence by ignoring the magnitude of this problem, attributing the difficulties to the sanctions imposed by the U.S. government and to alleged acts of sabotage by the opposition. Although some official spokesmen of the regime have announced several projects to allegedly take advantage of natural gas, in practice the investments in capture, processing and distribution have been insufficient, and the results have been scarce. The flaring of natural gas in Venezuela continues in an indiscriminate manner without a clear national strategy for its reduction and control, while PDVSA’s mismanagement aggravates the inability to reverse this situation.
