Flare and off-gas recovery
Using gas that would otherwise be flared or vented.
Recovery and reuse · Pressure, motion and waste fuels · No. 133
- Recovery and reuse
- Waste energy: Fuel
The world burnt off 167 bcm of gas in flares in 2025, worth about USD 54 billion, for nothing.
Chart: Illustration: Flare and off-gas recovery
Where it comes from
Chart: Map of where it comes from
Flares burn gas that comes up with oil or leaks from refineries and coal mines. It is unburnt fuel, not waste heat, so it is the richest stream in the recovery family.
Three things to know
- Burning hydrogen-rich refinery purge gas as fuel costs 11 to 15 times as much as natural gas for the same heat.
- Each cubic metre flared emits about 2.6 kg CO2e, and about 50 Mt CO2e of 2025's total was unburnt methane.
- Countries that backed Zero Routine Flaring cut flaring per barrel by 12% since 2012, while others rose 25%.
The journey
- 1 Waste gasAssociated gas, refinery off-gas, mine methane
- 2 Separate, compressRemove liquids and sour hydrogen sulphide
- 3 RecoverCompressors, PSA or membranes capture value
- 4 UsePipeline sales, power, fuel gas, hydrogen
- 5 Flare keptStays only for emergency pressure relief