# Flare and off-gas recovery: What to track

Satellites now track flaring per barrel at every field

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_flare_recovery/tracking/

What this tab covers The attributes worth tracking regularly, with the latest value, the direction of travel and why each matters.

Track satellite-measured flare volumes and intensity per barrel at the host, and the gas offtake contract that keeps recovery running.

| Category | Attribute | Latest | Trend | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operational | **Capacity factor and operating hours** | Recovery sized for about 70% of flaring in one refinery case; global flaring 167 bcm (2025)^[4](https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/gasflaringreduction/publication/2026-global-gas-flaring-tracker-report)^[8](https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/11/7/1868) | ↘ worsening | Recovery units should take routine flow continuously; frequent bypass to flare means lost value. |
| Operational | **Recovery or combustion efficiency over time** | About 50 of 429 Mt CO2e from flaring came from unburnt methane (2025); PSA recovers 75-92% of hydrogen^[5](https://www.developmentaid.org/api/frontend/cms/file/2026/08/Global-Gas-FlaringTracker-June-23-2026.pdf)^[9](https://www.aiche.org/resources/publications/cep/2018/january/recovering-hydrogen-and-profits-hydrogen-rich-offgas) | → stable | Poor flare combustion and unrecovered gas both show up as methane; falling hydrogen recovery signals PSA or membrane wear. |
| Counterparty | **Host counterparty credit and utilisation rate** | Nine countries flare 83% of the total; Russia 18%^[5](https://www.developmentaid.org/api/frontend/cms/file/2026/08/Global-Gas-FlaringTracker-June-23-2026.pdf)^[6](https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2026/06/23/global-gas-flaring-rises-energy-security) | → stable | Sovereign, sanctions and national oil company risk dominate upstream projects. |
| Impact | **t CO2e avoided per dollar invested** | CMM: 54% abatable for about USD 14.25 billion/y; 9.5 Mt from USD 2.5 billion of VAM oxidation^[10](https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/global-coal-mine-methane-review-2026/cutting-cmm-this-decade-is-urgent-and-feasible) | ↕ volatile | Varies with gas prices; higher prices make more abatement self-financing. |
| Operational | **Compressor and separator fouling** | Liquid-ring compressors plus H2S treatment used to cope with dirty, sour gas^[7](https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/energy/v109y2016icp1-12.html) | → stable | Wet, sour gas fouls and corrodes recovery compressors. |
| Policy | **Local carbon pricing and penalties** | EU ETS allowance about EUR 88.3/t CO2 (12 October 2026, highest since late January), after a seven-week low of EUR 82.40 on 5 October; EU CBAM definitive phase since 1 January 2026, priced at ETS auction levels. India CCTS: final intensity targets for about 490 units in seven sectors (aluminium, cement, chlor-alkali, pulp and paper, refining, petrochemicals, textiles) for 2025-26 and 2026-27 against a 2023-24 base; iron and steel targets for 255 entities issued as a second draft in June 2026, with compliance from 2026-27; fertiliser still pending; first credits expected around October 2026, with trading from November 2026 to January 2027; targets designed around a cost of about USD 10/t CO2.^[15](https://gmk.center/en/news/european-carbon-prices-rose-to-e88-t-in-october/)^[12](https://www.spglobal.com/energy/en/news-research/latest-news/natural-gas/100526-european-carbon-prices-drop-to-7-week-low-as-market-eyes-upcoming-policy-agenda)^[11](https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/carbon-border-adjustment-mechanism/cbam-definitive-regime_en)^[13](https://icapcarbonaction.com/en/news/compliance-obligations-under-indias-carbon-credit-trading-scheme-enter-force-seven-sectors)^[14](https://www.business-standard.com/industry/news/india-kicks-off-carbon-trading-programme-but-key-polluters-left-out-126022401016_1.html)^[16](https://www.downtoearth.org.in/economy/indias-iron-and-steel-sector-moves-closer-to-ccts-compliance-will-larger-decarbonisation-follow) | ↕ volatile | Carbon prices set the extra value of each tonne avoided. Even at its 5 October low of EUR 82.40 (about USD 91.87), the EU price was roughly nine times India's design level (calculated). For this tile: petroleum refineries and petrochemicals are among the seven CCTS sectors with targets, so refinery flare and off-gas recovery now helps compliance. |
| Technology-specific | **Flaring intensity (gas flared per barrel of oil)** | Up about 2.7% in 2025, to 5.4 m3 per barrel^[5](https://www.developmentaid.org/api/frontend/cms/file/2026/08/Global-Gas-FlaringTracker-June-23-2026.pdf) | ↘ worsening | The best single indicator of upstream progress; satellite data make it auditable. |
| Technology-specific | **Coal mine methane utilisation** | Drainage-and-use potential about 7,460 kt; 62% at negative net cost (IEA via Ember)^[10](https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/global-coal-mine-methane-review-2026/cutting-cmm-this-decade-is-urgent-and-feasible) | → stable | Tracks progress at operating and abandoned mines. |

#### Sources

1. [2026 Global Gas Flaring Tracker report (publication page, covering 2025)](https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/gasflaringreduction/publication/2026-global-gas-flaring-tracker-report) World Bank, 2026
2. [Global Gas Flaring Tracker 2026 (full report, covering 2025; copy hosted by DevelopmentAid)](https://www.developmentaid.org/api/frontend/cms/file/2026/08/Global-Gas-FlaringTracker-June-23-2026.pdf) World Bank, Global Flaring and Methane Reduction Partnership, 2026
3. [Global gas flaring rises, undermining energy security (press release, 23 June 2026)](https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2026/06/23/global-gas-flaring-rises-energy-security) World Bank, 2026
4. [Energy efficiency improvement in oil refineries through flare gas recovery technique to meet the emission trading targets (Comodi, Renzi and Rossi), Energy 109](https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/energy/v109y2016icp1-12.html) Elsevier (abstract via RePEc/IDEAS), 2016
5. [Thermo-economical evaluation of producing liquefied natural gas and natural gas liquids from flare gases (Barekat-Rezaei et al.), Energies 11(7) 1868](https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/11/7/1868) MDPI (peer-reviewed), 2018
6. [Recovering hydrogen, and profits, from hydrogen-rich offgas (Chemical Engineering Progress)](https://www.aiche.org/resources/publications/cep/2018/january/recovering-hydrogen-and-profits-hydrogen-rich-offgas) AIChE, 2018
7. [Global Coal Mine Methane Review 2026: cutting CMM this decade is urgent and feasible (reporting IEA Global Methane Tracker 2025, UNEP and UNECE figures)](https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/global-coal-mine-methane-review-2026/cutting-cmm-this-decade-is-urgent-and-feasible) Ember, 2026
8. [CBAM definitive regime](https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/carbon-border-adjustment-mechanism/cbam-definitive-regime_en) European Commission, DG Taxation and Customs Union, 2026
9. [European carbon prices drop to 7-week low as market eyes upcoming policy agenda](https://www.spglobal.com/energy/en/news-research/latest-news/natural-gas/100526-european-carbon-prices-drop-to-7-week-low-as-market-eyes-upcoming-policy-agenda) S&P Global Commodity Insights, 2026
10. [Compliance obligations under India's Carbon Credit Trading Scheme enter into force for seven sectors](https://icapcarbonaction.com/en/news/compliance-obligations-under-indias-carbon-credit-trading-scheme-enter-force-seven-sectors) International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP), 2026
11. [India kicks off carbon trading programme, but key polluters left out](https://www.business-standard.com/industry/news/india-kicks-off-carbon-trading-programme-but-key-polluters-left-out-126022401016_1.html) Business Standard, 2026
12. [European carbon prices rose to EUR 88/t in October (citing ICE data)](https://gmk.center/en/news/european-carbon-prices-rose-to-e88-t-in-october/) GMK Center, 2026
13. [India's iron and steel sector moves closer to CCTS compliance: will larger decarbonisation follow?](https://www.downtoearth.org.in/economy/indias-iron-and-steel-sector-moves-closer-to-ccts-compliance-will-larger-decarbonisation-follow) Down To Earth, 2026

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_flare_recovery/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_flare_recovery/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_flare_recovery/correlation/index.md)
- [Science and thermodynamics](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_flare_recovery/rc-sci/index.md)
- [Engineering and integration](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_flare_recovery/rc-eng/index.md)
- [Economics and contracts](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_flare_recovery/rc-econ/index.md)
- [Impact and additionality](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_flare_recovery/rc-impact/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_flare_recovery/links/index.md)