The Economics of Flaring in U.S. Shale by USAEE

Flaring of natural gas is one of the most visible signs of pollution in the oil and gas industry and, perhaps paradoxically, one of the least understood. This podcast looks at flaring in the Permian Basin and the Bakken shale---the two biggest sources of U.S. flaring. I look at who's flaring and why. I talk about whether markets will be effective at reducing flaring. I look at what we do and don't know about the climate damages and local air pollution caused by flaring. Finally, I talk about what states are currently doing to limit flaring, and I outline some of the additional options policy-makers have. Some of the most exciting options involve satellite-based remote sensing.