Recently visited Lavaca County, Moulton/Shiner and noticed multiple gas flares burning. For those in the know, Do RRC rules limit time completed wells are permitted to flare gas? Assuming with on-site laying of pipelines for transporting of gas being produced, and therefore “flaring” becomes no longer necessary? Are additional unknown variables in play? Would appreciate clarification related to long-term flaring of gas?
Miles
Miles, it's my understanding that almost all of the wells in that area (at least PVA's) are hooked up to Natural Gas pipelines almost immediately post completion. The flaring you're seeing is just the gases off the top of the oil tanks. If you look closer, those flares come directly off of small pipes from the top of the oil tanks. Those flares will persist as long as there is oil in the tanks...hopefully forever ;-)
Thanks Chad for your reply. Some have personally offered this continuing flaring as indicator of gas being produced rather than residual of oil holding. In this case does size of flare increase when tanks are emptied of oil?
Chad Leonard said:
Miles, it’s my understanding that almost all of the wells in that area (at least PVA’s) are hooked up to Natural Gas pipelines almost immediately post completion. The flaring you’re seeing is just the gases off the top of the oil tanks. If you look closer, those flares come directly off of small pipes from the top of the oil tanks. Those flares will persist as long as there is oil in the tanks…hopefully forever
All of the wells in this area also produce gas, more as you go further east. The flare you're seeing, unless just after a frac job and coming off the wellhead, is just residual vapor gas coming off the light oil in the holding tanks. Most of the produced gas should be going into pipelines for sales from what I understand. As for the size of the flare, I would guess that the size of the flare would be smaller as the tanks are emptied given there's less oil and gas vapor to be burned at that point....just a guess though.
Thanks again Chad and to clarify, you are suggesting as tank is emptied the flare would be reduced in size? The larger flare was noticed at well site that was completed early July and as you stated was known to have been “connected” to gas transport line previously installed prior to completion. Therefore the question of large sized flare being viewed as multiple tanker trucks visiting the pad site three or more times per day? No known production numbers have been released to date? Thanks again
You can flare for 60 days on a new well without getting an extension.
