Gas flaring status, trend and policy around the Persian Gulf

ABSTRACT

Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman are the world’s third, fourth, ninth, sixteenth, and nineteenth largest gas-flaring nations, and their emissions are significant. Gas flaring has a substantial harmful effect on environment, and economics of these countries. This paper attempts to cover the latest status, trends, and policy on gas flaring and current developments in these countries. Iran and Iraq contribute significantly to environmental pollution. The lack of rigorous national laws in these states to mitigate flaring, coupled with sanctions, war, and lack of the required infrastructure, has encouraged oil producers to neglect implementing policies to reduce carbon emissions. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman’s practices to reduce gas flaring are in line with Global Gads Flaring Reduction (GGFR) initiatives; however, the socioeconomic and sociopolitical situation in Iraq makes the implementation of gas-flaring reduction laws inaccessible in the near future. If sanctions on Iran were removed, Iran could quickly achieve the Kyoto Protocol goals.

KEYWORDS:

• Associated gas
• gas flaring
• Persian Gulf region
• pollution
• top gas-flaring states