Improving utilization of associated gas in US tight oil fields

The report identifies and assesses nine technologies to reduce the flaring of associated gas in US tight oil fields, concluding that Natural Gas Liquid (NGL) recovery, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucking, and Gas-to-Power (for local loads) are the most mature and scalable options. It highlights that flaring in the Bakken and Eagle Ford basins reached approximately 125 billion cubic feet per year by 2013. The analysis emphasizes that while technical solutions exist, robust regulations are necessary to eliminate routine flaring. A case study on Alaska's Shublik formation suggests that while the region has high potential, its remoteness and harsh climate necessitate early infrastructure planning to avoid future flaring.

• Flaring of associated gas in the Bakken and Eagle Ford basins reached approximately 125 billion cubic feet per year by 2013, a volume sufficient to provide heat for about 1.87 million US homes.
• Four technologies were identified as suitable for large-scale use to reduce flaring based on maturity, scalability, and portability: CNG trucking, NGL recovery, Gas-to-power for local loads, and Gas-to-power for grid connection.
• CNG trucking is highly effective for flare reduction, capable of reducing total flaring by over 90% for both single and multi-well pads, with particularly high profitability for rich gas streams.

APA

Pederstad, A., Gallardo, M., & Saunier, S. (2015). Improving utilization of associated gas in US tight oil fields. Clean Air Task Force. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/21094438/CATF_Pub_PuttingOuttheFire.pdf

Chicago

Pederstad, Anders, Martin Gallardo, and Stephanie Saunier. Improving utilization of associated gas in US tight oil fields. Clean Air Task Force, 2015. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/21094438/CATF_Pub_PuttingOuttheFire.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Pederstad |first1=Anders |last2=Gallardo |first2=Martin |last3=Saunier |first3=Stephanie |title=Improving utilization of associated gas in US tight oil fields |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=October 2015 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/21094438/CATF_Pub_PuttingOuttheFire.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{pederstad2015improving, author = {Pederstad, Anders and Gallardo, Martin and Saunier, Stephanie}, title = {{Improving utilization of associated gas in US tight oil fields}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2015}, month = oct, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/21094438/CATF_Pub_PuttingOuttheFire.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }