The volume of gas flaring in Iran is projected to reach 1.4 billion cubic meters by 2025, indicating a 5 percent increase. This increase occurs at a time when the country faces gas supply constraints, highlighting the urgent need to improve the infrastructure for collecting and processing associated gases.
Global Flaring Status
According to the World Bank report, the global volume of flared gas is expected to reach 167 billion cubic meters by 2025, the highest level since 2019. The value of this volume of gas, based on regional pricing criteria, is estimated at around 54 billion dollars. Given that Iran is one of the countries contributing to the increase in global gas flaring, this situation adds to environmental and economic challenges.
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Discrepancy in Gas Collection Statistics
Alongside the increase in gas flaring, statements from oil industry officials regarding the increase in the collection of associated gases have also emerged. Reza Khalaei, the director of oil and gas production supervision at the National Iranian Oil Company, announced that the amount of collected associated gases has increased from about 5 million cubic meters per day at the beginning of the fourteenth government to over 9 million cubic meters per day. However, discrepancies among various statistics regarding the amount of gas collected highlight the need for clarification and the provision of unified statistics.
Analyses indicate that in 2024, Iran burned approximately 22.8 billion cubic meters of associated gas during oil production. This figure does not represent a definitive lost income but rather indicates the theoretical value of the burned gas based on a pricing criterion. Environmental estimates also suggest that global flaring in 2025 will produce about 429 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
Future Challenges and Investment Needs
The World Bank identifies insufficient investment in recovering associated gases and delays in implementing certain programs as factors contributing to the continuation of flaring trends. Thus, the targets for collecting associated gases to 35 million cubic meters per day by the end of the fourteenth government, if achieved, could cover part of the current flaring. However, this goal depends on the completion of projects and sustainable operation of the infrastructure.
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