The World Bank, in a report published on Wednesday, July 18, states that the amount of gas flaring and waste in Iran's gas flares increased for the third consecutive year last year. Iran burns a portion of its produced gas, especially from oil fields, due to the lack of recovery technology. According to the report, Iran flared and wasted 17.7 billion cubic meters of gas last year, with a value of approximately 4 billion dollars based on regional prices. This volume was about 12.1 billion cubic meters in 2015 and 16.4 billion cubic meters the following year. Iran is the third-largest country after Russia and Iraq in terms of gas flaring, accounting for about 13 percent of total flaring worldwide. Iran emits over 600 million tons of carbon dioxide annually due to burning oil and gas products, contributing to air pollution. While Iran's GDP is about half a percent of global GDP, it ranks among the top 10 air polluters in the world. Last year, the Iranian Minister of Oil announced in a speech to Parliament that $5 billion in investment is needed to stop gas flaring. The continuous increase in gas flaring in Iran occurs while this amount decreased by one percent globally last year, reaching 140.6 billion cubic meters. Iran also loses over 11 billion cubic meters of gas annually in its national network. Last year, Iran produced 214 billion cubic meters of processed gas, of which 13 billion cubic meters were exported.
Iran's Gas Flaring Increases for the Third Consecutive Year
Iran's gas flaring has increased for the third consecutive year, burning 17.7 billion cubic meters of gas last year, valued at around $4 billion. This issue highlights Iran's struggles with technology and pollution, as it ranks among the top air polluters globally despite a small GDP share. The report underscores the urgent need for investment to address this environmental challenge.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Iran's gas flaring has increased for the third consecutive year, with 17.7 billion cubic meters of gas wasted last year, valued at approximately $4 billion. This highlights Iran's ongoing struggles with technology and pollution management.
- Iran is the third-largest country in gas flaring, accounting for about 13% of global flaring.
- Iran emits over 600 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, contributing significantly to air pollution.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Gas flaring is a common practice in oil production where excess gas is burned off due to lack of infrastructure for recovery. Iran's economic sanctions and technological limitations exacerbate this issue.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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