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WHAT IS FLARING?

'Flaring' means the controlled and deliberate destruction of gas by burning.

Russia burns the most amount of natural gas in the world, flaring off 24.88 billion cubic metres per year as of 2020 according to World Bank data.

Flaring burns off natural gas when it can't be immediately transported and no storage facilities exist.

If the gas can't be stored, like in oil facilities across the region, the gas must be flared in order to maintain production levels.

Gas plants can be expensive to restart if deactivated for long periods, so operators often find it cheaper to burn existing gas rather than stop production.

Without the right equipment to liquefy natural gas and convert it into a liquid, plant organisers sometimes also opt to flare off the fuel.

Several chemicals released through flaring, such as benzene, are named by the American Cancer Society as known carcinogens.

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