Russia

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Russia Moves To Rein In Gas Flaring, Mandating 95% Gas Capture by 2012; Signals About-Face On Climate Change

November 19, 2009

by Jack Rosebro

A view of Russian gas flaring based on satellite observations. Source: US NOAA and the World Bank-led Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership. (Video) Click to enlarge.

The Russian government has ordered oil companies to take steps to capture up to 95% of the natural gases associated with petroleum extraction, in a bid to recover the “billions of rubles” worth of natural gas that is emitted into the atmosphere every year via gas flaring, according to the Kremlin.

During his 12 November address to the Russian parliament, President Dmitry Medvedev presented gas flaring as one of the country’s more egregious examples of wasted energy resources. “The government has discussed the issue on many occasions, and has promised to put an end to this disgrace. We really do need to take quick and decisive action, and no objections from the [oil] production companies should be accepted”, Medvedev stated.

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