Publication: Gas Flaring and Venting : A Regulatory Framework and Incentives for Gas Utilization
Loading...
Published
2004-10
ISSN
Date
2012-08-13
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
Every year oil producers flare and vent gas equivalent to the combined gas consumption of Central and South America. Africa flares and vents gas equivalent to half its power consumption. To reduce this practice, governments need to develop and enforce an appropriate legal and regulatory framework. They need to reform the gas market, getting rid of subsidies for competing fuels and making room for private operators to develop gas infrastructure. And they need to avoid tax and royalty systems that discourage operators from using the gas associated with oil production.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“Gerner, Franz; Svensson, Bent; Djumena, Sascha. 2004. Gas Flaring and Venting : A Regulatory Framework and Incentives for Gas Utilization. Viewpoint. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/11253 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
Digital Object Identifier
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Publication Small Business Tax Regimes(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2016-02)Simplified tax regimes for micro and small enterprises in developing countries are intended to facilitate voluntary tax compliance. However, survey evidence suggests that small business taxation based on simplified bookkeeping or turnover is sometimes perceived as too complex for microenterprises in countries with high illiteracy levels. Very simple fixed tax regimes not requiring any books or records tend to be overly popular but prone to abuse. System reforms will require more precise tailoring of the simplified regimes to their target beneficiaries, coupled with strong compliance management to detect and deter abuse. The overall objective of simplified taxation for micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in developing countries is generally to facilitate voluntary tax compliance and remove obstacles in moving toward business formalization and growth.Publication Investment Climate in Africa(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2015-07-01)The World Bank Group has been working on investment climate reform in Sub-Saharan Africa for nearly a decade, a period characterized by dramatic economic growth on the continent. Establishing links between such reform interventions and economic growth, however, is a complex problem. Although this note finds some connection between investment climate reform and economic growth, establishing more concrete evidence of causation will require greater focus at the country level, as well as on small and medium enterprises. This is where investment climate interventions generate change.Publication Export Competitiveness(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2015-06)This review of the empirical literature shows that industries with more intense domestic competition will export more. Competition law enforcement can be traced to export performance and is complementary to trade reforms. Pro-competition market regulation that reduces restrictions and promotes competition, where it is viable, is an important determinant for trade. The elimination of barriers to entry and rivalry, and a level playing field in upstream sectors contributes to export competitiveness in downstream manufacturing sectors. In some sectors, effective competition policy can directly lower trade costs.Publication Competition and Poverty(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2016-04)A literature review shows competition policy reforms can deliver benefits for the poorest households and improve income distribution. A lack of competition in food markets hurts the poorest households the most. Competition in input markets and between buyers helps farmers and small businesses. And more competitive markets bolster job growth over the longer term. More research is needed, however, to better understand the impact of competition reforms and antitrust enforcement on poverty and shared prosperity.Publication Contract Farming(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2014-10)Contract farming involves production by farmers under agreement with buyers for their outputs. This arrangement can help integrate small-scale farmers into modern agricultural value chains, providing them with inputs, technical assistance, and assured markets. Critics contend that contract partners may subject farmers to abuses. The literature shows that in fact contract farming can raise farm income, but mainly for high-value crops. It also indicates that in many cases firms are willing to work with small farms. This note confirms that conflicts are common between buyers and farmers, and that alternative dispute resolution methods may help resolve them.
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Yemen : A Natural Gas Incentive Framework(Washington, DC, 2007)Yemen is planning to export gas through Yemen Liquefied Natural Gas (YLNG) starting from 2009. Yemen is also aiming to develop the domestic gas market, in particular gas-to-power. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) export revenue and domestic gas sales are expected to partially offset the decline in crude oil revenue from currently producing fields. The development of a gas sector has the potential to substantially contribute to Yemen's economic growth and fiscal revenue generation. Because of the high risk and considerable investment involved in developing a gas sector, attracting foreign capital and expertise will be essential. To this end, in addressing the public interest and developing the preferred policies, Yemen should ensure that decisions on project development and technologies will be based on their economic merits, and gas will be allowed to find its highest value market.Publication Associated Gas Utilization via miniGTL(Washington, DC, 2012-02)The flaring of natural gas produced as part of crude oil production operations is a well-known practice which increasingly becomes a non-acceptable option around the globe. In 2010, the Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership (GGFR) at the World Bank reported that nearly 5TCF (trillion standard cubic feet or 135 billion cubic meters) of associated gas (AG) was flared worldwide, equal to 20 percent of US consumption emitting 320MM tons of unnecessary CO2 into the atmosphere. This paper provides a high-level overview of the status of gas conversion technologies that are developed for, or are applicable to, the monetization of associated gas. Gas conversion technology is but one out of about half a dozen options to manage or utilize AG such as gas re-injection, power production, compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG) and pipelines. More than 15 technologies were evaluated analyzing the overall technology approach, the strengths and weaknesses of the technology, commercial readiness and technical risk along with product acceptance issues and high level economic attractiveness. The gas volume application range was from sub 1 MMscfd (million standard cubic feet per day) to a maximum of 25MMscfd with the sweet spot at 15MMscfd. The in depth evaluation was based on both publicly available information from websites, papers and patents and on private files by the reviewer. Personal phone calls with all companies answered any open questions. A standard survey was sent to all companies with questions relating to the building of a plant with a capacity of 15MMscfd. The responses are compared and discussed in detail.Publication Africa Gas Initiative : Volume 2. Angola(Washington, DC, 2001-02)The Africa Gas Initiative (AGI) has been established by the Oil and Gas Division of the World Bank, to promote the utilization of natural gas in Sub-Saharan Africa. The study focuses on coastal countries - Angola, Cameroon, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, and Gabon - along the West African coastline, and the Gulf of Guinea, where most of the region's gas reserves are located, and where significant proportions of the gas produced, is being wasted through flaring, or venting. Thus, the study's goal is to end gas flaring, by developing indigenous natural gas resources for local markets, and export, achieving economic benefits from gas substitution - through reduced imports, or increased exports of oil products - and, by improving environmental conditions at the local, and global levels. Under the AGI, technical assistance with regard to institutional, and regulatory framework was conducted in Cameroon, and Cote d'Ivoire, and, additionally, analysis of current petroleum fiscal legislation was undertaken, to review the profitability of gas field development from the investors' point of view. This analysis enabled recommendations to respective governments, to introduce required changes in their petroleum laws. Recommendations further include incentives to develop activities, particularly through rational price structures, removal of subsidies as the landed cost of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is progressively reduced, and fair competitive procedures, govern market accessibility.Publication Caribbean Regional Electricity Supply Options : Toward Greater Security, Renewables and Resilience(World Bank, 2011-01-01)The Caribbean region continues to be plagued by high and volatile fuel prices, with limited economies of scale or diversity in electricity supply. Although several studies have examined alternative resource options for the region, they often only consider solutions for individual countries in isolation. When one looks at the Caribbean, however, it is apparent that the short distances between islands and market sizes present opportunities to benefit from regional solutions. Indeed, increasing interconnection in the Caribbean could pave the way for greater energy security, a larger use of renewable and enhanced climate resilience. The idea of regional interconnections is not new: gas pipelines are widely used to interconnect gas supply with gas demand, and electricity market interconnections have become the norm around the world. However, this option does not appear to have received the attention it merits in the specific context of the Caribbean. While this study analyzes a small subset of the imaginable regional energy options for the Caribbean, it shows that regional solutions warrant further study. This synthesis report builds from the technical report that the World Bank commissioned from Nexant, entitled-Caribbean regional electricity generation, interconnection, and fuels supply strategy. It analyzes a range of regional options. Although further analysis is required, the hope is that this synthesis report will help to fuel the conversation about interconnected development pathways for the Caribbean.Publication Lights out? The Outlook for Energy in Eastern Europe and Central Asia(World Bank, 2010)Before the current economic crisis hit the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region in 2008, energy security was a major source of concern in Central and Eastern Europe and in many of the economies in the former Soviet Union. Energy importers were experiencing shortages leading to periodic brownouts and blackouts. An energy crisis seemed imminent. This report analyzes the outlook for energy demand and supply in the region. It estimates the investment requirements and highlights the potential environmental concerns associated with meeting future energy needs, including those related to climate change. The report also proposes the actions necessary to create an attractive environment for investment in cleaner energy. Greater regional cooperation for smart energy and climate action is an important part of the World Bank's engagement in Europe and Central Asia.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication Digital Africa(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023-03-13)All African countries need better and more jobs for their growing populations. "Digital Africa: Technological Transformation for Jobs" shows that broader use of productivity-enhancing, digital technologies by enterprises and households is imperative to generate such jobs, including for lower-skilled people. At the same time, it can support not only countries’ short-term objective of postpandemic economic recovery but also their vision of economic transformation with more inclusive growth. These outcomes are not automatic, however. Mobile internet availability has increased throughout the continent in recent years, but Africa’s uptake gap is the highest in the world. Areas with at least 3G mobile internet service now cover 84 percent of Africa’s population, but only 22 percent uses such services. And the average African business lags in the use of smartphones and computers as well as more sophisticated digital technologies that catalyze further productivity gains. Two issues explain the usage gap: affordability of these new technologies and willingness to use them. For the 40 percent of Africans below the extreme poverty line, mobile data plans alone would cost one-third of their incomes—in addition to the price of access devices, apps, and electricity. Data plans for small- and medium-size businesses are also more expensive than in other regions. Moreover, shortcomings in the quality of internet services—and in the supply of attractive, skills-appropriate apps that promote entrepreneurship and raise earnings—dampen people’s willingness to use them. For those countries already using these technologies, the development payoffs are significant. New empirical studies for this report add to the rapidly growing evidence that mobile internet availability directly raises enterprise productivity, increases jobs, and reduces poverty throughout Africa. To realize these and other benefits more widely, Africa’s countries must implement complementary and mutually reinforcing policies to strengthen both consumers’ ability to pay and willingness to use digital technologies. These interventions must prioritize productive use to generate large numbers of inclusive jobs in a region poised to benefit from a massive, youthful workforce—one projected to become the world’s largest by the end of this century.Publication Taxes, Spending, and Equity: International Patterns and Lessons for Developing Countries(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-11-17)Taxes and public spending underpin the basic administration of government and finance the human capital and infrastructure investments needed for economic growth. They can also have a significant and immediate impact on poverty and inequality. The question of how public finance can support longer-term growth objectives while promoting equity has become even more important in recent years, given the high fiscal deficits and debt levels most countries emerged with in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. These included the increasing cost of debt and the need to restart environmentally sustainable growth while helping households address the learning losses and other social scars caused by the pandemic. This paper examines the global evidence on which households pay which taxes and who benefits from what spending, and critically, the net effect on different households across the income distribution. The aim is to identify the patterns and lessons that emerge for designing progressive fiscal policies. A global dataset of 96 countries is assembled, spanning all regions of the world and all national income levels, grounded in the Commitment to Equity (CEQ) approach to fiscal incidence.Publication Associated Gas Utilization via miniGTL(Washington, DC, 2012-02)The flaring of natural gas produced as part of crude oil production operations is a well-known practice which increasingly becomes a non-acceptable option around the globe. In 2010, the Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership (GGFR) at the World Bank reported that nearly 5TCF (trillion standard cubic feet or 135 billion cubic meters) of associated gas (AG) was flared worldwide, equal to 20 percent of US consumption emitting 320MM tons of unnecessary CO2 into the atmosphere. This paper provides a high-level overview of the status of gas conversion technologies that are developed for, or are applicable to, the monetization of associated gas. Gas conversion technology is but one out of about half a dozen options to manage or utilize AG such as gas re-injection, power production, compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG) and pipelines. More than 15 technologies were evaluated analyzing the overall technology approach, the strengths and weaknesses of the technology, commercial readiness and technical risk along with product acceptance issues and high level economic attractiveness. The gas volume application range was from sub 1 MMscfd (million standard cubic feet per day) to a maximum of 25MMscfd with the sweet spot at 15MMscfd. The in depth evaluation was based on both publicly available information from websites, papers and patents and on private files by the reviewer. Personal phone calls with all companies answered any open questions. A standard survey was sent to all companies with questions relating to the building of a plant with a capacity of 15MMscfd. The responses are compared and discussed in detail.Publication Kyrgyz Republic Country Climate and Development Report(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-11-03)This Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) on the Kyrgyz Republic aims to support the country’s development goals amid a changing climate. The CCDR considers two policy scenarios up to 2050: the business-as-usual (BAU) and high-growth scenarios. As it quantifies the likely impacts of climate change on the Kyrgyz economy between now and 2050, the report highlights key government actions to best prepare for and adapt to climate impacts (referred to as “with adaptation” measures), with a particular focus on the time horizon up to 2030. The CCDR also outlines a path to net zero emissions by 2050 (referred to as “with mitigation” measures, “decarbonization,” or, simply, “net zero 2050”), highlighting associated development co-benefits.Publication Direct and Indirect Impacts of Transport Mobility on Access to Jobs: Evidence from South Africa(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-11-12)Access to jobs is essential for economic growth. In Africa, unemployment rates are notably high. This paper reexamines the relationship between transport mobility and labor market outcomes, with a particular focus on the direct and indirect effects of transport connectivity. As predicted by theory, wages are influenced by the level of commuting deterrence. Generally, higher earnings are associated with longer commute times and/or higher commuting costs. Local accessibility is also important, especially for individuals with time constraints. Both direct and indirect impacts are found to be significant in South Africa, where job accessibility has been challenging since the end of apartheid. For the direct impact, the wage elasticity associated with commuting costs is significant. Returns on commute are particularly high for women. Local accessibility to socioeconomic facilities, such as shops and health services, is also found to have a significant impact, consistent with the concept of mobility of care. To enhance employment, therefore, it is crucial to connect people not only to job locations but also to various socioeconomic points of interest, such as markets and hospitals, in an integrated manner. This integration will enable individuals to spend more time working and commuting longer distances.