Characterizing Flaring from Unconventional Oil and Gas Operations in South Texas Using Satellite Observations.

ABSTRACT: Over the past decade, increases in high-volume hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas extraction in the United States have raised concerns with residents living near wells. Flaring, or the combustion of petroleum products into the open atmosphere, is a common practice associated with oil and gas exploration and production, and has been under-examined as a potential source of exposure. We leveraged data from the Visible Infrared Imaging Spectroradiometer (VIIRS) Nightfire satellite product to characterize the extent of flaring in the Eagle Ford Shale region of south Texas, one of the most productive in the nation. Spatiotemporal hierarchical clustering identified flaring sources, and a regression-based approach combining VIIRS information with reported estimates of vented and flared gas from

SUBMITTER: Franklin M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8915930 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature