A flare is the result of a controlled burn of the natural gas from a well — a safe way to test a well’s performance. Flaring is a common practice for the oil and natural gas industry, as well as many other industries. Garbage dumps and landfills often flare in order to control the methane gas naturally produced by the decomposition of organic materials.
The flaring process involves directing the gas into a vertical pipe and lighting it. This controlled flame rising from the stack is never large enough to extend beyond the perimeter of the site. Because only gas is burned during this process, no sparks or embers will be generated to cause a fire concern in the surrounding area.
Through the use of flaring, Chesapeake is able to more effectively assess a well’s production capabilities and determine areas where pipeline is most needed to begin transporting the gas to market — and eventually, on to homes, schools, offices and factories. Additionally, to avoid constructing unnecessary pipelines, a well may be flare-tested to judge the quality and quantity of its production. Depending on the results, a decision is made on whether or not to build the pipeline.