Brazil gas flaring rises in May

Natural gas flaring increased by 54pc in Brazil in May over the same month in 2021, preliminary data released by oil and gas regulator ANP show.

Total gas flared reached 4.5mn m³/d, the highest since May 2019, and 65pc higher than the previous month.

Gas reinjections — when gas is pumped back to repressure oiland gas wellsor to avoid flaring and CO2 release — reached 67.2mn m³/d, a similar figure to the reinjection level in April of 67.6mn m³/d, but 12.2pc higher than the same month in 2021, when the majority of thermal generation power plants were being operated.

Total gas production was 131.3mn m³/d last month, 4pc below April levels and a 2.4pc decrease from May 2021.

Total gas made available to the market totalled 46.2mn m³/d, an 11.6pc drop in comparison with the prior month, and 20.2pc down on a year earlier. This comes after heavy rains in 2022 have refilled hydropower reservoirs closer to average levels, which in turn has reduced gas consumption for thermal power generation.

By Flavia Pierry