PapersFlow Research Brief
Oil, Gas, and Environmental Issues
Research Guide
What is Oil, Gas, and Environmental Issues?
Oil, Gas, and Environmental Issues refers to the environmental, health, and sustainability challenges arising from gas flaring in oil production, including black carbon emissions, greenhouse gas releases, air pollution, and flare gas recovery efforts, with significant focus on regions like Nigeria.
This field examines gas flaring volumes and efficiency using satellite data, as documented in a fifteen-year global record showing annual estimates from 1994 to 2008. It addresses fossil fuel consumption impacts in Europe, linking energy use to global warming and air pollution that cause health issues. The cluster includes 16,759 papers on topics such as flare gas recovery technologies and economic evaluations.
Topic Hierarchy
Research Sub-Topics
Black Carbon Emissions from Gas Flaring
This sub-topic quantifies black carbon aerosol emissions from global gas flaring activities using satellite data and ground measurements. Research models atmospheric impacts, climate forcing, and contributions to short-lived climate pollutants.
Environmental Health Impacts of Gas Flaring
Studies assess air pollution, particulate matter, and toxic releases from flaring on local ecosystems and human health, particularly in regions like Nigeria. Epidemiological analyses link exposures to respiratory diseases and environmental degradation.
Flare Gas Recovery Technologies
This area evaluates engineering solutions like flare gas capture systems, compression, and reinjection for reducing flaring volumes. Techno-economic analyses compare feasibility across oil fields and regulatory contexts.
Economic Evaluation of Gas Flaring Reduction
Researchers conduct cost-benefit analyses of flaring abatement, monetizing emissions savings, health benefits, and revenue from recovered gas. Studies forecast investment returns for operators and governments.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Gas Flaring
This sub-topic inventories CO2, methane, and other GHG emissions from flaring using remote sensing and inventory methods. Research integrates flaring into national inventories and global climate models.
Why It Matters
Gas flaring during oil production disposes of associated gas, contributing to black carbon emissions and air pollution with direct health effects in areas like Nigeria. "A Fifteen Year Record of Global Natural Gas Flaring Derived from Satellite Data" by Elvidge et al. (2009) provides estimates using DMSP satellite data from 1994-2008, enabling quantification of national flaring volumes that inform reduction policies. "Analysis of Fossil Fuel Energy Consumption and Environmental Impacts in European Countries" by Martins et al. (2019) shows fossil fuels driving global warming and health problems, supporting transitions to lower-emission energy sources. These insights aid sustainability efforts by highlighting recovery technologies and economic trade-offs in gas management.
Reading Guide
Where to Start
"A Fifteen Year Record of Global Natural Gas Flaring Derived from Satellite Data" by Elvidge et al. (2009), as it provides foundational global data on flaring volumes using accessible satellite methods, central to understanding environmental impacts.
Key Papers Explained
Wang et al. (2009) in "Review on multi-criteria decision analysis aid in sustainable energy decision-making" establishes decision frameworks for energy sustainability, which Lyngfelt et al. (2001) in "A fluidized-bed combustion process with inherent CO2 separation; application of chemical-looping combustion" applies to CO2 reduction technologies. Elvidge et al. (2009) in "A Fifteen Year Record of Global Natural Gas Flaring Derived from Satellite Data" quantifies flaring data that informs these methods, while Martins et al. (2019) in "Analysis of Fossil Fuel Energy Consumption and Environmental Impacts in European Countries" extends impacts to policy evaluation. Ealias and Saravanakumar (2017) in "A review on the classification, characterisation, synthesis of nanoparticles and their application" connects to mitigation tools building on prior emission analyses.
Paper Timeline
Most-cited paper highlighted in red. Papers ordered chronologically.
Advanced Directions
Research emphasizes flare gas recovery and black carbon quantification in Nigeria, extending satellite monitoring from Elvidge et al. (2009) and health-economic models from Martins et al. (2019). No recent preprints available, so frontiers involve scaling chemical-looping from Lyngfelt et al. (2001) and nanoparticle applications from Ealias and Saravanakumar (2017) for sustainability.
Papers at a Glance
| # | Paper | Year | Venue | Citations | Open Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Review on multi-criteria decision analysis aid in sustainable ... | 2009 | Renewable and Sustaina... | 2.2K | ✕ |
| 2 | A fluidized-bed combustion process with inherent CO2 separatio... | 2001 | Chemical Engineering S... | 1.0K | ✕ |
| 3 | A review on the classification, characterisation, synthesis of... | 2017 | IOP Conference Series ... | 987 | ✓ |
| 4 | A Fifteen Year Record of Global Natural Gas Flaring Derived fr... | 2009 | Energies | 919 | ✓ |
| 5 | Gas fluidization technology | 1986 | Medical Entomology and... | 874 | ✕ |
| 6 | Analysis of Fossil Fuel Energy Consumption and Environmental I... | 2019 | Energies | 856 | ✓ |
| 7 | Progress in energy and combustion science | 1980 | Progress in Energy and... | 690 | ✕ |
| 8 | An overview of industrial uses of hydrogen | 1998 | International Journal ... | 669 | ✕ |
| 9 | Chemical-looping with oxygen uncoupling for combustion of soli... | 2008 | International journal ... | 624 | ✕ |
| 10 | LNG: An eco-friendly cryogenic fuel for sustainable development | 2011 | Applied Energy | 535 | ✕ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is gas flaring in oil and gas production?
Gas flaring disposes of associated natural gas from oil wells by burning it, a common practice tracked globally via satellite data. "A Fifteen Year Record of Global Natural Gas Flaring Derived from Satellite Data" by Elvidge et al. (2009) used DMSP low light imaging to estimate national flaring volumes and efficiency from 1994 to 2008. This process releases black carbon and greenhouse gases, contributing to environmental and health impacts.
How does fossil fuel use affect the environment in Europe?
Fossil fuel consumption causes global warming and air pollution, leading to health problems with social and economic costs. "Analysis of Fossil Fuel Energy Consumption and Environmental Impacts in European Countries" by Martins et al. (2019) analyzes these effects across European nations. Efforts worldwide aim to mitigate such impacts through reduced reliance on fossil fuels.
What role does chemical-looping combustion play in gas-related emissions?
Chemical-looping combustion enables inherent CO2 separation in fluidized-bed processes for fuel combustion. "A fluidized-bed combustion process with inherent CO2 separation; application of chemical-looping combustion" by Lyngfelt et al. (2001) describes this technology for gas flaring contexts. It offers a method to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from combustion.
What are the applications of nanoparticles in oil and gas environmental issues?
Nanoparticles, sized 1-100 nm per ISO and ASTM standards, include organic, inorganic, and carbon-based types with enhanced properties. "A review on the classification, characterisation, synthesis of nanoparticles and their application" by Ealias and Saravanakumar (2017) covers their synthesis and uses. They support technologies like flare gas recovery and emission control.
How does multi-criteria decision analysis apply to sustainable energy in oil and gas?
Multi-criteria decision analysis aids choices in sustainable energy by evaluating options like gas recovery. "Review on multi-criteria decision analysis aid in sustainable energy decision-making" by Wang et al. (2009) reviews its use in energy planning. It balances environmental, economic, and sustainability factors in gas flaring contexts.
Open Research Questions
- ? How can satellite data precision be improved for real-time monitoring of gas flaring beyond 2008 estimates?
- ? What are the long-term health impacts of black carbon from Nigeria's gas flaring on local populations?
- ? Which flare gas recovery technologies offer the highest economic returns in high-flaring regions?
- ? How effective is chemical-looping combustion at scaling for industrial CO2 capture from flared gas?
- ? What integration strategies exist for nanoparticles in reducing emissions from oil production?
Recent Trends
The field maintains focus on gas flaring's global impacts without new preprints or news in the last 12 months.
Core works like Elvidge et al. with 919 citations provide enduring satellite-derived flaring data from 1994-2008, while Martins et al. (2019) with 856 citations analyzes ongoing fossil fuel effects in Europe.
2009The 16,759 papers highlight sustained interest in Nigeria-specific challenges and recovery technologies.
Research Oil, Gas, and Environmental Issues with AI
PapersFlow provides specialized AI tools for Energy researchers. Here are the most relevant for this topic:
AI Literature Review
Automate paper discovery and synthesis across 474M+ papers
Systematic Review
AI-powered evidence synthesis with documented search strategies
Deep Research Reports
Multi-source evidence synthesis with counter-evidence
See how researchers in Engineering use PapersFlow
Field-specific workflows, example queries, and use cases.
Start Researching Oil, Gas, and Environmental Issues with AI
Search 474M+ papers, run AI-powered literature reviews, and write with integrated citations — all in one workspace.
See how PapersFlow works for Energy researchers