The rising levels of routine flaring in the US have caught the eye of many, especially innovators who see a big opportunity to marry environmental action with good business sense. All these technology developers are united around the idea that routine flaring equates to burning billions of dollars a year.

But most shale producers, faced with low prices and chronic takeaway constraints, have had little incentive to invest in capturing associated gas.

However, the broad reach of North American shale developments has made the flaring of associated gas one of the sector’s most visible public relations problems, drawing ire from environmentalists and increased scrutiny from the media, regulators, and investors. There are now concerns that the “clean” reputation of natural gas may be lost if too much of it is burned up at the wellsite or, worse, vented straight into the atmosphere.