Russia and Iran Lead Increase in Gas Flaring, and Along with Iraq Make Up Half of Global Flaring, According to Improved World Bank Global Gas Flaring Tracker

     The World Bank just released its annual global gas flaring tracker report. In 2025, global flare volumes rose to 167 BCM, or about 5.9 TCF. This was a 6% increase over the previous year. Flared gas in 2025 was worth an estimated US$54 billion. 

     The report’s forward notes that estimates have been improved with a new methodology and better satellite coverage:

“This year's Global Gas Flaring Tracker introduces a significantly improved methodology for estimating flare volumes, developed in partnership with the Colorado School of Mines, which now draws on three satellites rather than one, more than doubling nightly observation coverage, improving flare locations and the accuracy of flare estimates at both ends of the operational flare volume spectrum.”

     The box below explains the new methodology in more detail, and while the new results kept the same trend globally, countries with big flares like Iran and Iraq were revised upward, and countries with smaller flares like the U.S. and Canada were revised downward.

     The report notes a continuing steady increase in global flaring since it reached a minimum in 2022. Russia has increased flaring by 9% compared to the previous year. Russia by itself makes up 18% of global flaring. The amount of gas flared globally is roughly equivalent to the gas consumption of Africa!

“Nine countries together account for 83 percent of global flare volumes while producing only 46 percent of the world's oil. This concentration means that targeted action by a small number of governments and operators could yield disproportionate and significant results.”

     Those nine countries are Russia, Iran, Iraq, Venezuela, Mexico, Libya, Algeria, Nigeria, and the U.S. 

     I know that Iraq has plans in place to utilize flared gas from Iraqi oilfields to power local natural gas plants. Nigeria also noted its commitment to end flaring remains firm despite a small increase this year associated with higher natural gas output.

"Nigeria’s commitment to end routine flaring by 2030 remains firm," said Eniola Akinkuotu, spokesperson of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), which he said has "a scheme to monetise gas flares."

     Below are some more positive flaring news highlights:

“The United States achieved the largest absolute reduction in flare volumes of any country in 2025 — 0.4 bcm, or 7 percent — while also reducing its flaring intensity, the amount of gas flared per barrel of oil produced, by 10 percent. Kazakhstan continued its multi-year downward trajectory, registering a 16 percent decline through consistent and sustained application of regulatory standards. Also, countries and companies committed to the Zero Routine Flaring by 2030 (ZRF) initiative continue to outperform those that have not.”

     Zubin Bamji, Manager for the World Bank’s Global Flaring and Methane Reduction Partnership (GFMR) commented on the report:

"The technologies and approaches needed to capture and utilize associated gas are well established. But in many oil-producing countries, gas utilization is not yet integrated as a core part of oil production planning, with infrastructure investment and regulatory enforcement often lagging."

Some possibilities for developing and utilizing the so-called stranded gas that is commonly flared are given below, as well as policy and financing options. 

     Russia, Iran, and Iraq combined flared about 84 BCM in 2025, nearly half the global total, with Russia and Iran accounting for much of the year-over-year increase, according to the data. I will say that this is another case where the two countries, Russia and Iran, represent the worst ranking and noncompliance with international norms and expectations.

     Below are more graphs of global data from the report.

    

 

 Some U.S. data is given below by the producing basin. I found it interesting that in the key findings, it was noted that the big drop in flaring in the Permian Basin in 2025 was associated with the turning on of the Matterhorn Pipeline in the Permian Basin.

References:

 

Global Gas Flaring Tracker Report: June 2026. World Bank. Global-Gas-FlaringTracker-June-23-2026.pdf

Russia, Iran lead surge in gas flaring, dimming global hopes to end the practice. Isaac Anyaogu. Reuters. June 23, 2026. Russia, Iran lead surge in gas flaring, dimming global hopes to end the practice