Country
Assessment
According to Article 72 of the Hydrocarbon Operations Regulation, 2018 , flaring must be included in technical analysis and approved by the MEM. Article 73 reiterates that flaring must be technically justified and at a minimum level. Article 57 of Executive Decree 1215, 2001 , also mentions that flaring is allowed with prior approval if full use is not technically and economically feasible. For existing facilities, Article 3 of Ministerial Agreement MEM-MEM-2022-0047-AM, 2022 , requires operators to seek up-front approval from ACR before any flaring of associated gas. Article 6 has the same requirement for new facilities, but Article 9 explicitly bans routine flaring for this group.
Article 39 of the Hydrocarbons Law, 1978 , states that operators cannot waste, vent, or flare natural gas without authorization from the MEM. Exceptions for flaring and venting without prior approval under special circumstances such as emergency conditions could not be identified in official documents. For new facilities, Article 9 of Ministerial Agreement MEM-MEM-2022-0047-AM, 2022 , authorizes flaring of associated gas in the case of emergency or facility breakdown, during liquid discharge, and for production testing purposes in the exploration, appraisal, and development phases.
Until mid-2020, the Agency for the Regulation and Control of Hydrocarbons (Agencia de Regulación y Control Hidrocarburifero) regulated the exploration, exploitation, industrialization, refining, transport, and commercialization of hydrocarbons. In 2020, it merged with the regulators overseeing the mining and electricity sectors to create the Agency for the Regulation and Control of Energy and Nonrenewable Natural Resources (Agencia de Regulación y Control de Energía y Recursos Naturales no Renovables [ARC]). This merger of regulatory agencies aligns with the merger of ministries to create the MEM. The ARC assumed the responsibilities, obligations, and practices of the Agency for the Regulation and Control of Hydrocarbons. Articles 3, 6, and 11 of Ministerial Agreement MEM-MEM-2022-0047-AM, 2022 , confirm that the MEM is the ultimate regulator, but that the ARC will be responsible for ensuring compliance with sector reporting and consultation requirements. Petroecuador is the only entity authorized to buy and sell oil, gas, and refined products. It is also responsible for most of the oil and gas production in Ecuador. The company is also tasked with negotiating and signing contracts with other companies on behalf of the government. The Ministry of Environment oversees some special provisions under its jurisdiction, in its role of monitoring and auditing the environmental management of all industrial activity. The Undersecretariat of Climate Change serves as the coordinating and facilitating unit for climate finance.
No evidence regarding targets and limits could be found in the sources consulted.
Egypt has implemented two CDM projects. One, registered in 2006, targeted methane venting at a landfill facility. The second project, registered in 2013, targeted flare gas recovery at a large refinery.
No evidence regarding performance requirements could be found in the sources consulted.
No evidence regarding the measurement and reporting requirements could be found in the sources consulted. However, industry studies suggest that the EGPC, as the joint venture partner, has access to flaring and venting data. The environmental impact assessment of oil and gas activities requires a monitoring plan, which should outline “monitoring intervals and reporting procedures” of the air emissions covered in the assessment. Article 17 of Executive Regulations 338, 1995 , requires regulated entities to maintain records. Article 18 empowers the EEAA to conduct inspections and tests to confirm the accuracy of records. Article 43 assigns some responsibilities to the EGPC. In early 2022, the EGPC signed a memorandum of understanding with a private company on a flare recovery initiative. The company will deploy a suite of tools to manage emissions via measurement, recovery, and utilization of flare gas.
No evidence regarding monetary penalties could be found in the sources consulted.
No evidence regarding nonmonetary penalties could be found in the sources consulted. PSCs give national companies partnering in joint ventures certain rights over associated gas, which may lead them to take over the gas rights from the partners. However, it is unclear whether such a situation leads to any changes in the volumes of flared or vented gas.
No evidence regarding targets and limits could be found in the sources consulted. Production-sharing contracts (PSCs) call for avoiding the waste of petroleum resources but also for making sure that oil production is not impaired if associated gas cannot be utilized (see sections 3 and 9 of this case study). Based on data from the Egypt General Petroleum Company (EGPC), more than two-thirds of well sites have flaring rates of less than 1 million standard cubic feet (mmscf) a day. The Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) may impose emissions limits in an environmental impact assessment (see section 7 of this case study), but no specific limits on emissions from flares or vents could be found in the sources consulted.