Global gas flaring is up 4 percent.

In fact, the release of natural gas at drilling and well pumping sites — as commonly seen in North Dakota’s oil patch — is the main reason the U.S. is now in the Top Ten worldwide for gas-flare pollution, according to a Reuters news story.

A source at the World Bank’s Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership told Reuters: “The challenge in North Dakota is that there is a lot of initial exploration and production going on, and often some flaring is necessary at that stage.”

The source added: “We are hopeful that when the full data is released, both policymakers and companies in North Dakota will pay more attention to this issue and take the necessary steps to minimize flaring.”

The full report is due later this month.

Photo by Ben Garvin