A modular approach to converting routine flaring into revenue and energy
Each year, vast volumes of natural gas are flared—representing not just emissions, but lost energy, lost product, and lost value.
For operators, the challenge is often practicality. Infrastructure constraints, inconsistent gas streams, and capital-intensive alternatives often make recovery difficult to implement at scale.
At Enerflex, we approach that challenge differently. We see it as an opportunity to innovate.
Engineering a Solution That Works in the Field
Enerflex employees Alan Jor, Gas Processing Applications Manager, and Sanjay Kumar Hemanathan, Gas Processing Midstream Applications Engineer, presented a new approach at the GPA Midstream Convention with the paper “Innovative Solutions for Flared Gas: Enhancing Revenue and Reducing Emissions”
This paper describes a modular flare gas recovery system designed not as a theoretical solution, but as one that works within real operating conditions. Rather than relying on a single pathway, the system integrates proven technologies, including mechanical refrigeration, glycol dehydration, stabilization, and membrane separation, into a configurable solution tailored to each site.
This flexibility is critical. As outlined in the paper, flare gas conditions vary widely across regions, pressures, and compositions, requiring systems that can adapt without compromising performance.
What Makes This Approach Different
Most flare gas solutions face the same barriers: high capital cost, long timelines, and limited applicability across sites.
Enerflex’s approach is built to overcome those constraints:
- Modular by design: adaptable to different gas compositions, pressures, and infrastructure realities
- Integrated systems thinking: treating gas processing, power generation, and emissions reduction as one connected system
- Operationally self-sustaining: using recovered gas to power the system itself, reducing external energy needs
- Deployable in real-world conditions: from low-pressure sites to high-CO₂ environments
This approach isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s a configurable platform designed for how facilities actually operate, and the results demonstrate both technical and economic value, including up to 90% hydrocarbon recovery, payback periods as short as 19 months, reduced flaring intensity and improved resource utilization, and turning what was previously waste into a revenue-generating asset.
“This technology proves that energy efficiency and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand,” says Sanjay.
A Path Toward Profitable Resource Recovery
As the paper highlights, routine flaring is often driven by constraints, not choice. This approach gives operators a viable path forward.
It also reflects how Enerflex approaches complex challenges: not by introducing isolated technologies, but by designing integrated solutions that work under real operating conditions.
Because solving flaring isn’t just about reducing emissions. It’s about unlocking value—safely and efficiently.