据普氏能源资讯丹佛报道，今年夏天，美国北达科他州的天然气产量再创历史新高，但由于生产商放空燃烧的天然气数量几乎是根据该州天然气收集规定允许放空燃烧量的两倍，北达科他州的运营商仍需要控制天然气放空燃烧的数量。

美国北达科他州工业委员会周一公布的统计数据显示，7月份北达科他州伴生天然气日产量达到了2.94亿立方英尺，环比增长了2.2%。这是北达科他州伴生天然气产量连续第2个月创历史新高。

伴随着石油日产量也创下了142.5万桶历史新高的创纪录伴生天然气产量也导致了巴肯地区天然气日放空燃烧量达到了创纪录的6.71亿立方英尺，增幅达到了23%。

尽管北达科他州7月天然气放空燃烧量环比下降了一个百分点，但由于石油产量增加，天然气放空燃烧量也随之增加了。在6月和7月达到的放空燃烧量的百分比是自2014年以来最高的。这两个比例均远高于北达科他州目前要求运营商捕获88%伴生气产量的规定。

由于缺乏收集管道和处理设施来处理伴生气，钻井商限制天然气放空燃烧量的唯一其他选择是减少石油产量。此外，地理位置也会影响天然气的放空燃烧量。运营商放空燃烧的天然气量占到了印第安人保留地所有天然气产量的32%。北达科他州工业委员会主管林恩·赫尔姆斯说，这是因为批准在联邦土地和印第安人居住的土地上建造集输管线异常困难和过程漫长。

李峻 编译自 Platts

原文如下：

North Dakota operators flare record 671 MMcf/d of natural gas in July

North Dakota's natural gas production hit another record high this summer, but operators still need to get a handle on flaring as producers burned nearly twice as much gas as they are allowed under the state's gas-capture rules.

Associated gas production reached 2.94 Bcf/d in July, a 2.2% month-on-month increase, according to data the North Dakota Industrial Commission released Monday. It was the second straight month to reach a record high.

The record associated gas production, which occurred as oil also struck a new high of 1.425 million b/d, also led to 23%, or 671 MMcf/d, of Bakken gas flared, also a record-high monthly volume.

Although the month-on-month percentage of gas flared dropped by one percentage point, the volume increased because of stronger production. The flaring percentages reached during June and July are the highest since 2014. Both are also well above current state rules requiring operators to capture 88% of associated gas production.

Due to a lack of gathering pipelines and processing facilities to handle associated gas, the only other option for drillers to limit flaring is reduce oil production. Location also plays a role in how much gas is flared. Operators flared 32% of all gas produced In the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. NDIC Director Lynn Helms said this is because of the difficult and lengthy process to approve gathering lines on federal and Indian lands.