Venezuela continues to burn natural gas produced as a byproduct of oil extraction in a process called gas flaring, which wastes a valuable resource and also has negative consequences for the environment and poses health risks. We spoke to people in Venezuela with knowledge about gas flaring and its effects in the northeast of the country, where the practice is particularly prominent.
“When you look at the (satellite) images taken at night, eastern Venezuela is brighter than Caracas,” said one of our observers, who previously worked in the oil sector.
In fact, a large luminous spot can be observed over the Venezuelan state of Monagas both on satellite Images recorded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (NOAA), a US government agency, and on the website Open infrastructure map.
What are those patches of light?
“The gas that burns there,” says our Observer.
In other words, the light that can be seen from the sky is the result of gas flaring, which involves burning natural gas emitted during oil extraction. Gas, a valuable resource, is wasted in this process.
Our team also examined satellite images taken during the day and were able to detect at least 40 chimneys with flames coming out of them in Monagas state in 2025. These chimneys are actually the torches used to burn gas.
According to a world bank reportVenezuela ranks number 5 on the list of top gas-flaring countries in the world based on total volume of gas flared, behind Russia, Iran, Iraq and the United States. However, if the intensity of gas flaring is considered (that is, the volume of gas burned per barrel of oil extracted), Venezuela ranks second after Syria.
‘If this gas was used or sold, we would have more money’
The high levels of gas flaring are mainly due to a lack of investment in equipment, says Gilberto Morillo, an energy consultant in Venezuela who previously worked for the public oil company PDVSA. He left in 2003, after an unprecedented wave of layoffs.
“When gas is produced together with oil, specialized equipment is needed if you want to capture it, store it, clean it, separate the liquid from the gas, etc. If it can be collected effectively, this gas can be used in many different ways. It can be used in industry or as domestic gas. It can also be injected into oil wells to increase pressure or be sold.
After 2003, PDVSA began to lose money and decline in a technical sense. The company did not invest in infrastructure to capture the gas. And if the gas is not captured and treated, then it must be burned (Editor’s note: otherwise there is a risk of explosion). Currently, I would say that about 50 percent of the gas emitted during oil extraction is flared. That’s my own estimate because PDVSA and the Venezuelan Ministry of Petroleum publish very little information, but in any case, this is a huge amount of gas. Back when I worked there, the burn rate was closer to 10 percent (Editor’s note: a figure we couldn’t independently verify).
Gas flaring has economic consequences. If it were used or sold, we would have more money.”
According to a investigation into PDVSA published in 2020 by the platform you connectThe company loses “millions of dollars” when it burns the gas or releases it into the atmosphere without burning it, a practice more common in the west of the country.
Our Observer’s estimate that 50 percent of that gas is flared is close to the estimate made by a Columbia University expert cited by the New York Times in this article.
‘Gas burning produces CO2that contributes to global warming’
In addition to economic losses, gas flaring also has health and environmental consequences. In 2024, gas flaring generated the equivalent of 389 million tons of CO2according to the World Bank report.
Fernando Morales is a professor and environmental expert at the Simón Bolívar University of Venezuela.
“In the east of the country, wells produce a large amount of associated gas. Huge volumes of gas are constantly burned there, when, in theory, gas should only be flared in an emergency situation. This produces CO2which leads to global warming.
Locally, gas burning is not clean: it generates soot and polycyclic aromatic (hydrocarbons) (air pollutants) such as benzo(a)pyrene, naphthalene and anthracene, which are really harmful if breathed. They have a similar effect to the fumes emitted by a diesel vehicle in poor condition. Benzo(a)pyrene, in particular, is linked to lung cancer in cases of chronic exposure. Other components, although not known carcinogens, can also cause other lung diseases or irritation.”
A former resident of Maturín (the capital of Monagas state) who now lives abroad spoke to our team on condition of anonymity. They said they knew people who had experienced “cancer, difficulty breathing and eye irritation,” which she linked to pollution generated by oil infrastructure.
In it investigation Published in 2020 by Connectas, the president of the medical school of Anzoátegui, a state bordering Monagas, said that there was a higher rate of respiratory diseases in the cities where the oil industry operated.
‘At night, there is a yellow light in the sky because of the flares’
The flares are also linked to “light, sound and thermal pollution,” says Carlos Piccinoni, another resident of Maturín.
“During the day you can only see the flames. But at night there is a yellow light in the sky, which comes from flares located 30 kilometers from here. We especially notice it if there is a power outage in the city. What we see is like a controlled fire in the sky. When you are close, you can almost drive without the lights on because there is so much light in the sky.
It is also noisy for those who live nearby. Flares make a particular sound, somewhat similar to that of a blowtorch. It’s like the sound of a gas burner, but two meters in diameter. The heat is also very strong. “I think it’s probably about 10 degrees warmer nearby.”
Piccinoni says local people have faced gas shortages in the past and gas is expensive. Our team spoke with a former resident of Maturín, who now lives in Caracas:
“In 2017, we went nine months without gas. At that time, I had neighbors who paid up to $100 for a single gas cylinder. And during that time, from my window, I could see the flares burning gas all day long.”
Renew the oil sector?
At the end of January, less than a month later The United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolás MaduroThe Venezuelan parliament approved a reform of its hydrocarbon law under pressure from the United States. As a result of the new law, which favors the private sector, the United States eliminated a series of sanctions.
Read moreWhat can Trump offer Big Oil to bring American capital back to Venezuela?
Both Gilberto Morillo and Fernando Morales say these measures should result in the oil sector receiving more money, which could allow it to modernize its infrastructure and increase production, as well as reduce flaring.
“If all the investments are made, my colleagues and I estimate that we could produce three million barrels of oil per day in eight or nine years,” says Morillo, a figure that would be three times the amount currently produced.
This article has been translated from the original French by Brenna Daldorph.
