re: #701 Rightwingconspirator

That is so wrong. Even the flare burn on the recovery ship in the gulf annoys me. Tank the gas and send it where needed. Use some to crack the rest into H and C. Carbon black C I mean. Something. Anything but the wasteful flare off.

Hey, RWC.
Those flares serve other purposes.
On oil production rigs, the primary purpose is to act as a safety device to protect vessels or pipes from over-pressuring due to unplanned upsets - like the spout on a tea-kettle. In this case, it’s a good thing.