The Liza-1 Environmental Permit does not include the 14 billion cubic feet flaring allowance that government says ExxonMobil has used to justify its emissions but makes it clear to the company that there should not be routine flaring and that there should be provision for spares and plant-turn down protocols if there are breakdowns on its production platform (FPSO).
“In the event of an emergency or equipment breakdown on the FPSO, or when facility upset conditions arise, excess gas should not be vented but rather should be sent to an efficient flare gas system. Efforts should be made to prevent equipment breakdowns and plant upsets which could result in flaring and provisions should be made for equipment sparing and plant turn-down protocols where practical,” the Liza-1 Environmental Permit states, under Section 3 which deals with air quality.