Why is wasted gas from oil exploration sites flared up into the sky as opposed to being used for some other process that needs energy?

Question

Seems wasteful? But I know nothing about the process and am curious.

In: Engineering

Answer 1

Gonna blow your mind: the whole oil business is based on a bunch of short sighted things that make no sense in any long term way but are most profitable in the very short term. No grand planner would do oil the way the human race has at all