Michele Kirton wrote: "Venting is a normal process in oil production"
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First off quoting from the article: "Initial reports put the leak at 225,000 to 325,000 cubic feet of gas per day, enough to fuel about 390 homes a day in Southcentral Alaska in December, a cold month when gas use was high."
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I'm not involved in the oil/gas industry, but it is my understanding that in many places venting is kinda "old school" and can lead to fines and penalties in some jurisdictions. Now, direct venting is often used only in emergency situations.  Feel free to cite some sources to prove me wrong.