Strange light beyond Dunnet Head.

[Kenn]

Wonder if any one else has noticed this tonight, was there when we drove to Castletown at 7.10pm and still there when we left at 11.10.
It was an orange glow that at first I thought was a fire reflected by the clouds but for it to be visible for such a long time would seen to negate that premis.
We wondered if it was a trick of the light from the burn off pipe at the refinery.

[northener]

Yup. it'll be the flare at Flotta. I'm up and down that road a lot late at night and it always attracts my attention.

I think it depends upon the weather conditions, if the clouds are 'right' the reflection off the flare can be seen a hell of a long way away - sometimes it does look like there's a huge fire on Orkney somewhere.

[Dog-eared]

Sometimes the flare can be very big if they're dumping lots of gas and if the cloud cover is low can be quite a sight !
Flotta is quite a way from Dunnet Head - its a big flame at times.http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3290/2310398291_65fcbcdf82.jpg?v=0

[Gronnuck]

We can see the light from the flare from our kitchen window. Some nights it is brighter than others. Sometimes it hs the effect of lighting up the whole sky depending on the cloud cover, moonlight etc etc.
Some of the ships that pass through the Pentland Firth have lots of lights too.

[David Banks]

Yup. it'll be the flare at Flotta. I'm up and down that road a lot late at night and it always attracts my attention.

I think it depends upon the weather conditions, if the clouds are 'right' the reflection off the flare can be seen a hell of a long way away - sometimes it does look like there's a huge fire on Orkney somewhere.

Has there ever been any conversation about using the gas rather than flaring it? It seems a bit of a waste.

[Boozeburglar]

It is being used. It would be mighty dark without it.

[northener]

Has there ever been any conversation about using the gas rather than flaring it? It seems a bit of a waste.

I've always wondered if it could be put to better use, I'd assume the cost of capturing and converting it to something useful is prohibitive.
I'd be interested to hear from any of our offshore chums regarding using this gas.

[Kenn]

Yes that was what we saw, another mystery solved by the knowledgeable orgers.

[Boozeburglar]

The Flotta flare has been a landmark for most of my life, we studied it at school and as far as I am aware it still operates the same way. It is constantly lit, a bit like the pilot light in your boiler, or your gas welding torch on idle.

That way it can be used safely when needed.

Flying over huge gas fields and seeing many similar flares is one of my enduring memories, they look mighty impressive from above at night! I suppose most people don't stay up all night on long flights so they have not seen them.

[George Brims]

I once read that 25% of the natural gas brought to the surface is burned off this way in the Middle East oilfields. I wonder if that's still the case or if it is now collected.

[Boozeburglar]

I have flown over the Middle East as well as the ones in Russia, etc. and they seems to be everywhere, scores of them.

It looks magical from height.

:)