A Mysterious Patch Of Light Shows Up In The North Dakota Dark : Krulwich Wonders... : NPR

A Mysterious Patch Of Light Shows Up In The North Dakota Dark : Krulwich Wonders... : NPR: When oil comes to the surface, it often brings natural gas with it, and according to North Dakota's Department of Mineral Resources, 29 percent of the natural gas now extracted in North Dakota isn't captured. Gas isn't as profitable as oil, and the energy companies don't always build the pipes or systems to carry it off. For a year (with extensions), North Dakota allows drillers to burn gas, just let it flare. There are now so many gas wells burning fires in the North Dakota night, the fracking fields can be seen from deep space.