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Oil Rigs in Campeche Bay, Mexico

Image captured on Aug 1, 2022, by the VIIRS instrument aboard the joint NASA/NOAA NOAA-20 satellite.
VIIRS data image of gas flares on oil rigs north of Mexico, August 2022.
Image Caption

A true color/natural color corrected reflectance image overlaid with the Fires and Thermal Anomalies layer showing red points in Campeche Bay on August 1, 2022. This image was acquired by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) aboard the joint NASA/NOAA NOAA-20 satellite. The image shows a cluster of red fire and thermal anomalies points in the bay.

These points correspond to gas flares emanating from oil rigs on offshore platforms. Crude oil often contains natural gas and when the oil reaches the surface, oil rig operators sometimes will burn the excess gas if it cannot be easily stored and utilized elsewhere.

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