BATON ROUGE - Residents across the Greater Baton Rouge area have reported hearing a low rumbling noise Wednesday night, likely from flaring at the Exxon plant. 

Exxon Mobil Baton Rouge said their plant is experiencing "operational issues" causing flaring that is expected to last through Thursday. 

Today, the Refinery is experiencing flaring due to operational issues. This will continue through 12/15. This is not an emergency situation. Flares are safety control devices intended to consume excess gases. Safety remains our top priority. We apologize for any inconvenience.

— ExxonMobil Baton Rouge (@ExxonMobilBRA) December 15, 2022

Flaring is a safety measure to convert gases into carbon dioxide and water vapor and is considered to be a safe, environmentally acceptable way to control excess process gases.

Flaring is not a concern to residents' safety but can produce low rumbling noises and even high-frequency noises that can sound like a jet plane overhead. 

While Exxon said the refinery could not comment on the specific operational issues, the business stressed the flaring was not a result of an emergency situation.