Nigeria flared 148.7mscf gas in six months, says minister

The Minister of State for Environment, Dr Iziaq Salako, has said indicators from the National Gas Flare Tracker shows that Nigeria flared 148.7 million standard cubic feet of gas in the first six months of 2024 which is about seven per cent above the level for the same period in 2023.

Salako, who disclosed this in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, said Nigeria’s commitment to achieving a “just transition” to net-zero emissions had garnered significant attention on the global stage.

He noted that the commitment was evidenced by the establishment of frontline advocacy initiatives following the signing of the Just Transition Declaration and the announcement of the ambitious 2060 net-zero goal in 2021 at the United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP 26) held in Glasgow.

Following this declaration, Nigeria launched its Energy Transition Plan on August 24, 2022, establishing the country’s strategy to reach a net-zero emissions energy system by 2060.

He said, “Gas flaring has been a common practice in the Nigerian oil and gas industry due to the absence of infrastructure to capture and utilise the associated gas. As a result, gas has been continuously burnt in oil fields, leading to the release of harmful pollutants into the atmosphere.

“Despite regulatory efforts, enforcing regulations has been challenging, and many operators still flare gas due to insufficient penalties and the high costs of gas capture and utilization technologies.

“As of today, Nigeria remains one of the top ten countries in the world in terms of gas flaring volumes. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation reports that approximately 324 billion cubic feet (bcf) of gas were flared in 2023, translating to significant economic losses and environmental damage.

The minister lamented that most international oil companies were not responding to the government’s gas flare transparency and accountability.

He stated that operators in the Nigerian oil and gas sector had a responsibility to lead from the front to support the vision of Nigeria to end gas flaring.

“The Federal Ministry of Environment through its relevant departments and agencies is determined to work with other stakeholders through policy and regulatory strengthening, investment drive, technology transfer, and private sector mobilisation, capacity building, community engagement and other measures to turn the tide and put our country on a firm footing to end gas flaring as early as possible but not later than 2030.”