Nigeria’s Setting Ministry “will not tolerate” worldwide oil and fuel firms (IOCs) that don’t apply transparency and accountability for his or her flare emissions, the minister of state for the setting has warned.
“As of right this moment, Nigeria stays one of many high ten nations on this planet when it comes to fuel flaring volumes”, Iziaq Kunle Salako instructed the third Nationwide Extractives Dialogue, held in Abuja.
Fuel flared in Nigeria final 12 months totaled 182 billion cubic ft, in line with the annual report of nationwide oil and fuel firm Nigeria Nationwide Petroleum Co. Ltd. (NNPC).
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For the primary six months of 2024, the West African nation flared 148.7 million cubic ft of fuel, about seven p.c greater than the identical interval in 2023, Salako disclosed, citing information from his ministry’s Nationwide Fuel Flare Tracker.
“Traditionally, fuel flaring has been a standard apply within the Nigerian oil and fuel trade as a result of absence of infrastructure to seize and make the most of the related fuel”, Salako instructed the viewers on the Bon Lodge within the capital. “In consequence, fuel has been repeatedly burned in oil fields, resulting in the discharge of dangerous pollution into the ambiance.
“Regardless of regulatory efforts, implementing laws has been difficult, and plenty of operators nonetheless flare fuel on account of inadequate penalties and the excessive prices of fuel seize and utilization applied sciences”
Nigeria had 160 flare websites with 199 flare factors, underneath 49 firms, as of 2023. There have been 179 flare meters put in, representing a 90 p.c compliance to the regulation. Twenty-six firms had not submitted flare metering particulars as of the time, in line with NNPC’s annual report. 140,500,000,000
NNPC collected NGN 140.5 billion ($86.7 million) in penalties from fuel flared final 12 months, in comparison with NGN 70.4 billion ($43.5 million) the prior 12 months, in line with the report.
“Nigeria’s insurance policies on fuel flaring has nevertheless advanced considerably over time”, the minister stated. “Initially, the main target was on manufacturing maximization, with little regard for the environmental impression of fuel flaring. Nevertheless, recognizing the extreme implications of this apply, the Nigerian authorities has carried out a number of insurance policies geared toward decreasing and finally eliminating fuel flaring.
“Key amongst these is the Fuel Re-injection Act of 1979, which mandated oil firms to submit fuel utilization plans, and extra just lately, the Nigerian Fuel Flare Commercialization Programme (NGFCP), launched in 2016, which goals to draw investments in flare fuel seize initiatives”.
Moreover, the Setting Ministry created the Nationwide Oil Spill Detection and Response Company (NOSDRA), which oversees the Nigerian Fuel Flaring Tracker, Salako highlighted.
“This distinctive, technologically pushed environmental regulatory software is a satellite-based platform, that not solely offers close to real-time monitoring and monitoring of fuel flaring actions but additionally quantifies carbon emissions thereby enhancing transparency and accountability throughout the oil and fuel sector”, Salako stated.
NOSDRA held an inaugural workshop on the quarterly reporting of fuel utilization efforts and initiatives to curb the carbon footprint of the native oil and fuel trade final Could and can maintain the second version August, Salako stated.
“I need to nevertheless specific my deep concern that whereas a number of worldwide Oil Corporations and different operators are heading the decision of presidency for fuel flare transparency and accountability most Worldwide Oil Corporations usually are not responding on the scale we anticipated to the decision by NOSDRA’s which displays a disregard for Nigeria’s environmental sustainability agenda”, Salako warned.
“Let me due to this fact use this platform to situation a powerful warning that the federal ministry of setting appearing on its mandate to safe a top quality setting conducive for good well being and properly being of fauna and flora will not tolerate such disregard to professional name of NOSDRA”.
Based on Salako, NOSDRA has developed a mechanism for “fact-checking” flare volumes and quantifying carbon dioxide emissions.
“Regardless of the progress being made, tackling fuel flaring in Nigeria remains to be confronted with multifaceted challenges together with deficit of infrastructure for fuel seize, storage and transportation, insufficient regulatory enforcement, insufficient funding, technological gaps and low neighborhood involvement”, Salako stated.
Salako stated the Setting Ministry is dedicated to working with stakeholders to eradicate fuel flares from hydrocarbon operations by 2030 strengthening of laws, funding promotion, know-how switch, capability constructing, neighborhood engagement and different measures.
To contact the writer, e mail jov.onsat@rigzone.com
