The ongoing practice of gas flaring, in which the natural gas associated with petroleum extraction is burned off in the atmosphere rather than being removed by alternative means such as subterranean re-injection or confinement to storage tanks for eventual sale, is particularly controversial.
What is the meaning of gas flaring?
Gas flaring refers to the combustion of associated gas generated during various processes including oil and gas recovery, CBM production, petrochemical process and landfill gas extraction. The typical flare used in the oil and gas industry is composed of a boom or stack which collects the unwanted gases to be flared.
Why is gas flared in Nigeria?
Since the start of commercial oil production in the country, the flaring of associated gas has become commonplace in Nigeria. This is because oil producers do not derive sufficient economic benefits from the utilisation or production of associated gas.
What causes gas flaring?
When natural gas is brought to the surface but cannot easily be used, it is burned for disposal or “flared.” Flaring mainly happens when gas is produced as a byproduct of oil extraction. If there is no infrastructure to put this “associated gas” to productive use, it is simply burned off.
Does gas flaring still happen in Nigeria?
The percentage of gas flared in Nigeria has been reducing since 2002 and stood at 10% in 2018, in terms of volume of gas flared, the country still ranks in the top 10 gas-flaring countries in the world, with 7.4 billion cubic feet in 2018 (see graph 1.2 and 2.0).
Is gas flaring dangerous?
Flaring emits powerful climate forcers and dangerous air pollutants like black carbon, methane, and volatile organic compounds. … Black carbon and methane are both powerful climate forcers and black carbon and VOCs are dangerous air pollutants.
What are the unspoken dangers of gas flaring in Nigeria?
The combustion process raises the soil temperature, with a decline in crop yield and acid rains as its two major ripple effects. The smokes which emanate from the flares also lead to black rainfall and water bodies which affect aquatic and Wildlife. The economic costs of gas flaring are mind-boggling.
What gases can be flared?
Wastes or losses to the flare include process gases, fuel gas, steam, nitrogen and natural gas. Flaring systems can be installed on many places such as onshore and offshore platforms production fields, on transport ships and in port facilities, at storage tank farms and along distribution pipelines.
What are the effect of gas flaring?
Gas flaring introduces toxic pollutants such as sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, which can lead to environmental problems such as acid rain, as well as the generation of greenhouse gases which contribute to global climate change (Obanijesu et al.
How many gas flaring sites are in Nigeria?
The Director of the Department of Petroleum Resources, Sarki Auwalu, has revealed that government has identified 45 gas flaring sites in the country, which will be awarded to successful bidders for the commencement of the first phase of the National Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme (NGFCP).
When was gas flaring banned?
Although gas flaring was officially banned in 1984, about 800 million standard cubic feet of gas is flared daily from approximately 144 gas flare points across Nigeria.
How can flare gas be used?
Flare gas systems are used to manage waste gas that cannot be efficiently captured and returned to the system for processing. For example, some natural gas compressor stations have dehydrator units that remove water from the gas stream before it enters the pipeline system.
How do I stop flaring?
One way to prevent flare-ups is by minimizing the amount of fat and oil on the food you grill. Chicken, steaks, and burgers will all drip fat onto coals during cooking. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing—it’s their higher fat content that makes these foods good for grilling in the first place.
How is Nigeria polluted?
Nigeria has the largest number of deaths due to air pollution in Africa, while the country ranks fourth for air pollution across the globe. Statistics indicate that in 2016, 150 fatalities occurred per 100,000 people as a result of this environmental issue.
Is Paris a contract with Nigeria?
Nigeria has ratified the 2915 Paris Agreement. … The country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) made under the Paris Agreement embodies the country’s efforts to reduce national emissions and to adapt to the effects of climate change.
What are the effect of continuous gas flaring in Nigeria?
In Nigeria’s Niger Delta, gas flares are killing crops, polluting water and damaging human health.