Michael Eboh
Dublin, Ireland — Nigeria lost $248.4 million, about N377.568 billion, to gas flaring in two months, as oil and gas companies operating in the country flared 71.0 billion Standard Cubic Feet (SCF) of gas between the months of January and February 2025, the National Oil Spill Detection and Remediation Agency (NOSDRA) has revealed.
In its gas flare report for January and February 2025, NOSDRA stated that the amount lost to gas flaring in the first two months of 2025 was 20.23 per cent higher than the $206.6 million, about N314.032 billion, lost to gas flaring in the same two-month period in 2024.
NOSDRA noted that the 71.0 billion SCF (BSCF) of gas flared in the first two months of 2025 contributed 3.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere; and had power generation potential of 7,100 Gigawatts hour (GWh) of electricity.
In addition, the defaulting companies were liable for penalties payment of $141.9 million, about N215.688 billion, using Central Bank of Nigeria’s current exchange realities of N1,520 to a dollar.
In comparison, in the same two-month period in 2024, oil and gas firms flared 59.0 billion SCF of gas, valued at $206.6 million (N314.032 billion); emitted 3.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere; had power generation potential of 5,900 GWh; while the offending firms were liable for penalties payment of $118.1 million (179.512 billion).
Giving a breakdown of gas flared across different segments of the oil and gas operating areas in the two-month period in 2025, NOSDRA reported that companies operating at the country’s onshore oil fields cost the country a loss of $170.2 million, about N258.704 billion, accounting for 68.52 per cent of the total amount lost to gas flaring in the period under review.
In addition, the companies were expected to pay penalties of $97.3 million, about N147.896 billion; as they flared 48.6 billion SCF of gas, which emitted 2.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide and had power generation potential of 4,900 GWh.
In the comparable period of 2024, onshore oil firms accounted for 50.48 per cent of the total; flaring 29.8 billion SCF of gas, valued at $104.3 million (N158.536 billion); it had power generation potential of 3,000 GWh; contributed 1.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions; while the offending companies were liable for penalties payment of $59.6 million (N90.592 billion).
Furthermore, NOSDRA stated that companies operating at the country’s offshore oil fields accounted for 31.48 per cent of the total amounts lost to gas flaring between January and February 2025, as they flared 22.3 billion SCF of gas, valued at $78.2 million (N118.864 billion).
The volume of gas flared by the offshore companies contributed 1.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emission to the atmosphere; it had power generation potential of 2,200 GWh; while the companies were liable for penalties of $44.7 million (N67.944 billion).
In the same period in 2024, oil and gas firms operating offshore flared 29.2 billion SCF of gas; valued at $102.3 million (N155.496 billion); with penalties payable of $58.4 (N88.768 billion); carbon dioxide emissions of 1.6 million tonnes and power generation potential of 2,900 GWh.
NOSDRA reported that the offending companies flared gas from Oil Mining Leases (OML) 04, 05, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18, 22, 28, 23, 24, 38, 40, 42, 43, 72, 49, 54, 90, 95, 67, 70, 104, 59, 99, 100, 101, 102 and Oil Prospecting Licences (OPL) 222, 316 and 306, among others.
It listed the offending companies as Shell Petroleum, Development Company (SPDC), Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), Chevron Nigeria, Mobil Oil, Elf Petroleum Nigeria, Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC), Addax Petroleum, Texaco Overseas (Nigeria), Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria, Allied Energy Resources, Ultramar Petroleum, Atlas Petroleum; Cromwell, Afric Oil and Marketing, Famfa Oil, Moni Pulo, and South Atlantic Petroleum, among others.
