Michael Eboh
Dublin, Ireland — Nigeria’s gas output rose by 7.62 per cent to 166.892 billion standard cubic feet of gas (SCF) in the month of October 2024, compared with 155.079 billion SCF (BSCF) of gas in the month of September 2024, according to data released by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited.
In its gas utilisation data for the month of October 2024, the NNPCL stated that the total volume of gas produced in October translated to average daily gas output of 5.385 BSCF, compared with average daily gas output of 5.169 BSCF in September 2024.
The NNPCL disclosed that Associated Gas (AG) accounted for 68.64 per cent of total gas output in the month under review, with 114.55 BSCF, while Non-Associated Gas (NAG), accounted for 31.36 per cent of total gas output with 52.342 BSCF of gas.
The national oil firm further stated that 93.3 per cent of the total gas produced in the country in October 2024 was utilised for various purposes, while 6.27 per cent was flared.
Giving a breakdown of gas utilised in the month under review, the NNPCL noted that 9.926 BSCF of gas, representing 5.95 per cent of total gas output, was utilised as fuel gas; 58.683 BSCF of gas was utilised by the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), accounting for 35.16 per cent of total gas output; while Escravos Gas to Liquid (EGTL) project took up 5.120 BSCF of total gas produced, representing 3.07 per cent of total output.
In addition, the national oil firm reported that 2.962 BSCF of gas, representing 1.77 per cent of total gas output, was utilised for Natural Gas Liquid/Liquefied Petroleum Gas (NGL/LPG) in the month under review; domestic gas sales by the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC) and others accounted for 14.46 per cent of total gas production, with 24.144 BSCF of gas, while 53.509 BSCF of gas (32.06 per cent) was reinjected and utilised as gas lift make up.
On the contrary, the NNPCL reported that 10.472 BSCF of gas was flared in October 2024, representing 6.27 per cent, and rising by 11.75 per cent compared with 9.371 BSCF of gas flared in September.
In addition, the corporation noted that in the review period, joint venture (JV) companies produced 108.32 BSCF, while production sharing companies (PSC) produced 58.572 BSCF of gas, representing 64.9 per cent and 35.1 per cent of total gas output, respectively.
Furthermore, the national oil firm stated that Shell Nigeria recorded the highest gas production in the month under review, with 35.143 BSCF of gas, followed by Mobil, with 27.384 BSCF and Chevron Nigeria with 19.989 BSCF, while TotalEnergies Nigeria recorded gas output of 19.830 BSCF.
The highest offenders in terms of gas flaring in the month under review, according to the report were the NNPC Exploration and Production Limited (NEPL)/Seplat Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) joint venture; Seplat, NEPL-Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) joint venture; and the NEPL from Oil Mining Leases 86/88, with all of them flaring 100 per cent of the respective gas outputs.
