Gas Flaring In Nigeria

Gas flaring refers to the burning of associated gas with crude oil during production from the reservoir. Associated gas is generally regarded as an undesirable by- product, which is either re-injected, flared, or vented. Natural gas flaring is regarded one of the cheapest means [12] of disposing the associated gas. In Nigeria, [12] when oil companies began production in the 1960’s, the most affordable and economic way to separate the crude oil from the associated gas was to flare the gas.

Nigeria flares 17.2 billion Sm3(607.2bscf) of natural gas per year[1] (an average of 1.4billion Sm3 per month) in conjunction with the exploration of crude oil in the Niger Delta. The high level of gas flaring is equal to almost one quarter of the current

1.2 Environmental Impact of Gas Flaring

According to satellite data, almost 140billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas is flared annually all around the world.

The estimated gas to be flared annually is [25] equivalent to nearly 20 % of the United States’ gas consumption and over 30 % of the European Union’s gas consumption. By- product of flared gas has a global impact on climate change, adding almost 350 million tons of CO2 in annual emissions. Less than 20 countries account for more than 85 % of gas flaring, only four countries together are estimated to flare about 70bcm of gas. [25]

Figure 1.2 Top 20 Gas Flaring Countries (The World Bank, 2016) [25] 1.2.1 Climate Change

Gas flaring contributes to climate change by emission of CO2 which is a greenhouse gas with more long term effect than methane (CH4). This pose a serious threat for both Nigeria and the rest of the world. Fossil fuel burning has led to the increase in the world’s atmospheric temperature and is projected to get much worse during the 21st century according to the intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC)[34]. Climate change is particularly serious for developing countries, and Africa as a continent is regarded as highly vulnerable with limited ability to

Acid Rain Effect

Components of flared gas combine with rainfall and ultimately cause acid rain. According to [11] corrugated roofs in the Delta region of Nigeria have been corroded by the composition of the rain that falls as a result of flaring. The main causes of acid rain are flared gas by-products which are primarily carbon dioxide (CO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NO) which react with rainfall/moisture to form, carbonic acid, sulfuric acid and nitric acid respectively. [11]

1.2.3. Agricultural Impact

The exhaust gases associated with gas flaring give rise to atmospheric contaminants. These include [18] oxides of Nitrogen, Carbon and Sulphur (NO2, CO2, CO, SO2), particulate matter, hydrocarbons and ash, photochemical oxidants, and hydrogen sulphide (H2S). These contaminants acidify the soil, hence depleting soil nutrient. Previous studies [9] have shown that the nutritional value of crops within such vicinity are reduced. In some cases, there is no vegetation in the areas surrounding [26] the flare due partly to the tremendous heat that is produced and acid nature of soil pH. The effects of the changes [20] in temperature on crops included stunted growth, scotched plants and such other effects as withered young crops. They [20] concluded that the soils of the study area are fast losing their fertility and capacity for sustainable agriculture due to the acidification of the soils by the various pollutants associated with gas flaring in the area.