Nigeria loses N710bn to gas flaring in four months

Michael Eboh

Dublin, Ireland — Nigeria lost $443.8 million, about N710.08 billion to gas flaring in four months, as oil and gas companies operating in the country flared 126.8 billion standard cubic feet (SCF) of gas between January and April 2025, latest flare data released by the National Oil Spill Detection and Remediation Agency (NOSDRA) has revealed.

In its gas flare report for January to April 2025, NOSDRA stated that the value of gas flared in the first four months of the year was 19.88 per cent higher than the $370.2 million, about N592.32 billion, lost to gas flaring in the same four-month period in 2024.

The oil spill agency noted that the gas flared in the first four months in 2025 contributed 6.7 million tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere; had power generation potential of 12,700 Gigawatts-hour (GWh), while the penalties accumulated by the offending companies was $253.6 million, about N405.760 billion.

In comparison, in the four-month period in 2024, Nigeria lost $370.2 million, about N592.32 billion, to gas flaring, as oil and gas firms flared 105.8 billion SCF (BSCF) of gas, which contributed 5.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, had power generation potential of 10,600 GWh, while the offending companies accumulated penalties of $211.6 million, about N338.56 billion.

Giving a breakdown of gas flared across different segments in the oil and gas sector, NOSDRA disclosed that companies operating onshore flared 85.4 billion SCF of gas, representing 67.35 per cent of the total flared in the four-month period, and valued at $298.9 million, about N478.24 billion, using current exchange rate of N1,600 to a dollar.

The gas flared onshore, according to NOSDRA, had power generation potential of 8,500 GWh, contributed 4.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere; while the companies were liable for penalties of $170.8 million, about N273.28 billion.

Comparatively, in the same four-month period in 2024, companies operating onshore flared 54.6 billion SCF of gas valued at $191.2 million (N305.92 billion); with penalties payable at $109.3 million (N174.88 billion); carbon dioxide emissions of 2.9 million tonnes; and power generation potential of 5,500 GWh.

On the other hand, NOSDRA stated that companies operating offshore flared 41.4 billion SCF of gas between January and April 2025, and caused the country a loss of $144.9 million (N231.84 billion); contributed 2.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere; had power generation potential of 4,100 GWh, while the companies were liable for penalties of $82.8 million (N132.48 billion)

In comparison, offshore companies caused the country a loss of $179 million (N286.4 billion) between January and April 2024; and were to pay $102.3 million (N163.68 billion) as penalties; contributed 2.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere; while the gas flared had power generation potential of 5,100 GWh.

Furthermore, NOSDRA identified 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.

It stated 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.