The U.S State Energy Information Administration (EIA) has disclosed that Nigeria remained one of the top five gas flaring nations in the world.
The EIA explained that despite the fact that Nigeria flares a significant portion of its gross natural gas production, the amount being thrown up has reduced by more than 50 per cent over the past ten years.
According to the latest ranking by the EIA, Nigeria now ranks as the fifth-largest natural gas flaring country, down from the second position it held in 2011.
The U.S agency says a considerable huge amount of Nigeria’s gross natural gas production is flared because some of the country’s oil fields lack the infrastructure needed to capture the natural gas produced with oil, known as associated gas.
The EIA in its statement on Nigeria’s oil and gas sector in 2015, said that Nigeria flared 12 per cent of gross production, or 379 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of its associated gas production.
According to the statement: “The Nigerian government has been working to end natural gas flaring for several years, but the deadline to implement the policies and fine oil companies has been repeatedly postponed, with the most recent deadline being December 2012.
“In 2008, the Nigerian government developed a Gas Master Plan to promote investment in pipeline infrastructure and new gas-fired power plants to help reduce gas flaring and provide more gas to fuel much-needed electricity generation.
However, progress is still limited because security risks in the Niger Delta have made it difficult for international oil companies to construct infrastructure that would support gas commercialisation”.