By Our Reporter
Nigeria alongside Algeria and Libya are in top 10 countries identified as a major contributor to global gas flaring.
The 10 countries which include the United States, Russian Federation, Iran, Iraq, Mexico, others, accounts for for 75% of the world’s flared gas, according to the latest Global Gas Flaring Tracker Report by the World Bank.
The report noted that these countries have dominated global gas flaring for over a decade.
The report also revealed that these top 10 gas flaring countries produced 46% of the world’s oil, yet their gas flaring practices remain a significant environmental concern.
The report read: Global
Global Trends and Regional Disparities
The report shows an overall increase of 9 billion cubic meters (bcm) in global gas flaring from 139 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 2022 to 148 bcm in 2023.
This 7% rise in flaring volumes marks the highest level recorded in the last five years. The increase in gas flaring is juxtaposed with a mere 1% increase in global oil production, underscoring a growing disparity between oil extraction activities and environmental sustainability.
Countries like the United States and Russia had significant increases in flaring volumes and intensity.
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According to the report, Russian Federation remains the largest flaring country. The US experienced a 21% rise in gas flaring while Russia has 11% increase in 2023.
These increases have major implications for global greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to heightened concerns over climate change and environmental degradation.
For Nigeria, this means enhancing infrastructure, adopting new technologies, and fostering public-private partnerships to mitigate the environmental impact of gas flaring.
In the meantime, in November 2022, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) issued guidelines with a clear objective: to establish measures for operators in the upstream oil and gas sector to prevent and manage greenhouse gas emissions at both new and existing facilities.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) earlier said that Nigeria plans to end gas flaring by 2030 and slash methane emissions to 60% by 2031.
However, the NUPRC claimed that although the World Bank has set 2030 as the target year to end gas flaring, Nigeria has set the country’s deadline for 2025.
The World Bank report emphasizes the need for urgent and coordinated global action to achieve the goal of Zero Routine Flaring by 2030.
It also calls for substantial investments in gas recovery and utilization projects, especially in countries with high flaring volumes.
