The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has stated that a total of 276.04 billion cubic feet (bcf) of natural gas was flared from Nigeria’s oil fields between September 2018 and September 2019 – a period of 13 months.

NNPC in its latest operations and financial reports explained that the volume of gas flared within this period was more than what was supplied to power generation companies for electricity production which was 275.31bcf.

According to the corporation, the country’s average gas flare rate within the period was 8.91 per cent with an average of 706.10 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) of gas flared each day.

It stated that in September 2018, the country flared a total of 20.54bcf of gas and a daily average of 684.69mmscfd.
In October 2018, it explained that 20.51bcf was flared and an average of 683.49mmscfd recorded. The flared volume in November 2018 the corporation said rose to 23.78bcf and 792.49mmscfd averaged per day.

The country ended the year with an average of 729.55mmscfd flared which totaled 21.89bcf.
In January 2019, NNPC said the country started with a reduced flaring of 18.30bcf which translated to 610.07mmscfd; in February it however rose to 757.94mmscfd and 21.22bcf for the month.

However, in March, the flared figure rose to a total of 24.95bcf and 804.69mmscfd; in April, it said it was 827.42mmscfd which it added, translated to 24.82bcf.

The corporation added that in May, the flared figures were 19.84bcf and 661.47mmscfd respectively; 18.12bcf and 603.97mmscfd in June; 20.47bcf and 660.04mmscfd in July; 21.66bcf and 698.78mmscfd in August as well as 19.94bcf and 664.70mmscfd in September 2019.

“Total gas supply for the period September 2018 to September 2019 stood at 3,091.74bcf out of which 463.07bcf and 1,353.60bcf were commercialised for the domestic and export market respectively. Gas re–injected, fuel gas and gas flared stood at 1,275.07bcf,” the corporation added in the report.

It further explained that an average of 615mmscfd of gas was supplied in September 2018 to produce an average of 2,303 megawatts (MW) of electricity; 627mmscfd for 2,349MW in October 2018; 735mmscfd for 2,849MW in November and 774mmscfd for 3,131MW in December 2018.

In January 2019, the NNPC said an average of 757mmscfd was supplied to power generation companies to produce an average of 3,124MW per day of electricity; in February it said that it was 820mmscfd for 3,336MW; 777mmscfd and 3,223MW respectively in March; 728mmscfd and 3,095MW in April; 761mmscfd and 2,958 MW in May as well as 751mmscfd and 2,896MW in June.

According to the corporation, between July and September 2019, it was 730mmscfd; 666mmscfd and 595mmscfd of gas supplied daily for the production of 2,864MW; 2,462MW and 2,227MW of electricity respectively.