Current gas being flare can generate 3,000MW – DPR

Additional 3,000 megawatts of electricity can be generated from the current gas being flared in the country, according to a document from the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR ) BusinessDay cited.

The DPR’s document made available at a workshop organised in Lagos weekend
explained that the country has made a lot of progress in terms of reduction of gas flaring which is currently put about 11 per cent of its gas production, bringing Nigeria to seventh in the world.

if the government is able to harness gas currently being flared in the 139 flare locations across the Niger Delta, it would provide 3,000MW of electricity in the nearest future,the document stated.

It explained that solution to gas flaring challenge is for government to construct pipelines which will harness all gas currently being flared into one position for commercialisation.

The document further explained that government’s current Nigerian Gas Flare Commericlisation (NGFC) programme was geared towards finding markets for gas flared in the country.

It stated that there were mistakes in the past with the programme because companies without technical and financial capabilities were allocated flare sites to harness them.

“However, things have changed because DPR is now making sure those who will get allocations will have everything it takes to take gas into the market for sale,” it said.

The government will be responsible for finding market for gas currently being flared unlike in the past when it was left in the hands of producers.

Another reason the programme has not been successful the report said is because government left gas flaring commericalisation in the hands of the producers who do not have much interest in gas

The agency report said that gas flaring is to be a global chanllege.

The department categorised gas flaring into two categories: routine flaring and non-routine flaring. The report described routine gas flaring as intentional burning of gas while non-routing flaring is the need to burn gas due to unexpected emergencies.

The Federal Government is planning to end routing gas flare by 2020 is the routine flaring.

” Non-routine flaring cannot be stopped because there could always be emergencies which could require companies to free up some pressure during production.

It further said Nigeria needs dedicated exploration gas, as all the gas discovered in the country so far, have been “accidental”.

The country can generate double of the power produce today if we utilise the gas we flare.IfNigeria can harness its gas potential, we have the tendency to power Africa.

Olusola Bello