Making the new gas mantra work for Africa
There is no doubt that the geology of most African nations is superbly enriched with oil and gas. In some countries, which have been designated gas-belt, the abundance of gas by the TCF of the proven and unproven gas reserves are so immense, that western nations are badgered with the thoughts why almost all the communities in Africa are still groping in darkness and less energized with the light of industrialization.
The fact of the matter is that Africans are still light years behind in implementing policies that will ensure vigorous and reliable gas monetization of their natural resources to ensure social development and economic growth. This lack of will metamorphosed into lackadaisical investment in gas infrastructures and utilization to enable the growing populace benefit from the use of natural gas which is the cleanest fossil in the energy mix.
It is appalling that great number of oil and gas producing nations are in Sub-Saharan Africa, yet energy utilization in this region of the world is very low indicating why it is one of the poorest regions in the world.
Most of the producing nations in Sub-Saharan Africa such as Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and Angola are more geared towards being exporting nations of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Although the exporting of LNG helps to boost government revenue, it has not really accelerated socio-economic development in these countries and this is also indicative of constant social upheavals in these countries because of poor standard of living and economic anemia.
To ensure sustainable economic growth and social development in all ramifications, producing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa must learn to balance exporting of natural gas in form of LNG and the domestic utilization of it as LPG, gas-to-power, Gas-to-liquid , fertilizer production to aid agriculture, conversion to methanol for other industrial and pharmaceutical uses.
Nigeria for instance has the highest proven reserves of natural gas in Africa which amounts up to 5,063 Billion Cubic Meter, followed by Algeria, Egypt and Libya, yet the utilization of natural gas are more in some of these North African countries.
Natural gas has been identified as efficient and environmentally sound way of producing electricity at a considerably cheaper rate. Amidst great proven reserves of natural gas and humongous reckless flaring of gas, about 75 percent of Nigerian communities are either without electricity completely or have acute shortage of it.
Gas monetization has become the new mantra in Africa, with governments coming out with appealing plans and yet the effort to start the realization of developmental projects is still at snail speed. Gas flaring is still going on in most of the production centers.
While one can adduce to the fact, that domestic gas utilization consciousness is coming up and a bit of progress has been made, it is not enough to balance the level of darkness that still beclouds Africa with all the gigantic talks on gas-to-power, or do we juxtapose with the hunger that sill pervades the region when farmers cannot afford fertilizers, or are we to attribute it that fuel scarcity is still a common thing as everything that has wheel depends on petrol, instead of some trucks been fuelled with gas or instead of using diesel to power most companies , they are been run with gas. Significantly, lack of gas hubs and safe transportation system are strong impediments.
Most of the gas produced at fields are supposed to be used as energy for production resources, at least powering the communities in which production is going and the extra should be consumed locally and sold internationally. Most operators lack infrastructures or facilities to actuate proper storage and utilization of gas. Transportation of gas to needed areas faces security issues and also low investment in technologies required to transport them according either through pipelines, tankers and liquefied vessels.
While these big talks on gas monetization and upping domestic utilization has become a big mantra, dynamic solutions and efficient Implementation are only possible if all and sundry join the policy makers to figure out how we can make it work now and not tomorrow.
SUNNY OPUTA