NUPRC sets up committee to oversee gas flare commercialisation

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has inaugurated a 12-member team to drive and coordinate the Nigerian gas flare commercialisation programme (NGFCP). 

Gbenga Komolafe, chief executive officer (CEO), NUPRC, at the inauguration held over the weekend in Abuja, said Nigeria must ensure that it harnesses all available gas resources for value creation.

Komolafe said monetising gas resources is a positive step towards guaranteeing energy security, especially in the global energy transition period. 

He said the commission is restarting the process of issuing flare sites to technically-competent companies, following a competitive bidding process. 

This process, he said, has become crucial in view of the policy direction of the federal government to ensure all gas resources are developed for national development.

“The commission is currently carrying out a study in conjunction with external technical resources to identify suitable flare sites for the auction process,” he said. 

“It was for the purpose that the committee of staff of the commission was inaugurated to drive the process and coordinate implementation of the programme.

“The committee is expected to carry out its mandate, bearing in mind the over-arching significance of the programme to the socio-economic well-being of the nation.”

Komolafe appreciated the support from the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and other stakeholders.

The steering committee members are K.O. Ofoegbu and O.I. Anyanechi; while A.T. Adeyiga, J.O. Ogunsola, J.C. Anyanwu, A.O. Okwah, O.E. Oje, N.E. Odega, K.R. Abisoye, J.C. Echendu, C.I. Chukwukaelo and G.L. Umoru are the programme’s team members. 

In 2016, the federal government initiated the NGFCP to end flaring of natural gas by oil companies operating in the country. 

However, “unforeseen constraints” have delayed its execution.

The federal government had declared 2021 to 2030 as the ‘Decade of Gas’, for optimal gas development and utilisation. 

Meanwhile the World Bank had set 2030 as the target year to end gas flaring, while the federal government has said Nigeria is committed to ending gas flaring by 2025.