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Nigeria's efforts to cut gas flaring delayed by coronavirus restrictions

Published 03/06/2020, 15:45
Updated 03/06/2020, 15:48

By Libby George
LAGOS, June 3 (Reuters) - Nigeria's efforts to cut its
flared gas have been delayed by at least 6 weeks due to the new
coronavirus outbreak, the petroleum regulator said on Wednesday.
The West African country is trying to commercialize the gas
that is currently burned at its wells as waste so that it can be
exported or used for power production.
Nigeria is one of the top ten gas-flaring countries in the
world; it flared some 7.4 billion cubic feet in 2018, according
to accounting firm PwC.
The country estimates that it loses $1 billion in revenue
annually due to flaring, which also adds to extreme
environmental pollution in the Niger Delta region.
But Sarki Auwalu, head of the Department of Petroleum
Resources (DPR), said the current bidding round had been delayed
due to travel restrictions aimed at stemming the spread of the
virus.
"What is holding (up) the programme is COVID-19. Because
(the bidders) need access to the flare points..., they have to
go and see (them) physically," he said. "We had to officially
extend the programme by six weeks."
Nigeria's gas flare commercialization programme was approved
in 2016, and the DPR held a round for companies wanting to bid
on the opportunity to commercialize 96 flare points in February.
Submissions for the bids were due in early April. Auwalu
said some 200 companies had joined the process.

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