RATE OF GAS FLARING NOW OVER 22% - NNPC

The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has said that the rate of gas flaring in the country currently stands at 21.93 per cent.

The gas flare rate rose from 14 per cent in January 2012 to 22 per cent in February 2012. The NNPC however did not give any reason for the increase. According to the latest edition of the Monthly Petroleum Information (MPI) from the NNPC obtained by our correspondent, 78 per cent of gas flare production was utilised.

The natural gas produced from oil fields in the country in February 2012 were used for power generation, fuel for oil production, reinjection into oil wells, export and industrial applications.

The MPI indicated that 206.02 billion standard cubic feet (bscf) of gas was produced while 160.84bscf was utilised.

The MPI indicated that February gas production figure of 206.02 was lower than the January figure of 215.86bscf.

A total of 45,177bscf of gas was flared at the oil fields onshore and offshore oil fields in Nigeria in February while 30.33bscf was flared in the preceding month.

Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) led the gas production chart with 69.37bscf and utilised 64.27bscf while it flared 5.1bscf of its gas production.

SPDC was followed by the Nigeria Agip Oil Company with 3 8.69bscf gas production, utilised 29.05bscf and flared 7.50bscf of gas in February 2012.

Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN), operator of the Qua Iboe oil fields, off Akwa Ibom coastline, produced a total of 35,07bscf of gas , used 25.05bscf and flared 10.60bscf of its gas output under the joint venture category.