This gas flaring expends huge amounts of energy and causes environmental degradation and. Csr for conflict resolution in niger delta oil and gas industry kpolovie, p. This paper is therefore geared towards addressing the problem of oil spillage, gas flaring and sustainable development in the region. Gas flaring in the niger delta 101 gasflaring emissions contribute significantly to global warming. A common practice among these companies is gas flaring. Pdf gas flaring and venting associated with petroleum. Environmental issues in niger delta region of nigeria. Failed promises and reviving community voices 0 eferiekose ukala, gas flaring in nigerias niger delta. Gas flaring disrupts life in oilproducing niger delta. Oil exploration and exploitation has been ongoing for several decades in the niger delta. Rivers, bayelsa and delta states arguably have the highest number of oil exploration and gasflaring activities in the niger delta of nigeria and so were.
Over the past fifty years, gas flaring and venting associated with petroleum exploration and production in the nigerias niger delta has continue to generate complex consequences in terms of energy, human health, natural environment, socioeconomic environment and. Is living in a gasflaring host community associated with being. Oil exploration and poverty in the niger delta region of. Nowhere else in the world have communities been subjected to it on such a scale. This gas flaring expends huge amounts of energy and causes environmental degradation and disease. Causes of environmental degradation in niger delta. Pdf environmental pollution arising from gas flaring has impacted the biodiversity of niger delta. Pdf the effects of gas flaring on crops in the niger. In this post, we examine the major causes of environmental degradation in niger delta region of nigeria. Chairman, academic staff union of universities asuu, university of port.
Environmental impacts of oil exploration and exploitation. This paper aims to give readers an overview of the issues around gas flaring in nigeria. A nongovernmental organization, justice in nigeria now jinn, in its 2010 report. A generation of militant restive youth, deep political frustrations among oil producing communities, and preelectoral thuggery all combine to prosper in the rich soil of political. Gas flaring in nigeria 5 1 introduction the flaring of associated gas ag in the niger delta is a human rights, environmental and economic monstrosity. Oil exploration and poverty in the niger delta region of nigeria. Air pollution due to gas flaring in the niger delta. Even though oil has become the center of current industrial development and economic activities, the links between oil exploration and exploitation processes and the incumbent. Gas flaring regulation in the oil and gas industry. The house of representatives adhoc committee investigating revenue leakages in nigerias oil and gas industry has frowned at the continuous flaring of gas in the niger delta. Nigeria is the most populated african country and its size, together with its oil and gas wealth, provides it with both political and economic clout. Gas flaring in niger delta uche wisdom duruekes blog. An investigative approach on the effect of air pollution.
Gas flaring in the niger delta region, estimated at 75% of the entire gas produced in nigeria, highlights the environmental abuse posed by resource extraction, and exposes the failure of successive governments to eliminate the. Gas flaring and the preservation of biodiversity in the niger delta in aghabu ed. For instance, it has been reported that heat wave killed. The flaring of gas has been practiced in the niger delta region for fifty years. Environmental impacts of oil exploration and exploitation in the niger delta of nigeria.
The major conclusions are that oil and gas companies have encountered various forms of. This study explores the spatial variability effects of gas flaring on the growth and development of cassava manihot esculenta, waterleaf talinum. The main stresses relative to oil and gas operations arise from gas flaring, leakages of crude oil. Today, there are more than 100 flaring sites in the niger delta region making nigeria one of the highest emitter of greenhouse gases in africa. A comparative analysis of nigeria and texas regulations.
This high level of gas flaring is equal to approximately one quarter of the. Director, academic planning, research and control unit, vicechancellors office, university of port harcourt, pmb 5323 port harcourt. It investigates the problems of compliance to these oil regulations established by the government which eventually accentuated the rate of environmental oil pollution and gas flaring in the region. Environmental pollution arising from gas flaring has impacted the biodiversity of niger delta. Evaluation of the impacts of oil spill disaster on. On a casual observation of the flares in the niger delta one sees that they are sooty and are evidently burn at low efficiency 16.
Flaring of associated gas during oil production has a significant impact on the environment, health and finances of the nation. The niger delta is the nigerian oil and gas province. Ongoing conflict in the niger delta region of nigeria has overlapping ethnic, economic and environmental causes, including environmental concerns arising from the activities of the oil industry. Gas flaring in the niger delta 7275 words bartleby. Hamilton rivers state university of science and technology abstract this paper examines the role of oil and gas companies in community crises in the niger delta. The emissions of air pollutants as byproducts of gas flaring in the niger delta are of great concern as it has been demonstrated from exposureresponse studies in different parts of the world that exposure to elevated air pollutants concentrations can have detrimental impact on human health e. Oil and gas companies and community crises in the niger delta. Emmanuel ibe kachikwu, nigerias state minister for petroleum resources, presented his countrys highlevel roadmap to end routine gas flaring by 2020, which is a full decade ahead of the target in the zero routine flaring by 2030 initiative, a global effort to end routine flaring that nigeria endorsed in 2016.
Gas flaring has adverse impacts on the environmental components and its associated biota. Gas flaring in the niger delta region and its reportage by. Defusing the time bomb by jean balouga introduction nigeria is the largest petroleum producer in africa and the sixth largest producer of sweet crude oil among opec member countries. Oil companies in the oilrich niger delta in nigerias south destroy gas that could be used as a source of energy. It sets out the dynamic of environmental conflict in the region and explores how two different political regimes, one authoritarian and the other democratic, have approached conflict management in the area. Flaring of associated gas from oil exploitation has several consequences on the environment. Resource misgovernance and the contradictions of gas. Gas flaring continues scorching niger delta environment. Most of the gas is flared by oil companies operating in the niger delta region of the. This high level of gas flaring is equal to approximately one quarter of the current power. Gas flaring attendant impacts of criteria and particulate pollutants. It has had disastrous impacts on the environment in the region and has adversely. Over the past fifty years, gas flaring and venting associated with petroleum exploration and production in the nigerias niger delta has continue to generate complex consequences in.
The niger delta region of nigeria has suffered all forms of pollution and degradation arising from oil and natural gas exploitation. Air pollution has been identified as one of the most critical environmental problems confronting the niger delta area. About 10 40% of produced associated gas is underutilized and is flared into the environment. The erhorike gas flaring has been on for more than fifty years. Heat radiation from gas flaring also causes an increase in heat waves hence there is the possibility that habitants of nigerdelta area, where the gas flaring stations are located will suffer heart stroke, heart attacks and other ailments aggravated by the heat odigure et al. Nigeria remains africas largest energy producer and at the same time possesses one of the highest gas flaring rates in the continent. Shell nigeria is the common name for royal dutch shells nigerian operations carried out through four subsidiariesprimarily shell petroleum development company of nigeria limited spdc. There is a need to increase research effort on understanding the association of gas flaring, air pollution and related health and environmental impacts in the niger delta. Niger delta is carried out without regard to international health and safety standards or observed minimum levels of protection to the environment from pollution arising from oil spillage and gas flaring. The niger delta environment the niger delta is said to be the worlds largest wetland. Article information, pdf download for gas flaring in nigeria.
The niger delta region of nigeria is richly endowed with natural resources with oil and gas accounting for over. The niger delta region of nigeria, with its huge crude deposits, plays host to most of the oil companies in the country. Gas flaring disrupts life in oilproducing niger delta natural gas is a byproduct of drilling for oil. Traffic, industry and gas flaring are the major air pollution sources in the region. Gas flaring in the niger delta ruins lives, business dw. The ongoing practice of gas flaring, in which the natural gas associated with petroleum. Royal dutch shells joint ventures account for more than 21% of nigerias total petroleum production629,000 barrels per day 100,000 m 3 d bpd in 2009 from more than eighty fields. Gas flaring and venting associated with petroleum exploration and production in the nigerias niger delta article pdf available january 20 with 3,008 reads how we measure reads. Conflict news environmental rights action and the climate justice programme have released a report on gas flaring in the niger delta and are suing oil companies and the nigerian government for decades of damage. Data on volumes of gas flared in the country and emission factors of. Regrettably, 75% of the cost is borne by the local communities through polluted water, infertile farmland and lost biodiversity. This is the usual trend in the nigerian oil and gas industry. Ongoing conflict in the niger delta region of nigeria has overlapping ethnic, economic.
Many oil producing communities of the niger delta where gas is flared, it has been going for years. Member representing sagbamaekeremor federal constituency, in the house of representatives, mr fred agbedi has said that gas flaring in the niger delta region cannot be completely eliminated as. The study relied on primary data collected through interviews and focus group discussions in selected communities of. This study examined the problem of gas flaring and its contribution to energy poverty in the oil rich niger delta region of nigeria. Gas flaring in nigerias niger delta washington and lee law. Pdf the study examines the relationship between total gas produced, utilized and flared, also the social cost, economic cost and the public health. Most of the flare sites are found in the niger delta region. It contends that the conflicts in the niger delta could be linked to the non. The biggest gas flaring company is the shell petroleum development company of nigeria ltd, a joint venture that is majority owned by the nigerian government. Devastated by the ecological costs of oil spillage and the highest gas flaring rates in the world, the niger delta is a political tinderbox. Associated gas, natural gas, gas flaring, nigeria, niger delta. Gas flaring in the niger delta ruins lives, business.
The flaring of associated gas ag in the niger delta is a human rights. Also, health implication of long time exposure to emissions from gas flaring on. Gas flaring in the niger delta 101 gas flaring emissions contribute significantly to global warming. Nigeria flares more natural gas associated with oil extraction than any other country, with estimates suggesting that of the 3. What is the economic cost associated with gas flaring in nigeria. Their gas flaring sites remarkably dot the niger delta landscape. The acid rain caused by gas flaring has altered the vegetation of the niger delta area. Oil exploration and security challenges in the nigerdelta. The picture shows gas flaring in one of the oil producing communities in the niger delta of nigeria called erhorike. Environmental impacts and economical analysis of gas. Nigeria is the second largest gas flaring nation in the world. Gas flaring in nigeria friends of the earth international. Pollution and continuous flaring of gas from oil prospecting.
Gas flaring operations as experienced in the niger delta region ndr of. The committee disclosed that massive gas flaring is still ongoing in many parts of the niger delta, adding that the development has culminated in a huge loss of revenue. Shell nigeria is the company doing most oil extraction in the niger delta. A critical environmental and legal framework assessment. Gas flaring gas flaring in the niger delta ruins lives, business. Oil and gas companies and community crises in the niger delta donald i.
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