We will eliminate gas flaring in Nigeria by the end of 2023 – TotalEnergies MD

Omono Okonkwo

The Managing Director, TotalEnrgies has said the company will eliminate gas flaring activities by the end of 2023. He said this on November 14 at the ongoing 41st Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) annual international conference and exhibition in Lagos state. 

According to Mathieu Bouyer, the Managing Director, by 2030, TotalEnergies plans to have an energy mix of gas at 50% petroleum products at 30%, electricity at 15%, and biomass and hydrogen at 5%.

He said the company is making plans to reduce global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its oil and gas facilities by 40% by 2030.  

He said: 

“We are ramping up the solarization of energy sources in our facilities and host communities in Nigeria. From a modest generation of 0.12 megawatts (MW) in 2021 to 0.55 megawatts peak (MWp) in 2023 and with a target of 9.4 MWp by the end of 2025. We will eliminate routine flaring at our installations in Nigeria by the end of 2023.” 

“In this journey of energy transition, we recognize the strategic role of natural gas. Gas produces half the GHG emissions of coal for the generation of electricity.  It emits less GHG than oil for the same quality of energy and in its liquefied form (liquefied natural gas), it offers similar ease of storage and transport. 

“For more than a century, oil and gas have powered the socio-economic lives all-round the globe. However, it has been realized that the unintended consequences of uncontrolled and unsustainable generation, processing, and use of fossil fuels are far greater than previously thought.  

“Top on the list of these undesirable consequences is global warming with all its manifestations. Consequently, society has been responding by discouraging the generation and use of energy sources with high greenhouse gas, GHG emissions and high carbon footprints and promoting the use of cleaner and renewable energy sources.” 

What you should know

In October 2023, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) said that TotalEnergies has fully funded all five Host Communities Development Trusts (HCDTs), totalling $15 million, showcasing their commitment to the host community. They are the first among International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in Nigeria to achieve this milestone. 

Also, On November 12, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited brokered a peace deal between TotalEnergies and PENGASSAN as well as NUPENG after a strike action had taken place and restricted workflow at the company. The deal led to the restoration of 275,000 barrels of oil per day production at TotalEnergies.