Gas Flare: Don’t Frustrate Climate Action Plan, NUPRC Warns Oil Producers

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has warned producers in the oil and gas industry against frustrating the government’s climate action project.

The NUPRC head of Public Affairs and Corporate Communications, Laide Shonola, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

Shonola said the commission on Tuesday in Abuja read the riot act to producers in the oil and gas industry that it will not hesitate to apply necessary measures to erring or deviant producers and operators whose activities constitute a hindrance to the effective implementation of the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme (NGFCP), the country’s climate action plan.

She said the commission’s chief executive, Gbenga Komolafe, who handed down the warning at an executive session with the producers, underscored the pivotal role of producers in the successful implementation of the NGFCP.

Komolafe was said to have insisted that the commission would go as far as applying necessary measures against deviant operators to the extent of the ultimate consequence of revocation of licensees or leases.

According to her, Mr Komolafe said the commission will activate the necessary provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 and enabling regulations such as the Gas Flaring, Venting and Methane Emissions (Prevention of Waste and Pollution) Regulations 2023 to ensure faithful implementation of the programme.

He recalled that at the inaugural session of the producer’s forum earlier in the year the significance of the NGFCP to achieve the elimination of the unwholesome practice of and wasteful of gas flaring with its attendant deleterious social, health and environmental impacts was underscored.

“Moreover, as a nation, the NGFCP represents one of our key climate actions to combat emissions and support Nigeria’s transition endeavours. The imperatives of the programme have taken on added significance with the recent pronouncements of Mr President at global fora and the international attention that the Programme has attracted. Nigeria cannot afford to fail! We cannot fail!” the statement quoted Komolafe as saying.

He explained that the commission has so far issued relevant letters of award to 42 individual companies for all 49 flare sites on offer.

These flare sites, he said, represent locations that are within the operating areas of 15 companies present at this engagement.

“The importance of your cooperation and collaboration cannot be over-emphasised,” the statement said.