Nigeria lost N197bn to gas flaring in nine months – NNPC

Oil and gas firms operating in the country flared a total of 215.9 billion standard cubic feet of natural gas in the first nine months of last year, amounting to a potential loss of N197bn. According to information from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, 31.68 billion scf of gas was flared in January; 27.25 billion scf, in February; and 26.88 billion scf in March, and 23.06 billion scf in April. The firms, including international and indigenous operators, wasted 21.20 billion scf of gas in May; 21.66 billion scf in June; 21.21 billion scf in July; 22.42 billion scf in August, and 20.54 billion scf in September. With the price of natural gas put at $2.97 per 1,000scf as of Friday, the 215.9 billion scf flared translates to an estimated loss of $641.22m or N196.82bn (using the official exchange rate of N306.95/dollar). Out of the 238.91 billion scf of gas supplied in September 2018, a total of 142.09 billion scf of gas was commercialised, comprising 30.36 billion scf and 111.73 billion scf for the domestic and export market respectively.