EFFECT OF GAS FLARING INTO THE ECOSYSTEM
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EFFECT OF GAS FLARING INTO THE ECOSYSTEM
Chapter one
INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background of the Study
Nigeria burns more natural gas connected with oil extraction than any other country, with estimates showing that of the 3.5 billion cubic feet (100,000,000 m³) of related gas produced annually, 2.5 billion cubic feet (70,000,000 m³), or nearly 70%, is squandered by flaring.
This represents around 25% of total natural gas usage in the United Kingdom and 40% of Africa’s gas consumption in 2001. Statistical figures on gas flaring are notoriously unreliable, yet Nigeria may lose US$2 billion per year by flaring related gas.
Flaring is used because it is expensive to extract economically viable associated gas from oil. Companies operating in Nigeria also harvest natural gas for commercial purposes, although they prefer to extract it from deposits where it is found alone as non-associated gas. Thus, related gas is burnt off to reduce costs.
Gas flaring is generally discouraged since it emits hazardous gases into the environment and contributes to climate change. In Western Europe, 99% of associated gas is used or reinjected underground.
Shell initiated gas flaring in Nigeria in the 1960s, at the same time as oil exploitation. Alternatives to flaring include gas re-injection and storage for future use as an energy source. If kept correctly, the gas might be used for community initiatives.
Gas flaring emits a significant amount of methane, which has a strong global warming potential. The methane is accompanied by the other major greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, of which Nigeria was estimated to have emitted more than 34.38 million metric tonnes in 2002, accounting for approximately 50% of total industrial emissions and 30% of total CO2 emissions. While flaring has been reduced in the West, it has increased in Nigeria in direct proportion to oil production.
The world community, the Nigerian government, and oil firms appear to agree that gas flaring should be reduced. Efforts to do so have been limited, despite the fact that flaring has been declared unlawful in Nigeria under Section 3 of the “Associated Gas Reinjection Act” since 1984.
While OPEC and Shell, the two largest flarers of natural gas in Nigeria, both say that just 50% of the related gas is burned off through flaring, these figures are challenged. According to the World Bank, “Nigeria currently flares 75% of the gas it produces” (2004).
Gas flares have the potential to harm the health and livelihoods of nearby communities by emitting poisonous chemicals such as nitrogen dioxides, sulphur dioxide, volatile organic compounds such as benzene, toluene, xylene, and hydrogen sulphide, as well as carcinogens such as benzapyrene and dioxins.
Humans exposed to such compounds may develop respiratory difficulties. These substances can worsen asthma, induce breathing difficulty and pain, and lead to chronic bronchitis.
Benzene, which is known to be emitted in huge levels from gas flares, is widely recognised as a cause of leukaemia and other blood-related disorders. According to Climate Justice, exposure to benzene would result in eight additional cancer cases each year in Bayelsa State alone.
Gas flares are frequently located near settlements, and there is generally no fencing or safety for villagers who labour near them. Many towns claim that neighbouring flares emit acid rain, corroding their homes and other structures, many of which have zinc-based roofing. Some people choose to use asbestos-based materials, which are more resistant to acid rain damage.
Unfortunately, this contributes to their failing health and the health of their surroundings. Asbestos exposure raises the chances of developing lung cancer, pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma, and asbestosis.
The contribution of flares to acid rain is controversial, as several independent studies discovered that the sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxide concentration of most flares was inadequate to establish a link between flaring and acid rain.
Other studies by the United States Energy Information Administration (EIA) show that gas flaring is “a major contributor to air pollution and acid rain.”
Older flares are rarely transported away from villages because they are known to pollute the land and communities and cause damage to surrounding vegetation. Because of the heat generated by the flares, almost no plant can grow in the immediate vicinity.
In November 2005, the Federal High Court of Nigeria ruled that gas flaring in a Niger Delta town must halt because it violates the constitutional rights to life and dignity.
In a case filed against Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (Shell), Justice C. V. Nwokorie declared in Benin City that “the damaging and wasteful practice of flaring cannot lawfully continue.” As of May 2011, Shell had not stopped flaring gas in Nigeria.
1.2. Statement of the Problem.
The Nigerian government has failed to successfully enforce environmental legislation due to the overlapping and conflicting jurisdictions of distinct governmental bodies responsible for petroleum and the environment, as well as non-transparent governance procedures.
The Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) have not adopted anti-flaring measures for natural gas waste from oil production, nor have they monitored emissions to assure compliance.
The Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) has the jurisdiction to create rules for water, air, and land pollution, as well as to regulate the oil industry.
However, in some circumstances, their regulations conflict with the Department of Petroleum Resources’ (DPR) oil exploration regulations, which were implemented in 1991.
1.3 Significance of the Study
The overall goal of this project is to quantify the effect of gas flaring on the community of living organisms in the Niger Delta, interpret findings, analyse implications, and communicate high-level results and implications to national decision-makers in order to ensure the Niger Delta community’s sustainability and improved environment. This information should provide critical direction for future gas flare control and their impact on the impacted community.
1.4 Objectives of the Study
The primary goal of this study was to analyse the impact of gas flaring in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region.
The specific aims of the study are:
The purpose of this study is to look at the impact of gas flaring on the living organisms in Nigeria’s Niger Delta.
To determine whether gas flaring has a substantial impact on the Niger Delta of Nigeria.
1.5 Research questions.
During the study, the researcher aims to provide appropriate responses to the following questions:
How does gas flaring effect the Niger Delta’s living organisms?
What influence does gas flaring have on Nigeria’s Niger Deltas?
1.6 Research Hypotheses
Gas flaring in the Niger Delta has considerable impact on the local ecosystem. There is no substantial impact of gas flaring in Nigeria’s Niger Deltas.
1.7 Limitations of the Study
The study looked on the effects of gas flaring in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region. The study focusses on refineries in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region. This is because she represents all Nigerian refineries, is close to the researcher, and has time and budget constraints. Ecosystem
1.8 Scope of the Study
This study focusses on the effects of gas flaring in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region, with a special emphasis on how it impacts the community of living species in the environment, in order to propose long-term remedies. Ecosystem
1.9 Definition of Terms
Gas is an air-like fluid substance that expands freely to fill any available area, regardless of its volume.
Gas flaring is the combustion of natural gas associated with crude oil when it is extracted from the ground.
An ecosystem is a community of living species that interact as a whole with the non-living components of their environment (such as air, water, and mineral soil).
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