Nigeria’s gas output plummets by 4% in one month
Adewale Akintaro
Nigeria’s gas output reportedly declined by 4% in one month.
as oil and gas companies operating in the country produced 141.557 billion standard cubic feet (SCF) of gas in April 2024, compared with 147.295 billion SCF (BSCF) of gas produced in the preceding month.
The NNPC, in its gas utilisation report for April 2024, stated that the country’s total gas output averaged 4.719 billion SCF of gas in the month under review, compared with 4.751 billion SCF in March 2023.
The national oil firm noted that Associated Gas (AG) output, at 92.939 billion SCF, accounted for 65.65 per cent of total gas production, while Non-Associated Gas (NAG) output, at 48.619 billion SCF, accounted for 34.35 per cent of total gas production in the month under review.
The NNPC stated that of the total gas output, 133.923 billion SCF was utilised, accounting for 94.61 per cent of total gas output in the month under review.
Giving a breakdown of gas utilised in April 2024, NNPC disclosed that 8.944 billion SCF of gas and 55.022 billion SCF was utilised as fuel gas and by the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), respectively, while the Escravos Gas to Liquid (EGTL) project utilised 1.921 billion SCF of gas.
In addition, 2.173 billion SCF of gas was utilised for Natural Gas Liquid/Liquefied Petroleum Gas (NGL/LPG); domestic gas sales by the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC) and others took up 21.681 billion SCF, while gas re-injection and gas lift make-up gulped 43.987 billion SCF of gas.
On the other hand, the NNPC stated that 9.021 billion SCF of gas was flared, representing 6.37 per cent of total gas produced in the month under review.
The corporation added that the volume of gas flared in April 2024 dipped by 8.32 per cent, compared with 9.84 billion SCF flared in March.
The NNPC reported that Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Company (SEEPCO) flared 0.01 per cent of its total gas output of 20 million SCF, making it the least offender in terms of gas flaring; followed by Total Energies Nigeria (TEPNG), with 1.08 per cent of its total gas output of 20.5 billion SCF flared; while Eroton flared 586 million SCF of gas, representing 1.8 per cent of its total gas output of 334 million SCF.
On the other hand, the worst offenders in terms of gas flaring include Nigerian Petroleum Development Company/Seplat Petroleum Development Company (NPDC/SPDC) Joint Venture; Seplat and Nigerian Petroleum Development Company/Chevron Nigeria Limited Joint Venture (JV), flaring 100 per cent of their total gas output of 91 million SCF, 122 million SCF and 138 million SCF, respectively.
