Methane Abatement in Nigerias Oil and Gas Sector

The document analyzes methane abatement in Nigeria's oil and gas sector, focusing on four technologies: leak detection and repair (LDAR), vapor recovery units (VRU), replacement of natural gas-driven pneumatic equipment, and improved flaring practices. It finds that 30% of estimated emissions (53.5 Mt CO2e) are technically abatable using these technologies, with 28% falling below a low-cost threshold of 596 USD/t CH4. The analysis highlights that the economics of abatement depend heavily on the ability to monetize recovered gas, with some measures showing negative costs. While Nigeria has a regulatory framework targeting zero routine flaring by 2030, implementation is uneven, particularly between onshore and offshore assets. The report recommends strengthening enforcement, developing measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) systems, and utilizing targeted financial instruments like concessional loans to overcome barriers such as high import costs and infrastructure gaps.

• Nigeria's oil and gas sector has estimated annual methane emissions of 1,794 kt, of which 865 kt were analyzed. Technical abatement from the four analyzed technologies is possible for 30% of estimated emissions, equivalent to 53.5 Mt CO2e, while 28% of estimated emissions are considered low-cost.
• The financial viability of methane abatement in Nigeria is primarily driven by whether recovered gas can be sold. Measures such as onshore midstream LDAR and the replacement of natural gas-driven equipment with electric or air-driven alternatives exhibit negative abatement costs because the value of the recovered gas exceeds the cost of the measure.
• Deploying all analyzed abatement measures could reduce annual methane emissions by 533 kt at an estimated cost of USD 95 million per year. This cost could drop to approximately USD 65 million per year if all recovered upstream gas were saleable at 5 USD/MMBtu.
• Nigeria's regulatory framework, enforced by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), targets zero routine flaring by 2030. However, progress is uneven; offshore facilities often continue flaring or reinjection due to regulated prices and high infrastructure costs compared to onshore assets connected to the domestic pipeline network.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (2026). Methane Abatement in Nigerias Oil and Gas Sector. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/22155140/Methane-Abatement-in-Nigerias-Oil-and-Gas-Sector.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Methane Abatement in Nigerias Oil and Gas Sector. 2026. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/22155140/Methane-Abatement-in-Nigerias-Oil-and-Gas-Sector.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Methane Abatement in Nigerias Oil and Gas Sector |date=June 2026 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/22155140/Methane-Abatement-in-Nigerias-Oil-and-Gas-Sector.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cleanairtaskforce2026methane, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{Methane Abatement in Nigerias Oil and Gas Sector}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2026}, month = jun, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/22155140/Methane-Abatement-in-Nigerias-Oil-and-Gas-Sector.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }