Nigeria: NUPRC Threatens to Revoke License Gas Flare Sites Not Utilised

What the report says

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has warned that companies awarded gas flare sites could lose their permits if they fail to make meaningful use of them. The warning came during a working visit in Abuja by the commission’s chief executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, where she gave an update on the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialization Programme (NGFCP).

According to the report, NUPRC said it reviews progress about a year after an award is granted and may take regulatory action, including revocation, if implementation is too slow. The commission said 43 flare gas sites were identified for the programme, and 27 have so far been awarded, with work still ongoing on those sites.

The update was framed as part of Nigeria’s wider effort to reduce gas flaring and capture more value from its gas resources. Eyesan also pointed to the Petroleum Industry Act’s Host Community Development Trust framework, which she said has helped improve relations with host communities and reduce oil theft and spills. Ekpo, for his part, urged faster execution of gas commercialization plans so Nigeria can meet its 2030 goal of ending routine gas flaring. In general, gas flaring remains a major environmental and economic issue in oil-producing regions.