Globally, gas flaring is an important contributor to climate change . Gas is flared – or burnt – off when it is found in association with oil. This ‘associated gas‘ is often seen as a waste product because the company drilled for oil, not gas.
The World Bank estimates that flaring in Africa could produce 200 Terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity, about 50% of the current power consumption of the African continent.
However, according to the Nigerian Minister of Environment, about 68% of the associated gas production of the Niger Delta is flared into the atmosphere. This flaring accounts for 19% of the total amount of gas flared globally.