Lagos — NIGERIA now accounts for 36 per cent of global gas flaring making it one of the single largest contributors to global warming, even as government and industry stakeholders agree to establish an ad-hoc "Flare Reduction Committee" to bring routine flaring to the barest minimum within the shortest possible time frame."In the process of oil production, Nigeria flares or burns about 24 billion cubit meters (or 0.84 trillion cubic feet) of associated natural gas every year. The World Bank's GGFR estimates that globally, 150 billion cubic meters (or 5.3 trillion cubic feet) of associated natural gas are being flared and vented annually.

That is equivalent of 25 per cent of the United States' gas consumption or 30 per cent of the European Union's gas consumption per year. It is also estimated that global gas flaring releases about 400 million tons of CO2 per year into the atmosphere.

This is almost all potential annual emission reductions from projects currently submitted under the Kyoto Protocol," a statement released by Dr. Levi Ajuonuma, the Group General Manager, Public affairs of the NNPC disclosed.

The statement noted that President Umaru Yar'Adua had announced the gas flare out target date in the country as 31st December 2008, adding that there are ongoing efforts in other directions to achieve the objective.

"The work of the Committee, which is being facilitated by the World Bank Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership (GGFR), aims to be forward looking, act quickly, with a clear deadline and mandate to manage flare reduction in Nigeria.

The "Flare Reduction Committee" will limit its mandate to gas flare reduction and its terms of reference include the following:

*Review each company's flare reduction programme to agree whether any acceleration is realistic and, where possible, agree how this can be achieved;

*Assess health and environmental consequences of continuation of routine flaring;

*Integrate individual company plans into a 'Nigeria Flare Reduction Plan' and Nigeria's Gas Master Plan;

*Look for opportunities for co-operation between operators and for demand clusters, and amend the Flare Reduction Plan as required following agreement with all stakeholders;

*Develop and implement a Communication Strategy that clearly lays out how and when flare reduction will take place;

*Agree on clear milestones and action plan;

*With the assistance of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), monitor implementation of the integrated Nigeria Flare Reduction Plan.

The Flare Reduction Committee meets in Abuja on a weekly basis and is currently working with consultants in the preparation of assessments on the environmental, health and financial impacts of ending or continuing routine Gas Flaring in Nigeria after December 2008.

Major factors which inhibits a faster gas flaring reduction in Nigeria were also identified.