TotalEnergies to end routine gas flaring 2023 – Official

The TotalEnergies E&P Nigeria says it will stop routine gas flaring in 2023 to actualise energy security and sufficiency.

Mr Victor Bandele, the Deputy Managing Director, Deepwater TotalEnergies E&P Nigeria, said this in Abuja, when he featured at the Chief Executive Officers Roundtable, at the ongoing Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES 2023).

Bandele said the decision was a deliberate measure by the company toward delivering safer, cleaner and accessible energy for energy transition.

He noted that about 95 per cent of its gas production was currently being utilised.

Supreme reports that the roundtable which gave top energy companies an opportunity to share their thoughts on how best to solve issues around energy poverty was tagged: “Building Energy for Tomorrow.”

Bandele said the decision of the company to end gas flaring this year started in the past 15 years noting that they had been progressive on the target.

He expressed the company’s commitments to ensure fully integrated, sustainable and available energy in the oil and gas industry to actualise energy transition.

According to him, the company places safety of people and respect for the environment at the forefront.

“Over the years, we have been consistent in development, making sure that all infrastructure we have are fully utilised.

“This year, we have just finished drilling an exploration well and we will continue to consolidate on the things we know how best to do,” he said.

Speaking on gas as the transition fuel, Bandele said the company had inaugurated onshore projects which were already at the engineering stage.

He said the action was a deliberate plan by the company to supply electricity to communities situated at the site of its oil block which had been in darkness for the past 25 years.

“We acquired second largest solar company in the world. It is also a deliberate action to work in that space to boost the industry,” he added.

He said they would continue to consolidate on new energy, while expanding gas development projects.

Bandele challenged the industry regulators to increase the scope of gas to be used on gas channel since the pipelines were being utilised.

He also said TotalEnergies was in talks with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. on how to install another 10 megawatt electricity to a community in the zone of its project.

He explained that the project would be 100 per cent solar-based with two years completion target.

Bandele said that the company had made a lot of progress in its domestic gas education to stakeholders and was continuously enriching its gas portfolio in terms of export.

“TotalEnergies is present in all sectors of energy in Nigeria, namely downstream, midstream and upstream,” he said.

Emphasising on its downstream achievements, he said the company’s 550 filling stations across the country operate on solar energy.

Bandele regretted that so much time had been wasted on deliberations and solutions for energy security, and called for on hands to be on deck to achieve the desired result.

“Nigeria is a cornerstone to the development of Africa. No country is as mature as Nigeria on gas development and we must take advantage of that,” he said.