The battle against gas flaring and methane emissions in Africa’s oil and gas industry took centre stage at the APPO Roundtable on Gas Flaring and Fugitive Methane Emissions, held from May 21 to 22, 2024. The APPO Roundtable in Accra, Ghana, marked a significant step towards a unified approach to reducing gas flaring and methane emissions in Africa’s oil and gas industry.
The event, co-organized and hosted by the Petroleum Commission of Ghana, brought together delegates, representatives, and experts from various sectors, including Hydrocarbon Ministries, National Oil Companies, Industry and Environment Regulators, Oil and Gas Operators, Service Providers, and Academia.
Under the theme “Towards Zero Routine Gas Flaring and Lower Methane Emissions in APPO Oil and Gas Operations,” the Roundtable was a critical forum for discussing the latest strategies to curb routine gas flaring and methane emissions.
In a Communique sent to the Electricity Hub, some of the outcomes from the roundtable were;
- The roundtable acknowledged the severe environmental impacts of routine gas flaring and fugitive methane emissions, emphasizing their contribution to climate change. It highlighted APPO’s commitment to enhancing environmental credentials and recognized the economic losses from these practices, urging resource optimization.
- A strong commitment emerged to intensify efforts to reduce unnecessary gas flaring and methane emissions. This includes implementing stricter regulations, adopting best practices, and investing in technologies that capture and utilize associated gas. Gas flaring is prohibited for new projects, and facilities to utilize produced gas are mandated. Existing operations are also being monitored to eliminate routine flaring and emissions.
- Participants stressed the importance of commercially utilizing all available natural gas resources to support energy availability and accessibility across the continent. This initiative aims to minimize environmental impacts while maximizing resource use.
- The Roundtable underscored the need for collaboration among Member Countries and stakeholders. Emphasizing knowledge sharing, technological development, and innovation, participants proposed workshops, training programs, joint projects, and common strategy implementation to effectively tackle such practices.
- The importance of industry-regulator-academia collaboration to support research and development initiatives was highlighted. This partnership aims to find innovative solutions to reduce flaring and methane emissions and ensure academic curricula reflect industry needs.
- A call was made to establish robust monitoring and reporting mechanisms. Participants agreed that setting measurable targets, regular reporting, and third-party verification are necessary to track progress in reducing gas flaring and emissions.
- The development of necessary infrastructure for effective gas utilization was deemed essential. Participants agreed that host governments should lead these efforts to minimize the practice and maximize economic benefits.
- Raising public awareness and engaging stakeholders, including local communities, industry players, and NGOs, were recognized as vital. Transparent communication and inclusive dialogue are key to properly engaging all parties.