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The Environmental Implication of Gas Flaring in Sapele Community of Delta State, Nigeria

Received: 1 August 2015     Accepted: 10 August 2015     Published: 21 August 2015
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Abstract

Despite longstanding laws against gas flaring in Nigeria which is the burning of natural gas during oil extraction, and shifting deadlines to end the practice, the activity continues, with serious environmental and health consequences for people living nearby. In the Niger Delta, especially in the Sapele community of Delta State where most of the flaring takes places, residents living near gas flares complain of respiratory problems, skin rashes and eye irritations, as well as damage to agriculture due to acid rain. The major environmental implications considered in this study are environmental pollution, and ecological disturbance or destruction. Several visitations to the neighboring communities like Amukpe and Ugberikoko Communities of Delta State adjacent to most gas flare locations were carried out to ascertain any existence of common environmental hazards. Data were gathered through a well-designed survey and direct and first-hand observation from the flared environment. Different samples at various proximities from the gas flare locations were taken and measurements and experimentations were logically carried out. The result obtained in this study showed some variations away from the flare point in the flow stations. The temperature tends to normalize at 31oC. This result shows a surface temperature elevation of about 1.8 oC above mean normal daily temperature within a distance of 400 m radius away from the flare point. Hence the thermal equilibrium within Sapele localities has been altered. Soil PH is near neutral (6.62-7.88) away from the flare points and the average high soil moisture content ranges between (92% - 94%) as against 96% for the flare points and control distance. These values portray a good omen for these communities under investigation. However, less than or closer to 400 m from the flare point, residents are likely to be exposed to gas flaring effects. Nigerian oil and gas industries should design and develop a gas compression and re-injection facility with the sole objective of achieving zero flaring. The facility should also be designed to ensure export capability and to compress wet and dehydrated gas to gas re-injection wells. Finally, residential buildings should be sited at least 1 km away from the flare point

Published in International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Engineering (Volume 3, Issue 5)
DOI 10.11648/j.ogce.20150305.11
Page(s) 60-65
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2015. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Gas Flaring, Soil PH, Soil Temperature, Soil Moisture Content, Rain Water

References
[1] JINN, Gas Flaring in Nigeria: an Overview, Justice in Nigeria Now. April 2010. Available www.justiceinnigerianow.org
[2] A. A. Arowolo and I. J. Adaja. “Trends of natural gas exploitation in Nigeria and its implications on the socio-economic stability and governance,” 35th Nigerian Statistical Association annual conference. 2011.
[3] A. O. Ajugwo "Negative Effects of Gas Flaring: The Nigerian Experience." Journal of Environment Pollution and Human Health 1.1 (2013): 6-8.
[4] T.J. Ayoola. “Gas flaring and its Implication for Environmental Accounting in Nigeria,” Journal of Sustainable Development; 4(5): 244-250, 2011.
[5] United Nations Development Programme. (2006) “Human Development Report of United Nations Development Programmed, ―Niger Delta human development report pp. 11, 2006.
[6] M. Olukoya. “Gas flaring and the preservation of Biodiversity in the Niger Delta” in Agbabu (ed.). Environmental Issues in Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. Johnson Publishers, Lagos, 2008.
[7] R.U. Ayres. “Sustainable economics: where do we stand? Ecological economics”. 6, 7: 281-310, 2008.
[8] H.E. Daly. “Ecological Economics 6, Allocation, distribution, and scale: toward an economics that is efficient, just, and sustainable”, pp. 185–194, 1992.
[9] H.E. Daly. “Beyond growth-the economics of sustainable development”. Beacon Press, Boston, 1996.
[10] E.C. Ubani and Onyejekwe, I. M. Onyejekwe. “Environmental impact analysis of gas flaring in the Niger delta region of Nigeria” American J. of Scientific and Industrial Research; 4(2), 246-252, 2013.
[11] Effiong, S.A. Effiong and Etowa, U.E. Etowa. “Oil spillage cost, gas flaring cost and life expectancy rate of the Niger Delta people of Nigeria”, Advances in Management & Applied Economics, 2(2), 211-228, 2012.
[12] A.O. Tolupe. “Oil exploration and environmental degradation: the Nigeria experience”, International society for Environmental Information Science. 4(4), 34-36, 2004
[13] C.K. Wilber and Harrison, R.S. Harrison. “The methodological basis of institutional economics: pattern model, storytelling and holism”. Journal of Economics. 1, 2: 61-89, 1978.
[14] A. Marshall. “Principles of economics, 8th edition. Macmillan and Co, ltd. London, 1920.
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  • APA Style

    Oseh Jeffrey Onuoma, Oguamah Ifeanyi Alex, Oluwagbenga Omotara Olawale, Adeyi Abel Adekanmi. (2015). The Environmental Implication of Gas Flaring in Sapele Community of Delta State, Nigeria. International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Engineering, 3(5), 60-65. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ogce.20150305.11

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    ACS Style

    Oseh Jeffrey Onuoma; Oguamah Ifeanyi Alex; Oluwagbenga Omotara Olawale; Adeyi Abel Adekanmi. The Environmental Implication of Gas Flaring in Sapele Community of Delta State, Nigeria. Int. J. Oil Gas Coal Eng. 2015, 3(5), 60-65. doi: 10.11648/j.ogce.20150305.11

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    AMA Style

    Oseh Jeffrey Onuoma, Oguamah Ifeanyi Alex, Oluwagbenga Omotara Olawale, Adeyi Abel Adekanmi. The Environmental Implication of Gas Flaring in Sapele Community of Delta State, Nigeria. Int J Oil Gas Coal Eng. 2015;3(5):60-65. doi: 10.11648/j.ogce.20150305.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ogce.20150305.11,
      author = {Oseh Jeffrey Onuoma and Oguamah Ifeanyi Alex and Oluwagbenga Omotara Olawale and Adeyi Abel Adekanmi},
      title = {The Environmental Implication of Gas Flaring in Sapele Community of Delta State, Nigeria},
      journal = {International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Engineering},
      volume = {3},
      number = {5},
      pages = {60-65},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ogce.20150305.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ogce.20150305.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ogce.20150305.11},
      abstract = {Despite longstanding laws against gas flaring in Nigeria which is the burning of natural gas during oil extraction, and shifting deadlines to end the practice, the activity continues, with serious environmental and health consequences for people living nearby. In the Niger Delta, especially in the Sapele community of Delta State where most of the flaring takes places, residents living near gas flares complain of respiratory problems, skin rashes and eye irritations, as well as damage to agriculture due to acid rain. The major environmental implications considered in this study are environmental pollution, and ecological disturbance or destruction. Several visitations to the neighboring communities like Amukpe and Ugberikoko Communities of Delta State adjacent to most gas flare locations were carried out to ascertain any existence of common environmental hazards. Data were gathered through a well-designed survey and direct and first-hand observation from the flared environment. Different samples at various proximities from the gas flare locations were taken and measurements and experimentations were logically carried out. The result obtained in this study showed some variations away from the flare point in the flow stations. The temperature tends to normalize at 31oC. This result shows a surface temperature elevation of about 1.8 oC above mean normal daily temperature within a distance of 400 m radius away from the flare point. Hence the thermal equilibrium within Sapele localities has been altered. Soil PH is near neutral (6.62-7.88) away from the flare points and the average high soil moisture content ranges between (92% - 94%) as against 96% for the flare points and control distance. These values portray a good omen for these communities under investigation. However, less than or closer to 400 m from the flare point, residents are likely to be exposed to gas flaring effects. Nigerian oil and gas industries should design and develop a gas compression and re-injection facility with the sole objective of achieving zero flaring. The facility should also be designed to ensure export capability and to compress wet and dehydrated gas to gas re-injection wells. Finally, residential buildings should be sited at least 1 km away from the flare point},
     year = {2015}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - The Environmental Implication of Gas Flaring in Sapele Community of Delta State, Nigeria
    AU  - Oseh Jeffrey Onuoma
    AU  - Oguamah Ifeanyi Alex
    AU  - Oluwagbenga Omotara Olawale
    AU  - Adeyi Abel Adekanmi
    Y1  - 2015/08/21
    PY  - 2015
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ogce.20150305.11
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ogce.20150305.11
    T2  - International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Engineering
    JF  - International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Engineering
    JO  - International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Engineering
    SP  - 60
    EP  - 65
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2376-7677
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ogce.20150305.11
    AB  - Despite longstanding laws against gas flaring in Nigeria which is the burning of natural gas during oil extraction, and shifting deadlines to end the practice, the activity continues, with serious environmental and health consequences for people living nearby. In the Niger Delta, especially in the Sapele community of Delta State where most of the flaring takes places, residents living near gas flares complain of respiratory problems, skin rashes and eye irritations, as well as damage to agriculture due to acid rain. The major environmental implications considered in this study are environmental pollution, and ecological disturbance or destruction. Several visitations to the neighboring communities like Amukpe and Ugberikoko Communities of Delta State adjacent to most gas flare locations were carried out to ascertain any existence of common environmental hazards. Data were gathered through a well-designed survey and direct and first-hand observation from the flared environment. Different samples at various proximities from the gas flare locations were taken and measurements and experimentations were logically carried out. The result obtained in this study showed some variations away from the flare point in the flow stations. The temperature tends to normalize at 31oC. This result shows a surface temperature elevation of about 1.8 oC above mean normal daily temperature within a distance of 400 m radius away from the flare point. Hence the thermal equilibrium within Sapele localities has been altered. Soil PH is near neutral (6.62-7.88) away from the flare points and the average high soil moisture content ranges between (92% - 94%) as against 96% for the flare points and control distance. These values portray a good omen for these communities under investigation. However, less than or closer to 400 m from the flare point, residents are likely to be exposed to gas flaring effects. Nigerian oil and gas industries should design and develop a gas compression and re-injection facility with the sole objective of achieving zero flaring. The facility should also be designed to ensure export capability and to compress wet and dehydrated gas to gas re-injection wells. Finally, residential buildings should be sited at least 1 km away from the flare point
    VL  - 3
    IS  - 5
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), Nigeria

  • Department of Petroleum Engineering, Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Nigeria

  • Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), Nigeria

  • Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), Nigeria

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