American Journal of Environmental Protection, 2013, Vol. 1, No. 4, 70-77 Available online at http://pubs.sciepub.com/env/1/4/1 © Science and Education Publishing DOI:10.12691/env-1-4-1 Gas Flaring and Venting Associated with Petroleum Exploration and Production in the Nigeria’s Niger Delta Aniefiok E. Ite 1,2,* , Udo J. Ibok 2 1 Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK 2 School of Applied Sciences and Engineering, Akwa Ibom State University, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria *Corresponding author: aniefiokite@yahoo.co.uk Received August 20, 2013; Revised August 24, 2013; Accepted August 27, 2013 Abstract Global flaring and venting of petroleum–associated gas is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions and airborne contaminants that has proven difficult to mitigate over the years. In the petroleum industry, poor efficiency in the flare systems often result in incomplete combustion which produces a variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and inorganic contaminants. Over the past fifty years, gas flaring and venting associated with petroleum exploration and production in the Nigeria’s Niger Delta has continue to generate complex consequences in terms of energy, human health, natural environment, socio– economic environment and sustainable development. In some oil–producing host communities, most flaring and ventingsystems are located in close proximity to residential areas and/or farmlands; and the resultant emissions potentially contribute to global warming as well as somelocal and/or regional adverse environmental impacts.There are emerging facts in an attempt to understand the effect of flaring and venting practices and the complex interactions of thermal pollution, organic and inorganic contaminants emission in the environment. This review discusses environmental contamination, adverse human health consequences, socio–economic problems, degradation of host communities and other associated impacts of flaring and venting of associated gas in the petroleum industry in the Niger Delta. Effective understanding of the overall impact of associated gas flaring and venting in the petroleum industry is important for effective management of the energy resources, environmental risk mitigation, implementation of good governanceand sustainable development. Keywords: petroleum, natural gas, flaring, venting, emissions, environment, Niger Delta, Nigeria Cite This Article: Aniefiok E. Ite, Udo J. Ibok, “Gas Flaring and Venting Associated with Petroleum Exploration and Production in the Nigeria’s Niger Delta.” American Journal of Environmental Protection 1, no. 4 (2013): 70-77. doi: 10.12691/env-1-4-1. 1. Introduction Gas flaring and venting associated with petroleum exploration and production in the Nigeria’s Niger Delta commenced in 1956 following the discovery of oil and gas resources in commercial quantity. Flaring and venting of associated natural gas are widely used in the petroleum industry to dispose of associated natural gases for safety reasons during petroleum development operations and/or where no infrastructure exists to bring it to market. Associated natural gas, which is a by–product of petroleum production, is burned on reaching the surface with a process called flaring or by being released into the atmosphere without burning through venting [1,2]. The flaring and venting of petroleum associated gas has been dramatically curbed in developed countries [3]. For example, Norway has adopted flaring reduction measures and introduced a carbon tax, which penalizes companies for flaring or venting gas. However, Nigeria's penalty for gas flaring and venting seems too low to either influence the practice or curb emissions. Gas flaring practices has been preferred means of disposing associated or waste gas by various petroleum exploration and production companies operating in the Nigeria’s Niger Delta for the past five decades (Table 1). In some cases, venting may be preferred discharge option depending on factors such as safety, local noise impacts, chemical composition and toxicity of the associated gases. However, re–injection of associated natural gas into the ground for potential future harvesting [4] and liquefaction of natural gas for energy supply could serve as an alternative means of disposal. The Nigerian government has policy and regulations on its books (since 1979) regulating gas flaring in the petroleum sector and by the 1979 Associated Gas Re- injection Act, no oil company was permitted to flare gas after January 1984 without ministerial authorization. However, these flaring policy and regulations were not properly enforced, and Nigeria flares over 75 % of the associated gas it produces and this represents a pollution equivalent to 45million tons of CO 2 per day. Currently, there are over 123 flaring sites in the Niger Delta region and Nigeria has been regarded as one of the highest emitter of greenhouse gases in Africa [5]. In the developed countries, several attention and corrective measures have been adopted to address the problems associated with these remarkable wastes with significant economic value