NUPRC, SDN deploy methane tracker to drive 60% emissions reduction

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has strengthened its drive to achieve Nigeria’s target of reducing methane emissions by 60 per cent by 2035 with the handover of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Emission Tracker (NOGIET).

NOGIET, a technology-driven platform, is designed to improve methane monitoring, reporting and regulatory enforcement in the oil and gas sector.

The Commission Chief Executive of the NUPRC, Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, said the initiative formed part of the Commission’s efforts to intensify the implementation of its 2022 Guidelines for the Management of Fugitive Methane and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Upstream Oil and Gas Sector. The guidelines require operators to transition from estimation-based to measurement-based emissions reporting by the first quarter of 2027.

Represented by the Executive Commissioner for Health, Safety, Environment and Community (HSEC), Captain John Tonlagha, Eyesan said the platform aligned with the Commission’s digital transformation agenda and Nigeria’s broader commitment to reducing methane emissions, eliminating routine gas flaring and achieving net-zero emissions by 2060.

Eyesan said, “NOGIET integrates satellite-based methane plume detection, regulatory mapping of oil blocks and pipelines, and facility-level emissions measurements to help regulators identify emission hotspots, detect discrepancies in reported data, prioritise inspections and strengthen compliance monitoring.”

According to the commission chief executive, effective integration of NOGIET into the Commission’s regulatory monitoring and data management systems would strengthen the credibility, consistency and reliability of emissions data.

The Head of Media and Corporate Communications at the NUPRC, Eniola Akinkuotu, said in a statement that the platform was developed through a partnership involving the Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN), with financial and technical support from the Global Methane Hub (GMH).

He said the platform was designed for use by both the NUPRC and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to promote a coordinated approach to methane management across the oil and gas sector.

Eyesan, however, commended the Global Methane Hub for its financial and technical support and SDN for its leadership, coordination and commitment to delivering the initiative.

The Board Chairman of SDN, Mr Inemo Samiama, noted that the platform’s ability to compare satellite observations with facility-level measurements would help regulators identify potential discrepancies and take evidence-based enforcement action.

He said, “SDN hands over NOGIET in full, front end and back end, at no cost to the Commission. The platform will move from its temporary home at nogiet.ng to the Commission’s own subdomain. Because methane does not stop at the boundary between upstream and downstream, NOGIET is designed as one platform for the whole oil and gas sector.”