The latest deadline set by the Nigerian government to stop flaring natural gas from oil wells in the Niger Delta has passed without stopping the flames, which campaigners say are poisoning local people.
"Sometimes you can't tell whether it's the dawn breaking or the flame," says one activist in the region. She says doctors have reported higher rates of cancer, children with asthma and a suggestion that the burning gasses may be making residents infertile.
Everyone agrees gas flaring wastes billions of dollars in useful gas. Campaigners say it causes huge environmental damage and according to doctors, it is responsible for causing chronic health problems among people who live in the Delta.
But the government and the oil companies are blaming each other.
Nigeria flares the second largest volume of gas of any producer, behind Russia. About 40% of Nigeria's gas is flared as it is produced. Nigeria also accounts for 12.5% of the world's gas flaring. These flaring exercises take place from thousands of well heads in an area the size of Britain. (Source: NNPC, Shell)
The flames also light up the sky 24 hours a day, and the noise that comes from them is a continuous roar like a jet aircraft taking off.
Royal Dutch Shell, the largest operator of onshore wells, has not commented on the claims that gas flaring affects the health of local residents.
Now experts believe Nigeria is burning billions of dollars of gas from its aging wells, letting potential profits go up in smoke. Even more ironically, campaigners say, the biggest need for that gas is in Nigeria. Nigeria is in the grip of a power generation crisis and the gas that is being burned could go a long way towards providing the electricity the country desperately needs in order to develop its economy.
The government and the oil companies agree they want to end gas flaring. Shell says it has reduced the amount of gas flared by more than 30% since 2000. Shell officials also said it is the government's fault that gas flaring still happens. A lot more pipelines would have to be built to collect all the gas. The government isn't keeping up its end of the funding agreements, preventing more investment, they say. Also the government can't guarantee oil workers' security in a region patrolled by armed gangs who kidnap oil company employees.
The government oil regulators seem unable to get tough with the companies who operate the wells. Two deadlines have been set and passed without making any difference.
http://bbc.co.uk
MY COMMENT:
The issue of gas flaring in Nigeria is something that has been overlooked by the government and the oil companies with the local residents bearing the burden. The oil companies blame the government and the government blames the oil companies, nobody is willing to accept. These oil companies when in their own country in America or Europe will never attempt this type of damage because they would not want to mess up their environment, but whenever they come to Africa they become very unruly and negligent. Shell being a British company will never try this in Europe or anywhere else; this will tell you that all these foreign companies care less about Africa; they just come to reap us off and go, see the case of Madagascar (see post on ‘Madagascar land deal’), the increasing presence of foreign countries in Africa is really disturbing, especially Asian countries. They come here claiming to render assistance to us when they truly want to destroy our continent and go, they contribute absolutely nothing to the people and environment, all they care about is their profit. We need to put an end to this, our leaders should wake up and see what is happening to us, they should stop being puppets for these companies and countries. They should stand up and talk like men, not fidget like sissies. They give way to these rubbish attitudes, that’s why Africans are being treated like trash wherever they go. This has to stop!
"Sometimes you can't tell whether it's the dawn breaking or the flame," says one activist in the region. She says doctors have reported higher rates of cancer, children with asthma and a suggestion that the burning gasses may be making residents infertile.
Everyone agrees gas flaring wastes billions of dollars in useful gas. Campaigners say it causes huge environmental damage and according to doctors, it is responsible for causing chronic health problems among people who live in the Delta.
But the government and the oil companies are blaming each other.
Nigeria flares the second largest volume of gas of any producer, behind Russia. About 40% of Nigeria's gas is flared as it is produced. Nigeria also accounts for 12.5% of the world's gas flaring. These flaring exercises take place from thousands of well heads in an area the size of Britain. (Source: NNPC, Shell)
The flames also light up the sky 24 hours a day, and the noise that comes from them is a continuous roar like a jet aircraft taking off.
Royal Dutch Shell, the largest operator of onshore wells, has not commented on the claims that gas flaring affects the health of local residents.
Now experts believe Nigeria is burning billions of dollars of gas from its aging wells, letting potential profits go up in smoke. Even more ironically, campaigners say, the biggest need for that gas is in Nigeria. Nigeria is in the grip of a power generation crisis and the gas that is being burned could go a long way towards providing the electricity the country desperately needs in order to develop its economy.
The government and the oil companies agree they want to end gas flaring. Shell says it has reduced the amount of gas flared by more than 30% since 2000. Shell officials also said it is the government's fault that gas flaring still happens. A lot more pipelines would have to be built to collect all the gas. The government isn't keeping up its end of the funding agreements, preventing more investment, they say. Also the government can't guarantee oil workers' security in a region patrolled by armed gangs who kidnap oil company employees.
The government oil regulators seem unable to get tough with the companies who operate the wells. Two deadlines have been set and passed without making any difference.
http://bbc.co.uk
MY COMMENT:
The issue of gas flaring in Nigeria is something that has been overlooked by the government and the oil companies with the local residents bearing the burden. The oil companies blame the government and the government blames the oil companies, nobody is willing to accept. These oil companies when in their own country in America or Europe will never attempt this type of damage because they would not want to mess up their environment, but whenever they come to Africa they become very unruly and negligent. Shell being a British company will never try this in Europe or anywhere else; this will tell you that all these foreign companies care less about Africa; they just come to reap us off and go, see the case of Madagascar (see post on ‘Madagascar land deal’), the increasing presence of foreign countries in Africa is really disturbing, especially Asian countries. They come here claiming to render assistance to us when they truly want to destroy our continent and go, they contribute absolutely nothing to the people and environment, all they care about is their profit. We need to put an end to this, our leaders should wake up and see what is happening to us, they should stop being puppets for these companies and countries. They should stand up and talk like men, not fidget like sissies. They give way to these rubbish attitudes, that’s why Africans are being treated like trash wherever they go. This has to stop!
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