decline in gas flaring by 7.16% in July 2025, coinciding with a surge in gas production to 7.59 billion standard cubic feet per day in Nigeria
Nigeria's Gas Production and Flaring Reach New Milestones
In a significant development, Nigeria's gas production reached an impressive 7.59 billion standard cubic feet per day (BSCFD) in July 2025. This marks an 8.58% increase compared to the full year of 2024, according to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
The growth in production has been mirrored by a decline in gas flaring. In July 2025, flaring dropped to 7.16%, down from 7.55% in 2024 and 7.38% in the corresponding period of 2023. This decrease is a testament to the NUPRC's commitment to ending routine gas flaring by 2030 and reducing methane emissions by 60% by 2031.
The NUPRC's initiatives, such as the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme (NGFCP), the Decarbonisation and Sustainability Blueprint, promoting Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), and integrating sustainability into project planning through the Upstream Petroleum Decarbonisation Template (UPDT), are playing a crucial role in these achievements.
The Gas-to-Power supply has also been on an upward trend. In the first seven months of 2025, it stood at 780.23 MMSCF/D in January, 849.37 MMSCF/D in February, 886.83 MMSCF/D in March, and 886.7 MMSCF/D in April. The supply reached an average of 862.86 MMSCF/D in July 2025, marking a 3.48% month-on-month increase. The daily averages for May, June, and July were 837.64 MMSCF/D, 833.86 MMSCF/D, and 862.86 MMSCF/D, respectively.
The Domestic Gas Delivery Obligation (DGDO) performance in the sector also saw an improvement. In July 2025, it increased to 72.5%, up from 71.8 per cent in June. The DGDO performance in January, February, March, April, and May of 2025 were 72.2%, 73.5%, 70.8%, 73.7%, and 73.0%, respectively.
The NGFCP, initiated by the Nigerian government, and other gas reduction programs led by the NUPRC are contributing to these positive trends. In July 2025, 27.82% of gas production was channelled to the domestic market, 35.88% to export sales, and 29.13% to field and plant operations (own use).
However, it's important to note that flaring at oil and gas facilities operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) and several smaller companies accounted for 60 percent of Nigeria's gas flaring and 75 percent of the increase in 2024, as reported by the World Bank's Global Gas Flaring Tracker Report. The report also stated that Nigeria recorded a 12 percent increase in gas flaring volume in 2024, marking the second-largest rise globally.
Despite these challenges, the NUPRC remains optimistic about its drive to boost production while advancing its 2030 zero-flare commitment. The simultaneous growth in output and decline in flaring underscores the commission's efforts to balance production targets with environmental sustainability.
