For purposes of technical clarity, notwithstanding the multidisciplinary discourse (Chemistry and Economics) this portends as a result of the topic, this piece is explicitly presented in the interests of the general public, in consideration that a lay man can easily key in, understand and seamlessly flow along, because of its high socio-economic importance to everyone in the contemporary society or global economy.
Gas flaring is among the human economic activities in the oil and gas sector that have significantly contributed to global warming. It is a process of burning the excess or unharnessed natural gas that escapes from oil wells as oil drilling operations take place. This increasingly pollutes the atmosphere and constitutes pollutants as they uncontrollably surge out in volumes, under high pressure. The only immediate option or available measure to free the airspace and remove them is to instantly burn them off or flare them out. Its accumulation, therefore, is naturally inevitable from the oil wells while the extractive operations are being carried out, hence the flaring. The escaping natural gas, if allowed to accumulate, the atmospheric pollution will result in diverse, possibly different health challenges on humans.
The natural gas is basically hydrocarbon compounds composed in a ratio of about 80 percent methane (CH4) gas, to about 20 percent liquefied natural gas (LPG/Cooking gas) which basically is comprised of propane (C3H8) and butane (C4H10) gases. Natural gas is one of the three major fossil fuels (coal, crude oil and natural gas). From human activities (economic, commercial and social) over the ages, energy (the “ability to do work”) is being consumed or burned by man on a daily basis, in pursuit of a means of livelihood, to be able to prosecute or run the economy (micro and macro) for the sustainable maintenance of man’s life on planet earth; and, also, energy is consumed for prosperity. It is through this continuous energy demands and consumption that energy sourced from fossil fuels keep releasing CO2 (carbon emission) into the atmosphere (atmospheric pollution), along with other forms of pollution (sound, smoke/air, heat, chemicals, etcetera).
It is this accumulated CO2 that, invariably, constitutes a nuisance to man’s life by heating up the planet beyond the permissible livable temperature (warmth). The process, after a prolonged period, has disrupted the natural/original atmospheric status quo, resulting in environmental degradation, devastation of the natural habitats for all living things (flora and fauna), resulting in diverse climatic catastrophe, as a consequence or an impact of global warming known as Climate Change. These climate change impacts (drought, flooding, deforestation, gully erosion, desert encroachment, the extreme weather conditions of terrible winds like tornadoes, typhoons and cyclones) now threaten man’s future, sustainable existence on the planet.
Global warming is recognised to be the fallout from the impact of climate change, caused by emissions of greenhouse gas (GHG), which is composed of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2), water vapour (H2O)g; among other gases. Historically, this life threatening impact gave rise to the emergency global conventions and world cooperation, at the instance of the United Nations (UN), to urgently seek solutions that could salvage the planet from the progressive temperature increases! Hence, the very first action against climate change taken was the signed 11th December 1997 multilateral agreement reached by world leaders in Kyoto, Japan (“Kyoto Protocol”) on carbon tax; thereafter, it was the Paris agreement (COP21) of 12th December 2015 in France, before the now annual conventions, such as COP26, COP27 and the forthcoming COP28 later in the year, that will be held in the United Arab Emirate (UAE). Every effort is being geared towards mitigation and adaptation of climate change through reducing the rising temperature by carbon emission reduction, carbon balancing/carbon footprint (decarbonization) for a net zero target by 2050.
Consequently, the global energy solutions management, through the energy transition efforts to migrate from fossil fuel sources to alternative energy or renewable energy sources (wind, geothermal, solar or hydro), that are cleaner energies, recyclable and climate compliant (no carbon emission). These could be sustainably produced and supplied to meet the global energy demand pressures (based also on the ever increasing world population), to escape any form of energy crisis or energy poverty. This is strategically and innovatively packaged with a view to technologically pursue newer forms of cleaner energies through research and development (R&D); for availability, sustainability and affordability. The essence is to actualize energy security, globally. The energy solutions management provides an energy-mix menu or portfolio that contains various forms of these cleaner energies, whose choice of consumption depends on a few variables and economic or financial attractiveness like costs and affordability. Through innovative and technological developments, the fossil fuel sources are still very much relevant along the energy-mix value chain, with the production and consumption of the compressed natural gas (CNG), which is fossil fuel but a cleaner energy because it minimally emits CO2.
The economic advantages inherent in the use of CNG as a cleaner energy (especially for the oil producing countries and the poorer nations in Africa) are enormous and should be greatly considered in the energy-mix portfolio, as a favoured alternative energy, sourced from fossil fuel, whenever comparisons are made alongside its related dirty energy products like gasoline and diesel (in terms of cost and energy efficiencies for combustion engine durability), with its today’s cost of N130 compared to the hiked gasoline price of N520/litre in Nigeria.
Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is basically fossil fuel, (sourced from the associated natural gas in the gaseous stream from very rich natural gas liquids, NGLs) and it consists of about 80%-90% CH4. It is gaseous, unlike the liquefied petroleum gas, LPG; which is a liquid consisting of a compressed mixture of Propane (C3H8) and Butane (C4H10) in liquid form. Economically, its commercialization and consumption as a cleaner energy (when compared to the other traditional energies, coal and crude oil that are relatively dirty) for power generation, both for domestic and industrial uses; is one of the means to decarbonize the environment, while economic and commercial activities on oil and gas operations continue. CNG is an environment-friendly alternative automotive fuel (CNG fuel is safer than gasoline/petrol and diesel because it is non-toxic and does not contaminate groundwater). In case of leakage, CNG evaporates into the atmosphere and evenly mixes easily in the air because it is lighter than air.
The consumption of CNG as a cleaner fuel plays an important role with its many advantages, by significantly reducing vehicular greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and environmental pollution. CNG is commonly referred to as the “green fuel” because of its lead (Pb), benzene (C6H6) and sulphur(S) free characteristics. CNG being environmentally friendly reduces harmful emissions, and being non-corrosive it also enhances the long life of spark plugs. It does not have Pb fouling effect on spark plugs; and the Pb or C6H6 pollution is also eliminated. Practically, an increased life of lubricating oils has been observed, as CNG does not contaminate and dilute the crankcase oil.
The operational cost of vehicles running on petrol and diesel is comparatively higher than those running on CNG, which is far much cheaper (especially when high inflation is presently pushing costs of fuels very high in Nigeria). Accidental ignition on hot surfaces and combustion is very unlikely with CNG, because of its high ignition temperature of 540℃ and its narrow range for inflammability, respectively. Nigerians are therefore urged to shift focus to consumption of this “green fuel” called CNG, for the sustainable future of our planet and Nigeria’s economic growth by zero gas-flare, through an optimal utilisation and conversion of the escaping natural gas to CNG and LPG.
