Introduction
Gas flaring is the burning of natural gas that is associated with crude oil when it is pumped up from the ground. Gas flaring can be refers to as the release of natural gas into the atmosphere by burning of gas in oil field and refineries when no other use can be made for it at that particular time. Natural gas flares are known to cause various degrees of pollution because of their resultant variation in the air of the atmosphere and environment.
Nigeria is termed the second largest country emitters of flare gas, which thereby exposing Niger Delta resident to an increased missile of premature death, respiratory illness, asthma, cancer, skin rashes, eye irritations and as well as damage of agriculture due to acid rain. This is an unacceptable and unnecessary state of affairs. Especially in a country where about 66% of people reportedly live below the poverty line and where the benefit of having crude oil goes exclusively to the multinationals and the corrupt local elites.
Gas flaring started at the end of colonial rule, in the early 1960s, shell and B.P (British Petroleum) stated that exploring for oil in the Niger Delta in 1930. The first oil field was discovered in 1956. And the first export was made 1958. Oil, water and gases are produced as a mixture from oil wells, and transported to central production facility, to flow station through flow pipelines for separation. Separation involved the use of machine, chemicals and equipment etc. the machines, during separation produce a lot of noise, vibrations, and gases etc. thereby constituting noise nuisance and health hazards to the workers and the immediate environment.
Gas flaring
Odu (2004), stated that gas flares generated by petrochemical industries are hazardous and ecologically toxic to the environment because flaring of gas pollutes the air and it’s causes illness and other harmful impact on the environment though the emission of heat and toxic gases. According to Bassey (2008), as the world is becoming more industrialized, the atmosphere to become more increasing filled with by-product of industrial waste and chemical that when combine with rain water, form solution of acid rain water as its fall to the earth, it (Census serious damage to the lives and ecosystem.
Types of gas flaring
1.Refineries sources flaring
According to Kaldany (2003), refineries sources are companies which produce or process crude oil into fuel, kerosene, diesel and other. During this process, combustion of by-product of gas waste is released into the atmosphere through chiming and pipes work construction.
2.Solution gas flaring
According to Olojoba (2009), solution gas flaring is the disposal of natural gas produced along with oil and it’s occurs at facilities called batteries where production from one or more wells are processed and stored. It is the most common type and accounts for three quartered volume of gas flare in Nigeria.
3.Well test flaring
During the testing of all oil and gas wells, we use well test flaring to determine the types of fluids the well can produce and other characteristic of the underground reservoir. It also determines the economic valves and the types of facilities to be use (Olojoba, 2009).
4.Natural gas battery and pipeline flaring
At field, facilities like dehydrators, wells, gathering pipelines, compressors etc are used, and this type of flaring can occur. The flare gas burned off during maintenance, shutdowns, emergencies, equipment failures, and other conditions. (Chijoke, 2002).
5.Gas plant flaring
At gas processing plants, water, CO2, H25, and natural gas liquid from raw natural gas are made into natural gas that is ready for market. The flares are used to dispose of the gas that is unmarketable. All plants use flares to bum off gas during upset conditions or emergencies that affect the normal day to day operations of the plant.
6.Flow station or gas plant flaring
Plants equipment items are ever pressured, the pressure relief values on the equipment, automatically released gases sometimes liquid as well which as routed through large piping runs called flare headers connected to flare stocks or chimney. The released gases or liquid are bummed as they exit the fare stock or chimney. However all the sources flare common pollutant in to the atmosphere? These includes: Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and particulate matter which causes environmental hazards and ozone layer depletion (Ejime, 2006).
Reasons for gas flaring
The fact is that oil and natural gas are mixed in every oil deposit. The natural gas called “associated gas” must be removed from oil before refining (Commery 2002).
There are reasons for the continuous gas flaring e.g. from a political perspectives, as Olojoba, (2001) stated “in Nigeria oil because the basic for important of political mobilization.” Additionally, there is an insufficient energy especially in rural areas. Also the technology to use these flared gases is not here.
The oil producing companies that flared gas are quite aware of the destructive potentials yet the obvious reason as stated by (Ngige, 2005 and Olojoba, 2009) are listed below.
- Gas consuming industries are far from gas well: There are no enough industries which utilizes gases that are found within economic distance to the source of gas oil well so as to utilize the gas.
- Lack of adequate storage facilities: Such as depleted hydrocarbon reservoir or other subsurface geological features to store the unused natural gas.
- Lack of adequate and treatment facility: Nigeria gas wells are distributed all over the Niger-Delta region, with no adequate gas gathering facilities to link the entire well like as in Sandi Arabia.
- High cost of gathering and transmission facilities: The high investment involved in acquiring and installing gas gathering and transmission facilities, discouraged the exploration from installing such facilities in all their gas wells.
- Flaring can be used as a safety mechanism in emergency situations to quickly lower pressure.
When a well is drilled, a temporary flare can be used for well production testing to determine pressure, flow and composition of the gas from the well.
Health implications of gas flaring
Gas flaring contributes to climate change which has serious implication for both Nigeria and the rest of the world. The burning of fossil fuel, mainly load land has lead to warming up the world and is projected to get worse during the cause of 21st century.
Owozor (2013) explain that flaring of gas pollute the air and cause ill health and harmful impact on the environment through emission of heat and toxic gases.
Hausand (2005) cited the aggregate of gas and particular from burning oil has began to alter the world climate system, with implication for health, agriculture productivity, vulnerable ecosystem and society infrastructure pollution due to the oxide of nitrogen and sulfur as well lead in fuel, contributes. Significantly to cause or aggregate bronchitis asthma, lungs cancer, cardiovascular disease when, carbon IV oxide inhaled excessively lead to building up cabonoxylenglobin in the human blood system to form other substance that block the blood vessels and cause heart related attacks etc.
Acid rain
Acid rain has been linked to the activities of gas flaring. The primary cause of acid rain is the emission of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and Nitrogen oxide (NO), which react with the water molecules in the atmosphere to produce acids. The chemicals in acid rain can point to peer, corrosion of steel structures such as bridges, and erosion of stove status.
The (SO2) emission from factories and power generating stations, industrial processes, particularly from the burning of fossil fuel is extremely high, which had effect on fresh water, vegetations and land use the in movement and structures.
- Effects on fresh water: The concern about the effect of acid deposition on aquatic ecosystem in freshwater and lakes arose for the reasons, its potential impact on aquatic creatures and human health. Acid rain primarily affects sensitive bodies of water, which are located in water sheds whose soils have a limited to neutralize acidic compound. Lake and stream become acidic (i.e., the pit value goes down) when the water itself and its surrounding soil cannot buffer the acid enough to neutralize it. When acid rain falls on water carbon source changes from carbonate (HCO3) to carbon dioxide (CO2), phosphorous is retained, fresh water Fauna and Flora gradually changes also short term PH depression have direct toxic effect on susceptible organism and the release of toxic metals such as aluminium.
Effects on vegetable/soil
Soil and vegetation are natural phenomena and part of what constitute the environment or the ecosystem. The emitted gas injected into the air through flaring condensed and dissolved in vain which later fall down as acid rain which result to pollution of agricultural produces, land and water sources.
When acid rain falls it percolate into the soil causing acidification of soil. This is the reduction of the soil PH value to acidity which also has effect on the activities of the aerobic micro-organisms in the soil, in the same vain the soil fertility and productivity is equally affected. (Chijoke, 2002)
Effects on material (monument and structures)
Gas flaring increase the rate of deterioration of material such as discoloration of materials and fading paints, damage to monuments and structure etc. building material and cultural properties are subject to weathering away, decay under the action of acid precipitation and solar radiation.
Raymond, (2003) stated that during secondary reaction of carbon II oxide, hydrogen sulphur, and oxide nitrogen with water at the atmosphere, the mixture of these gases with rain droplet take place and fall as acid rain. The dissolved gases (acid rain) attack brick stone, thereby altering the durability of the materials. So the gas emitted and injected into the air through falling down as acid rain which consequently cause corrosion of roofing sheet (coruscated iron sheet) and also polluting agricultural lands.
Noise pollution and vibration
During separate which involve the use of machines, chemicals and equipment etc. the machines produces a lot of noise, vibration, etc. thereby constituting noise nuisance, which can lead to partial or total loss of hearing. Annoyance, disruption of activities, physical or metal deterioration and health hazard to workers and people living around the flow station (Olojoba, 2009).
The role of government and industry in gas flaring
The hazards associated with pollutants from flow station and petroleum refineries are numerous, most of the pollutants are chemicals that cause health problem due to exposure. So the role of government and the industries is to initiates policies and legislation for the protection of the health of people and development of the environment. Frank (2002) stated that the control method of gas flaring is conservation through re-injection of the solution gas back into the reservoir.
Change in operational procedure and equipment use for new well testing method will reduce the deviation of flare. According to Petroleum Communication Foundation (2000) The Nigeria government and the oil company are all in agreement now that gas flaring has a negative impact and need to be stopped. However in reality effort at stopping gas flaring has not been show to be implemented.
Chijioke (2002) reported that for whatever reason if it had to justify the rate at which the companies have continuously flared natural gas in the course of the production in Nigeria through the decades. It is not the responsibility of the oil producing companies above to stop this unhealthy practice rather the government bear a great responsibility in this regards as soil wells. None of the oil companies will stop gas flaring at their own since stopping flaring will involve financial investment which they will like to avoid according to the spirit of article 16 and 24 of the Africa charter, the government should also include orderly or permitting independent scientific monitoring the threatened environment, requiring publishing environmental and social impact studies prior to any major industrial development undertaking appropriate monitoring and providing information to those communities exposed to these hazardous material, activities and providing meaningful opportunities for individuals to be heard and to participate in the developing decision affecting their communities and also to ensure that they receive medical attention when they are sick.
References
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