NUPRC deploys digital tracker to cut methane emissions by 2035

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission has stepped up efforts to reduce methane emissions in the oil and gas industry, taking over a digital monitoring platform designed to help Nigeria achieve its target of cutting emissions by 60 per cent by 2035.

The Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Emission Tracker is expected to strengthen regulatory oversight by combining satellite-based methane detection with facility-level emissions measurements, enabling regulators to identify pollution hotspots, detect inconsistencies in operators’ reports and improve enforcement.

The platform was formally handed over to the Commission Chief Executive of the NUPRC, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

The development forms part of efforts to implement the commission’s 2022 Guidelines for the Management of Fugitive Methane and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Upstream Oil and Gas Sector. The guidelines require operators to move from estimation-based emissions reporting to measurement-based reporting by the first quarter of 2027.

In a statement issued on Thursday by the Head of Media and Corporate Communications, Eniola Akinkuotu, the commission said the platform aligned with its digital transformation agenda and Nigeria’s commitment to reducing methane emissions, ending routine gas flaring and achieving net-zero emissions by 2060.

The Executive Commissioner, Health, Safety, Environment and Community, Captain John Tonlagha, represented Eyesan at the handover.

The statement read, “The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission has strengthened its drive to achieve Nigeria’s 60 per cent methane emissions reduction target by 2035 with the handover of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Emission Tracker, a technology-driven platform designed to improve methane monitoring, reporting and regulatory enforcement.”

The commission chief said NOGIET would improve the quality of emissions data available to regulators and support more targeted monitoring of oil and gas facilities.

“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,” Eyesan said.

She stressed that integrating the platform into the commission’s regulatory monitoring and data management systems would improve the credibility and reliability of emissions reporting.

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The platform was developed through a partnership involving the Stakeholder Democracy Network, with financial and technical support from the Global Methane Hub. It is designed for use by both the NUPRC and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, allowing the two regulators to coordinate methane monitoring across the oil and gas value chain.

Eyesan commended the Global Methane Hub for its financial and technical support and the SDN for its leadership and coordination in delivering the platform.

Speaking at the handover, the Board Chairman of SDN, Inemo Samiama, said the system would help regulators compare satellite observations with measurements taken at oil and gas facilities, making it easier to identify discrepancies and take enforcement action based on evidence.

He said the organisation was transferring the platform to the commission without charge.

“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,” Samiama said.

He added that a coordinated approach was necessary because methane emissions could not be addressed effectively by treating upstream and downstream operations as separate systems.

“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,” he said.

The deployment comes as Nigeria works to strengthen the monitoring and regulation of methane, a potent greenhouse gas released through oil and gas operations, including leaks and venting. Methane emissions and routine gas flaring remain important environmental concerns for petroleum-producing countries.

Moving to measurement-based reporting is intended to give regulators more reliable information on actual emissions rather than relying mainly on estimates supplied by operators. The new platform could therefore help the authorities identify discrepancies, direct inspections to high-emission facilities and improve compliance with existing regulations.

However, the platform’s effectiveness will depend on its integration into regulatory systems, the quality and consistency of data supplied by operators, and the regulators’ ability to act on the information it generates.