By YANGE IKYAA

Aradel Holdings PLC has vowed to maintain its zero gas-flare policy, even as some of the companies operating various assets in the Nigerian oil and gas industry continue to embrace the unhealthy practice of gas flaring, which is known for its damaging impacts on human health and the natural environment.

Victor Columba, who is the Manager of Production System at Aradel Holdings PLC, stated this during a presentation at the just concluded Nigerian Hydrocarbon Measurement Conference (NiHMEC), which held in Lagos.

NiHMEC is held annually under the leadership of Mr. Osten Olorunsola, who is the NiHMEC chair, and coordinated by Dr. Sunday Kanshio, the managing partner of Fleissen and Company, an energy consulting firm which has been retained as the conference organizer.

Every year, the conference brings energy firms and experts together to deliberate on ways of achieving energy sufficiency without compromising environmental sustainability.

The practice of zero gas flaring by Aradel is in compliance with section 105 of the Petroleum Industry Act ( PIA), which stipulates “no flaring or venting of natural gas at the facility.” On the contrary, many energy companies in Nigeria, including multinationals, are known for routine gas flaring.

Aradel Gas, a subsidiary of Aradel Holdings PLC, has a gas plant with a designed capacity of 100 MMscf per day, as well as the ability to produce liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

It is also the only indigenous operator that supplies export gas to Nigeria Liquefied Naturel Gas (NLNG) in Bonny through the Rumuji node. In doing this, Aradel has consistently met its supply obligations since 2012.

While producing gas for domestic consumption, it still has existing and prospective customers that have lined up in contractual engagements for increased offtake.

Aradel meets her Domestic Gas Delivery Obligation (DGDO) by leveraging an off-taker, who is located just across the company’s fence since 2016.

This is then processed into compressed natural gas (CNG) by the off-taker and delivered to various parts of the country by means of virtual pipelines.

The delivered gas is measured at Aradel’s facility before shipping it across to its off-taker for compression.

As a result of its carbon reduction footprint, the company has won many awards, among which is the 2015 Award of Excellence from the World Bank’s Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership under the “Zero Routine Flaring by 2030” Initiative.