Abstract
The purpose of this survey is to evaluate the thermal impact of gas flaring in Kokori, Nigeria. This was carried out by measuring the temperature of the study area as a function of distance from the gas flare using a Jumbo digital thermometer. The average daily temperature of Kokori and the surrounding communities was also determined. Result showed that the temperature with respect to distance from the gas flare decreases by a factor of 0.06 °C/m and 0.012 °C/m for both the rainy and the dry seasons respectively. Result also showed that the average difference between the temperature in the gas flaring community and the neighbouring communities is 1.54 °C for the rainy season and 2.70 °C for the dry season. Analysis of the result from this study revealed that the study location has a higher background temperature than the neighbouring communities. This suggests that the study location is thermally affected by the flaring of gas in the area. It is suggested that the flaring location in all oil and gas installations should be located very far from residential communities, while the government is called upon to urgently stop this menace called gas flaring in the country.
Highlights
Gas flaring is explained as the burning off of natural gas which is associated with crude oil during extraction
The primary purpose of flaring the associated gas resulting from crude oil extraction and other gas producing plants is to protect the pipes or vessels from overpressure (Pourhassan & Taravat, 2014)
Oil companies find it economically expedient to flare the natural gas and sometimes pay the insignificant fines attached to gas flaring than processing the gas for economic gain for the nation or to re-inject the gas back into the oil wells (Ajugwo, 2013)
Summary
Gas flaring is explained as the burning off of natural gas which is associated with crude oil during extraction. Report has shown that Nigeria currently flare about 13 million cubic meters of gas annually (Anomohanran, 2012) This has contributed to the quantity of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere thereby contributing in no small measure to the global warming which has become of great concern to the world at large (Anomohanran, 2011). Ismail and Umukoro (2012) asserted that gas flaring has negative effects on the immediate environment, on plant growth and wildlife They observed that natural gas is an important constituent of the world’s supply of energy and one of the safest, cleanest and most useful of all energy sources. This study will provide information on the impact of the flaring on the host community, Kokori and will serve as a base for future assessment and mitigation
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