investigates TotalEnergies’ ‘zero routine flaring’ claim

For years, citizens of Obite, Obagi and neighbouring communities in Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Native Executive House of Rivers State have watched flames upward thrust above TotalEnergies’ oil amenities, illuminating the evening and, they are saying, changing the lives of other folks residing closest to the corporate’s operations.

The flames didn’t disappear after TotalEnergies introduced that it had completed what it described as a landmark environmental milestone. As an alternative, citizens instructed PREMIUM TIMES that the flaring endured.

In July, PREMIUM TIMES visited communities round Oil Mining Hire 58, TotalEnergies’ most important onshore asset in Nigeria, and seen flare stacks burning days and nights.

On the corporation’s facility in Obite, two flare stacks have been visual. One burned with a big, intense flame whilst every other produced a smaller flame. At Obagi, house to the Obagi Oil Box, PREMIUM TIMES seen two different flare stacks burning often throughout the duration our reporter visited.

TotalEnergies in its personal public disclosures determine December 2023 as the purpose at which habitual flaring used to be eradicated from OML 100, which it described because the remaining Nigerian asset the place habitual flaring remained.

However information reviewed via PREMIUM TIMES, box observations and accounts from citizens point out that really extensive flaring task has endured round OML 58 because the announcement. Different govt information additionally display that fuel flare has larger on every other upstream asset of TotalEnergies after the announcement.

The corporate has no longer defined the particular classification of the flaring seen via PREMIUM TIMES as its officers didn’t reply to repeated requests for rationalization, leaving a important a part of the corporate’s environmental declare untested.

The commentary does no longer, on its own, determine that the corporate has endured habitual flaring in breach of its dedication. TotalEnergies distinguishes habitual flaring from non-routine and security flaring, and flare task can happen for causes rather than habitual disposal of related fuel.

Alternatively, the corporate has no longer equipped the asset-level information, classification data or regulatory documentation had to independently determine what the flames seen round OML 58 are. That hole is on the middle of this investigation.

The observations lift a query about some of the outstanding environmental claims made via the French power large in Nigeria: if habitual flaring ended throughout TotalEnergies’ Nigerian operations in 2023, what precisely are the flames that communities proceed to look?

The promise

On 2 December 2023 at COP28 in Dubai, TotalEnergies joined 49 different oil and fuel corporations that signed the Oil and Gasoline Decarbonization Charter.

The constitution commits signatories to try for net-zero operational emissions via or sooner than 2050, near-zero upstream methane emissions via 2030 and the removal of habitual flaring via 2030. It additionally requires emissions tracking, reporting and verification and advanced alignment with business perfect practices.

TotalEnergies moved briefly to show off its growth in Nigeria the place it operates 5 belongings; OML 58, 99, 100, 102, and 130.

On 18 December 2023, throughout a gathering with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja, TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné announced that the corporate had ended habitual fuel flaring throughout its operations in Nigeria.

The corporate’s definition of habitual flaring aligns with the definition contained within the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Fee’s (NUPRC) Gas Flaring, Venting and Methane Emissions Regulations 2023.

TotalEnergies defines habitual flaring as flaring throughout standard manufacturing operations the place there are inadequate amenities or insufficient geological prerequisites to reinject, use or promote the fuel produced.

NUPRC in a similar fashion distinguishes habitual flaring from security flaring, expressly mentioning that habitual flaring does no longer come with security flaring, even the place security flaring is constant.

However the Nigerian laws additionally create a class of what they describe as “Non-Regimen Flaring”.

Below the laws, non-routine flaring covers flaring rather than habitual flaring and is generally intermittent and of quick period, whether or not deliberate or unplanned.

The class comprises brief failure of kit dealing with fuel throughout standard operations, brief failure of amenities that forestalls receipt of flare fuel, security flaring, preliminary plant or box start-up, start-up after shutdowns, scheduled preventive repairs and inspections, development actions and adjustments in working prerequisites.

It additionally covers procedure upsets requiring flaring to stabilise a procedure, reservoir or properly repairs actions, and exploration, appraisal or production-well checking out or clean-up following drilling or work-over actions.

That implies the lifestyles of flames at OML 58 does no longer, by itself, invalidate TotalEnergies’ declaration. But, it makes every other query unavoidable.

If habitual flaring has ended, what regulatory class applies to the flare task that continues to be? How ceaselessly does it happen? What triggers the flare? How lengthy does every flare remaining? How a lot fuel is being burned? And has NUPRC verified the operator’s classification?

The ones are questions that may handiest be responded via asset-level operational and regulatory data.

If habitual flaring has ended, communities, regulators and the general public must have the ability to resolve how proceeding flare occasions are labeled, they must be defined to why the flares from the 4 stacks of their group has no longer been “intermittent and of quick period” as equipped within the law, they must resolve how a lot fuel is concerned and whether or not they agree to regulatory necessities.

Alternatively, the unresolved query is whether or not the chronic flames no less than round OML 58 which is well out there in contrast to its offshore and deep water belongings are really occasional security or non-routine flares, or whether or not some constitute endured habitual flaring beneath every other classification.

Group looking forward to the promised trade

At Ogbogwu group, Ndenso Okwuikpo lives shut sufficient to a TotalEnergies facility to observe the flare from his house.

He stated he has noticed no significant relief within the depth of the flaring because the corporation introduced the top of habitual flaring.

His better circle of relatives, he stated, donated greater than 150 hectares of land to TotalEnergies in anticipation that oil operations would convey employment and financial alternatives.

As an alternative, he stated, the group has been “rewarded” with air pollution. “Our farmland aren’t yielding properly as a result of the warmth on this space. That’s the praise we get from the land we gave to them” he stated.

Mr Okwuikpo stated he had advanced critical issues together with his sight during the last 4 years and spends cash on medicine that he would in a different way have used to reinforce his circle of relatives.

He stated citizens had anticipated the corporate’s 2023 announcement to convey aid.

“We heard since 2023 that they’re going to prevent flaring. We have been more than happy. However since we heard that, not anything has came about. The fuel burns day and evening and it hasn’t ever stopped even for an hour.”

His account, then again, isn’t sponsored via proof that his eye situation is brought about via the flaring locally. However, his enjoy issues to a priority expressed via citizens concerning the results of residing beside oil-production infrastructure.

For every other resident, Hannah Igila, her fear is the warmth emitted from the flare which she stated burns day and evening. Ms Igila stated this reasons sleep problem for households that don’t have lovers, particularly at evening.

At Obite, 84-year-old conventional chief locally, Ebiere Ejah recollects a time sooner than TotalEnergies’ operations modified the panorama across the group.

He complained concerning the impact of the flare on agriculture.

Mr Ejah stated Obite used to be as soon as identified for plenty of cocoyam in the neighborhood known as Indian cocoyam. He stated the crop may not thrive as a result of the warmth across the group. “Even our cassava isn’t fruitful because of the warmth from the fuel flared day and evening,” he stated.

He additionally complained about what he described as polluted rainwater and pores and skin inflammation amongst citizens.

At Obagi, the flame is a part of the terrain

At Obagi, citizens stated the location is much more tricky to reconcile with the corporate’s environmental claims.

Oil manufacturing within the box started a long time in the past. Many citizens stated they have been born right into a group the place the flare used to be already a part of the group surroundings.

Michael Kio, a prime leader locally and a circle of relatives leader representing Obagi in Egi Extended family, stated his Umuokporo circle of relatives has 32 oil wells situated on its land.

But, he stated, the circle of relatives stays deficient whilst residing beside oil infrastructure.

“All we get from TotalEnergies is the continual destruction of our surroundings in the course of the nonstop fuel flare,” he stated.

“We heard information some years in the past that this fuel they burn will finish, however we haven’t noticed it finish until date. They preserve burning our lives,” Mr Kio added.

On the Obagi Number one Well being Centre, the authentic answerable for the ability, Osam Augustine, stated citizens ceaselessly arrive with proceedings involving itchy eyes, pores and skin inflammation and chest ache accompanied via cough.

“There’s no month we don’t have proceedings about itchy eyes, no less than 20 in a month,” he stated.

He stated proceedings of itchy our bodies have been extra widespread and that chest ache accompanied via cough used to be additionally commonplace.

On the Obite Number one Well being Centre, the officer in fee, Vatican Nwoke reported an identical proceedings.

She stated she for my part stories itchy eyes accompanied via discharge and estimated that the ability receives about 15 instances of itchy eyes and 17 instances of itchy frame proceedings every month.

Ms Nwoke stated chest ache used to be extra commonplace, with no less than 20 instances per month.

“Those communities want right kind epidemiological research,” Ms Nwoke stated in substance, evaluating the proceedings she sees with the stories of co-workers running in communities the place fuel isn’t being flared.

The well being employees didn’t supply medical proof setting up fuel flaring as the reason for the proceedings. Their testimony as an alternative paperwork the well being burden they are saying is many times offered on the amenities.

But, medical proof provides credence to the troubles many times raised via host communities.

A learn about printed via the Nationwide Library of Drugs known eye inflammation and chest ache a few of the maximum ceaselessly reported well being prerequisites in communities uncovered to fuel flaring within the Niger Delta.

Some other learn about printed within the West African Magazine of Drugs discovered expanding upper charges of chest ache, respiring difficulties, pores and skin inflammation and eye inflammation amongst other folks living close to flare websites than the ones residing farther away.

Information unearths extra

To be had regulatory and satellite tv for pc information supply every other piece of the image.

Information printed via NUPRC display that TotalEnergies, via its Nigerian working entities, flared 4,395.75 million MSCF of fuel in 2024, striking the corporate thirteenth amongst 46 corporations reported within the dataset.

The similar NUPRC information display that TotalEnergies utilised 418,231.37 million MSCF of fuel in 2024, rating 2nd a few of the corporations indexed.

Alternatively, the figures does no longer seize what came about at particular person belongings.

An research of knowledge from the Nigerian Oil Spill Detection and Reaction Company’s Gasoline Flare Tracker, which makes use of satellite tv for pc observations of flare task used to be ready to seize fuel flaring from TotalEnergies two belongings; OML 58 and 130 deepwaters asset.

NOSDRA information signifies that OML 58 recorded 10.1 million MSCF of flaring in 2022. The determine rose to ten.6 million MSCF in 2023 sooner than falling to 7.9 million MSCF in 2024. In 2025, then again, the estimated quantity returned to ten million MSCF.

Flare volumes recorded round OML 130 remained underneath 6.2 million MSCF in 2022 and 2023, sooner than emerging to 7.9 million MSCF in 2025.

The development failed to turn a sustained disappearance of flare task after TotalEnergies’ December 2023 announcement.

TotalEnergies commitments as opposed to Methane query

Past visual flames, there are considerations round TotalEnergies methane disclosures.

Methane is the main element of herbal fuel and a extremely potent greenhouse fuel.

TotalEnergies has set world objectives to scale back methane emissions from its operated belongings via 80 p.c via 2030 when put next with 2020 ranges.

In its 2026 Sustainability Local weather growth record, the corporate says it completed a 65 in line with cent relief globally in 2025 and is focused on a 70 in line with cent relief via 2026.

Alternatively, the ones figures are world operated-asset figures and don’t disclose the extent of methane emissions from TotalEnergies’ Nigerian operations to lend a hand the rustic measure its personal milestones in local weather commitments.

But, TotalEnergies has invested in era designed to discover and quantify methane. The corporate stated it deployed its AUSEA drone era in Nigeria in 2022.

In December 2023, TotalEnergies and NNPC signed a cooperation settlement to make use of AUSEA era for methane detection and size on Nigerian oil and fuel amenities.

In its 2026 growth record, the corporate reported one key methane relief from its Nigerian operations noting {that a} supply of venting known in Nigeria used to be flamable quilt fuel utilized in garage tanks. It stated in December 2024, the corporate changed the flamable quilt fuel with inert nitrogen.

Consistent with TotalEnergies, the intervention lowered emissions from 5.2 kilotonnes of methane in line with yr to 0.35 kilotonnes. That represents a discount of four.85 million kilogrammes of methane yearly.

Despite the fact that this can be a really extensive relief from that exact supply, it’s not a measure of TotalEnergies’ overall methane emissions in Nigeria.

A facility can prevent habitual flaring and nonetheless free up methane via apparatus leaks, venting, incomplete combustion or different assets therefore methane size and disclosure stay important even the place an operator stories 0 habitual flaring.

TotalEnergies Nigerian methane information no longer publicly out there

The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative’s (NEITI) 2022-2023 oil and fuel audit discovered that handiest 15 of 62 corporations lined via the audit submitted greenhouse fuel emissions information whilst 47 didn’t.

Whilst main multinational oil corporations in Nigeria like Shell, Mobil, and Chevron submitted, TotalEnergies’ two Nigerian upstream entities; TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Restricted and TotalEnergies Upstream Nigeria Restricted weren’t a few of the corporations known as having equipped the desired methane and different Greenhouse Gases (GHG) information within the audit. But, TotalEnergies is world corporation that publishes intensive world local weather information and has publicly dedicated itself to methane size and relief.

NEITI beneficial strict enforcement, together with consequences for non-compliance, incentives for correct and well timed submissions and third-party verification of emissions information. The audit also known as for engagement via NUPRC, the Federal Ministry of Setting and NEITI to lend a hand corporations perceive and conform to GHG reporting necessities.

However the regulatory framework has since turn into extra not easy because the 2023 Gasoline Flaring, Venting and Methane Emissions Laws established size and reporting duties for upstream operators.

In April 2026, NUPRC issued every other directive requiring operators to undertake standardised templates for GHG emissions control plans and methane and GHG emissions accounting.

The regulator stated operators will have to use, at minimal, IPCC Tier 2 methodologies from the 1/3 quarter of 2026 and transition to measurement-based Tier 3 programs via January 2027.

Disclosure will have to fit technological capacity

The Nigeria Nation Director of the Herbal Useful resource Governance Institute (NRGI), Tengi George-Ikoli stated TotalEnergies’ reported growth must be welcomed, however argued that company commitments and technological capacity will have to be matched via clear, asset-level disclosure.

“NRGI welcomes TotalEnergies’ reported removal of habitual fuel flaring from its operated Nigerian belongings and its deployment of AUSEA era to discover and quantify methane emissions,” she stated.

“However company commitments and technological capacity will have to be matched via clear, asset-level disclosure.”

Ms George-Ikoli wired that finishing habitual flaring must no longer be puzzled with getting rid of methane emissions.

Methane, she stated, can nonetheless get away via fugitive leaks, venting, apparatus disasters and incomplete combustion.

“Due to this fact, a zero-routine-flaring declare does no longer take away the want to measure, record and independently examine methane emissions,” she stated.

Ms George-Ikoli stated TotalEnergies may exhibit management via publishing its Nigeria-specific emissions effects and clarifying what data it had submitted to the related government thus taking into consideration unbiased overview of TotalEnergies’ growth.

“Voluntary company disclosure must supplement, no longer substitute, robust regulatory reporting and public responsibility,” she stated.

The organisation known as on TotalEnergies, like different operators in Nigeria, to put up methane emissions information for its Nigerian belongings, together with absolute emissions, methane depth, emission assets, amenities surveyed, methodologies used and corrective movements taken.

Operator, regulator that has no longer responded

PREMIUM TIMES sought solutions from TotalEnergies.

On 22 July, the newspaper despatched the corporate in Nigeria and its headquarters in France an in depth enquiry asking it to spot the precise date habitual flaring ceased at OML 58; provide an explanation for the flare task seen throughout the newspaper’s discuss with to native communities in Nigeria; state whether or not the corporate had investigated citizens’ claims; and explain whether or not the seen flaring used to be labeled as habitual, non-routine, emergency or safety-related.

The newspaper additionally asked OML 58 flare volumes from 2021 via 2025 and for January to June 2026.

Previous on 16 June, PREMIUM TIMES in a media enquiry requested for methane emissions information, together with fugitive emissions, venting and combustion-related methane, in addition to copies of fugitive methane emissions stories submitted to NUPRC.

The newspaper requested the corporate whether or not it had submitted methane information to NEITI and, if no longer, why.

It additionally asked its Flare Removing and Monetisation Plan, main points of investments made to do away with habitual flaring, any regulatory sanctions or compliance notices, and knowledge on third-party verification of its emissions information.

No reaction used to be won and a reminder used to be despatched on 26 August and every other on 21 September but the corporate nonetheless didn’t reply.

PREMIUM TIMES additionally approached NUPRC in the course of the Fee Leader Government, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, and Head of Media and Strategic Communique, Eniola Akinkuotu on 21 June and once more on 21 September to ascertain whether or not the regulator had independently assessed TotalEnergies’ declaration that habitual flaring had led to Nigeria.

The regulator used to be in particular requested whether or not its overview supported the corporate’s declare in mild of the chronic flare task seen round OML 58. NUPRC used to be additionally requested what motion it had taken over TotalEnergies’ failure to record methane emissions within the NEITI audit. The regulator didn’t reply to the enquiry.

NUPRC’s silence isn’t an remoted incidence.

In a PREMIUM TIMES investigation printed in September, Oil corporations violate Nigerian rules, flare fuel, face no sanctions, this newspaper additionally sought solutions from NUPRC on regulatory enforcement. The regulator didn’t reply to questions. The development could also be obvious in PREMIUM TIMES’ July investigation, Gasoline flares, poisoned lives, regulatory disasters in Nigeria’s oil fields, which sought data from NUPRC on operator compliance and regulatory enforcement. NUPRC didn’t reply to the enquiries.

The regulator’s repeated refusal to supply a reaction raises an responsibility query.

For a regulator chargeable for implementing regulations on flaring, venting and methane emissions, the general public wishes to understand whether or not investigations are being carried out, what they have got discovered and what motion follows when operators fail to conform to commitments and regulations.

With out that data, it turns into tricky for communities and the general public to evaluate whether or not public declarations and regulations are being enforced.

What the silence leaves unanswered

The silence leaves a tougher drawback.

Visual flare task stays round OML 58 after the corporate declared that habitual flaring had ended throughout its Nigerian operations.

Satellite tv for pc information point out that flare task in OML 58 and 130 didn’t disappear or scale back considerably after the announcement.

Citizens say the flames stay a part of on a regular basis existence, whilst well being employees record routine proceedings from other folks residing with reference to the amenities. NUPRC’s company-level information display that TotalEnergies endured to record really extensive fuel volumes flared in 2024, however the information don’t expose ok asset-level data to resolve what quantity got here from OML 58, its different 4 operated belongings or how particular person flare occasions have been labeled.

And TotalEnergies has no longer equipped PREMIUM TIMES with the operational and emissions data that might get to the bottom of the discrepancy, leaving a important query unanswered: If habitual flaring has ended, what precisely are communities seeing day and evening and who has independently verified the location?

With out verifiable data and solutions from the operator and regulator, the general public is left with two competing realities: a company declaration of 0 habitual flaring and a bodily panorama during which flames stay visual all day and evening.

READ ALSO: Nigeria among top nine world’s gas-flaring countries in 2025 — World Bank

Claims need to be interrogated – Professionals

The Director of the Well being of Mom Earth Basis and Environmental Activist, Nnimmo Bassey, stated the plain contradiction is proof that public claims via oil corporations and govt businesses will have to be examined towards prerequisites at the floor.

“When TotalEnergies say that they’ve stopped habitual flaring but flaring is happening round their amenities locally it’s merely a canopy up,” Mr Bassey stated.

He stated the federal government and oil corporations must exhibit environmental commitments via measurable motion quite than declarations.

Head of Power, Extractives and Local weather Justice Programme at Coverage Alert, Edidiong Dickson, stated the case issues to weaknesses in emissions reporting that want to be addressed.

Mr Dickson stated box observations from oil-producing communities recommend that emissions claims via some operators would possibly not all the time be readily reconciled with prerequisites at the floor.

He known as for advanced tracking via NUPRC and involvement of communities in emissions data.

Consistent with him, claims via operators want to be interrogated via the regulator, specifically the place to be had proof from communities and different tracking programs raises questions.

This Investigation is supported via We The Other folks