Oil Companies Break Nigerian Laws, Keep Flaring Gas Without Punishment

The orange glow from gas flares has lit up Umuechem in Rivers State for decades, long after sunset.

For 65-year-old Rose Ordu, the flames are more than just a sight; they are part of her daily life. Standing on her cassava and vegetable farm in April, Ms Ordu pointed to crops that no longer grow as they used to. Her farm, just a few hundred metres from a facility run by Heirs Energies under Oil Mining Lease (OML) 17, has been a source of food for her family for years. She says her harvests have been getting worse.

“When I plant vegetables, they don’t grow well because of the heat from the flare. They wither quickly. Even when I apply fertiliser, they are still unhealthy,” she said.

She asked why the gas keeps burning while her community has been without electricity for over three years. “They should convert it to electricity instead of wasting it,” she added.

A PREMIUM TIMES look at Google Earth images showed that the nearest home is 328 metres from the flare facility. Ms Ordu’s story reflects what many others in oil-producing areas say. Gas flaring has become a normal part of their lives, even with government promises to stop it.

The Law That Promised Change

Gas flaring has long shown the environmental cost of oil production in Nigeria. It wastes valuable natural gas and releases harmful gases like carbon dioxide and methane that worsen climate change.

The Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), signed in August 2021, was supposed to change this. Section 108 of the Act ordered companies producing natural gas within 12 months of the law’s start date to submit Flare Elimination and Monetisation Plans (FEMP). These plans should explain how they would stop flaring and sell gas instead.

In 2023, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) made these rules stronger with the Gas Flaring, Venting and Methane Emissions (Prevention of Waste and Pollution) Regulations.

The rules require companies to keep daily records of gas flaring, prepare methane emissions reports, and make agreements with the regulator. Together, the Act and the new rules seemed to create a strong plan to reduce gas flaring and methane emissions.

But a PREMIUM TIMES investigation found that even though the law sets strict rules for oil and gas companies, enforcement is still weak. Gas flaring and methane emissions continue in many oil-producing areas with little sign that the promised changes are happening.

What PREMIUM TIMES Discovered

For three months, PREMIUM TIMES visited oil-producing communities in Rivers and Akwa Ibom states. Residents live close to facilities operated by Heirs Energies, Aradel Holdings, Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company (SEEPCO) and Frontier Oil.

This newspaper looked at gas-flaring data from the NUPRC, Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), and National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA). It also reviewed the PIA and its rules, looked at sustainability reports, and sent questions to the companies and the regulator.

The investigation found that Nigeria’s plan to stop routine gas flaring is not being enforced well. Operators are supposed to stop flaring and reduce methane emissions, but flare volumes increased at several oil sites after the new rules started.

Some companies did not provide key environmental records that PREMIUM TIMES requested, like their FEMP and methane reports. One operator admitted it had not followed two major regulatory rules but faced no known punishment.

For many communities, the promise of change is just on paper.

Communities Still Waiting

Around 25 kilometres from Umuechem, another flare stack burns day and night in Mbodo, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers, where Heirs Energies also works within OML 17. Residents say living with the flare has become normal. “The impact is obvious on our roofing sheets,” said Emechukwu Handsome, secretary of the Mbodo Group Host Communities Development Trust. “Because of our closeness to the flare, our roofs deteriorate faster.”

He also remembered a medical outreach by Heirs Energies that had an unexpected result. “We set aside one day for eye examinations because we thought only a few people would come. The turnout was more than three times what we expected, and many people could not be attended to,” he said.

At the community’s health centre, health workers told PREMIUM TIMES that itchy eyes, chest pain, skin rashes, and malaria are common complaints they receive. They did not say these issues were directly linked to gas flaring.

Yet, studies show that the concerns raised by communities have a scientific basis. A study from the National Library of Medicine found eye irritation and chest pain among the most common health problems in communities near gas flaring in the Niger Delta. Another study in the West African Journal of Medicine found higher rates of chest pain, breathing issues, skin irritation, and eye irritation in people living close to flare sites compared to those living farther away.

While these studies do not say every illness is caused by gas flaring, they support the idea that living near flare sites can harm public health, especially when communities are close to active flare stacks.

Climate Pledges, Rising Emissions

Heirs Energies claims on its website that it is cutting greenhouse gas emissions through gas commercialisation, off-gas use, and gradually ending routine gas flaring in line with Nigeria’s climate goals.

But government data tells a different story. An analysis of NEITI’s 2022 Oil and Gas Industry Report and NUPRC’s 2023 and 2024 Annual Financial and Operational Performance Reports shows that gas flaring from OML 17 increased in both years after 2022.

The biggest jump occurred in 2024, when flare volumes shot up by 140.3 per cent compared to 2023, even with rules requiring operators to take steps to eliminate flaring. Heirs Energies' position among Nigeria’s highest flaring operators also worsened. In 2023, Heirs Energies ranked 16th out of 45 reporting companies. By 2024, it ranked ninth out of 46 operators.

Methane emissions are also a big issue. NEITI’s latest methane inventory for 2023 shows Heirs Energies reported 217.36 million kilogrammes of methane emissions, the second-highest amount recorded by any operator in the country. Only Mobil Producing Nigeria, which works four oil mining leases, reported a higher figure, while Heirs Energies operates just one.

On June 22, PREMIUM TIMES sent a detailed media enquiry to the company’s Assistant Vice President for External and Government Relations, Chidimma Ugbojiaku, asking for its flare data, methane inventory, Flare Elimination and Monetisation Plan, Milestone Development Agreement with the NUPRC, and details of its environmental compliance from 2021 to May 2026.

After receiving no response, this newspaper sent a reminder on July 26. Four days later, Ms Ugbojiaku acknowledged the enquiry and said the company would respond. But as of the time of this report, no response had been received.

Law with Clear Obligations

The Gas Flaring, Venting and Methane Emissions (Prevention of Waste and Pollution) Regulations, 2023, set some of Nigeria’s strictest environmental obligations for oil and gas producers. Every natural gas producer must submit FEMP to the NUPRC, explaining how they will phase out gas flaring, commercialise the associated gas, and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

The regulations also require operators to sign a Milestone Development Agreement with the Commission, keep daily records of gas flared and vented, submit monthly reports within 21 days after each month, set up methane-monitoring systems, and run Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) programs to find and fix methane leaks.

The goal was to push Nigeria beyond just collecting fines for flaring to making operators actually stop routine gas flaring. But government data shows that this ambition has not resulted in clear reductions at several producing sites. In many communities, flare stacks still burn while operators publicly boast about their environmental efforts.

Invisible Threat

Unlike the flames that are easy to see, methane cannot be seen. It often leaks through faulty valves, old pipelines, broken compressors, and inefficient gas flaring and venting. Although flaring turns much of the gas into carbon dioxide, incomplete burning sends methane into the air.

Ndifreke Ekpo, a lecturer in environmental toxicology at the University of Uyo, told PREMIUM TIMES that methane emissions are a serious problem because of their strength. “It is a very powerful greenhouse gas and also contributes to atmospheric chemical reactions that open holes in the ozone layer,” he said.

Even though emissions may come from individual oil-producing communities, Mr Ekpo said their impact goes well beyond local areas. “The atmosphere is always moving. Greenhouse gases released in one place eventually become part of the global atmosphere.”

Scientists estimate that over 20 years, methane traps more than 80 times as much heat as carbon dioxide, making it a major factor in global warming.

Aradel: Questions on Sustainability Claims

Hours from Port Harcourt, two flare stacks burn continuously over Ogbele community in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, where Aradel Holdings operates Oil Mining Lease (OML) 54. Here, Aradel produces oil and gas and runs a refinery.

According to Aradel’s 2025 annual report, the “Ogbele field asset has sustained over 20 years of continuous production and remains the cornerstone of the company’s production base.” The report says the refinery has grown into a three-train facility with a capacity of 11,000 barrels of oil per day.

Residents told PREMIUM TIMES that the flares cause constant heat, skin irritation, and breathing difficulties. Government records show Aradel is not among Nigeria’s biggest gas-flaring companies. But an analysis of NUPRC annual reports reveals that gas flared from OML 54 increased each year after the new gas flaring regulations were introduced.

The company’s methane reports raise concerns. NEITI’s oil and gas reports reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES show Aradel reported exactly 133.52 million kilogrammes of methane emissions in both 2022 and 2023. The same figure in consecutive years raises eyebrows.

The newspaper asked for an explanation for the identical methane amounts, copies of the company’s FEMP, proof of regulatory approval, its Milestone Development Agreement with the NUPRC, details of methane-reduction projects, Leak Detection and Repair programs, environmental monitoring reports, and monthly gas-flaring logs submitted to the regulator since January 2024.

As of the time of filing this report, Aradel had not provided a written response to PREMIUM TIMES’ request.

On August 7, Aradel set up a virtual meeting with a PREMIUM TIMES reporter. The meeting included the company’s Media and Public Relations Lead, Victoria Humphrey, Communication Strategist, Edafe Onoriode, and General Manager, Sub-Saharan Opportunities, Tunde Odeyemi.

Mr Odeyemi said the company does not have a FEMP because it stopped routine flaring in 2012. When PREMIUM TIMES insisted that it could see gas burning non-stop from the company’s two flare stacks, Mr Odeyemi said it was only a “technical flare that happens anywhere in the world.”

When PREMIUM TIMES mentioned Aradel’s 2025 report, which committed to ending routine flaring by 2026/2027, and asked for the part of the Prevention of Waste and Pollution regulation that exempted some companies from submitting FEMP, the company ended the meeting promising to send a detailed response to the enquiry in writing by the end of the day. Despite several reminders, Aradel has yet to respond to the enquiry.

Sterling Oil: Many Questions Remain

About 15 kilometres from Ogbele, another gas flare burns continuously in Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers. Residents of the nearby Egbolom community told PREMIUM TIMES the heat becomes more intense after sunset.

“The nights are the worst,” one resident said. “You struggle to sleep because of the heat.” Others complained of skin irritation and discomfort, especially in the dry season.

The flare causing the heat is operated by Sterling Oil, one of Nigeria’s biggest oil producers. But checking the company’s flaring record was tough. Unlike some operators, public government reports do not separate Sterling Oil’s gas-flaring volumes by individual facility, making independent checks harder.

To fill this gap, PREMIUM TIMES looked at data from the NOSDRA Gas Flare Tracker. This tool uses satellite data to find active flare sites by their heat signatures. Although the platform cannot precisely estimate flare volumes, it shows flare activity over time.

The analysis found no sign that flaring declined after 2024, when operators were supposed to start implementing approved FEMP. A similar trend was found about 200 kilometres away in Eastern Obolo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, where Sterling Oil operates the Utapate field.

Production at the field began in 2024, yet satellite data reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES shows flare activity sharply increased. Gas flared in the area rose from 4.9 million standard cubic feet (MSCF) in 2024 to eight million MSCF in 2025. By the end of May 2026, 7.2 million MSCF had already been flared, suggesting the annual figure could exceed the previous year’s total if the trend continues.

This increase happened despite rules requiring operators to progressively stop routine gas flaring.

Corporate Pledges, Limited Transparency

PREMIUM TIMES sought Sterling Oil’s response to these findings. On June 21, the newspaper sent a media enquiry asking for its greenhouse gas emissions data, methane inventories, Flare Elimination and Monetisation Plan, proof of regulatory approval, Milestone Development Agreement, and information on measures taken to reduce emissions and monitor environmental impacts in host communities.

After receiving no response, PREMIUM TIMES sent a reminder on July 26 and repeatedly tried to get comments through the company’s media representative in Akwa Ibom, Aniekeme Finbarr. But no response has come as of this report. This silence contrasts with the company’s public sustainability commitments.

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On its website, Sterling Oil claims it is working to reduce the environmental impact of its operations through better energy use, emissions reduction, and using more low-carbon energy sources. But without access to the company’s emissions data and compliance records, those claims cannot be independently checked.

The lack of transparency is especially concerning given Sterling Oil’s recent environmental record. In June 2025, one of its host communities filed a lawsuit against the company over alleged environmental damage from gas emissions and other pollution. Earlier in April that year, PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Akwa Ibom State Government issued a warning to the company over alleged unlawful land encroachment and blocking of waterways.

Earlier this year, PREMIUM TIMES reported that residents near one of the company’s flare sites complained of extreme heat and pollution, with some families leaving their homes. Media reports also documented concerns from civil society about ongoing oil spills in host communities.

Questions have also been raised about the company’s implementation of the PIA. PREMIUM TIMES reported that although the law required operators to set up functional Host Community Development Trusts within a year of the Act starting in 2021, Sterling Oil only revealed a comprehensive needs assessment for its Akwa Ibom host communities in June 2026.

For environmental advocates, the delays and the company’s limited public disclosure on environmental compliance raise concerns about transparency and accountability.

Among the four companies investigated, only Frontier Oil, run by Savannah Energy, provided a substantial response.

‘Silence Fuels Climate Denial’

Environmental advocates say the refusal of Heirs Energies, Aradel, and Sterling Oil to share information on methane emissions and compliance with anti-gas flaring rules harms public accountability. The coordinator of the Peace Point Development Foundation, Umo Isuaikoh, said the companies’ silence does not match the transparency expected from firms operating in affected communities.

“Methane emissions and gas flaring are public issues. Companies extracting public resources must reveal the environmental impact of their work and what they are doing to reduce it,” he said.

Mr Isuaikoh said not sharing emissions and compliance records makes it hard for communities, regulators, and investors to check if operators are meeting their legal obligations. He believes the lack of disclosure supports “a culture of climate denial.”

“Climate denial is not just about rejecting climate science. It also includes hiding information that helps the public understand pollution and hold polluters responsible.”

Frontier Oil Opens Its Records

Unlike the other companies investigated, Frontier Oil Limited answered PREMIUM TIMES’ questions in detail. This response gave a rare look at how one operator manages gas flaring and methane emissions. It also showed gaps in regulatory enforcement.

Frontier Oil works the Uquo field in Akwa Ibom State, where gas is flared in Edo and Uqua Isidoho communities in Esit Eket Local Government Area. Residents say the flare has hurt farming. Friday Edoho, whose farm is near the facility, said the heat has reduced cassava yields, worsening the economic struggles his family faces.

Conflicting Flare Data

Frontier Oil told PREMIUM TIMES its gas flaring fell steadily from 2021 to 2024, but government records show a different story. An analysis of NEITI oil and gas reports and NUPRC operational reports found that flare volumes dropped in 2023 but rose in 2024 by 59.4 per cent compared to the previous year, when operators were expected to implement flare-reduction measures.

The company said the spike in flare volumes was due to unusually high gas production from a new oil well that exceeded the capacity of its compressors, leading to increased flaring. Frontier Oil claimed that compressor upgrades, lower production, and better maintenance later reduced emissions.

Startling Admission

Frontier Oil also acknowledged that it did not submit fugitive methane emission reports needed under the Gas Flaring, Venting and Methane Emissions Regulations from 2021 to May 2026. The company said that despite this non-compliance, the NUPRC did not issue a notice of violation or impose any penalty.

The regulations required operators to submit their Flare Elimination and Monetisation Plan within six months of signing in May 2023. Frontier Oil said it submitted its plan in 2025, almost two years late, and has not received NUPRC approval. Because of this, it has not signed the required Milestone Development Agreement. Frontier Oil also told PREMIUM TIMES it faced no penalty or regulatory order over the late submission or its failure to file fugitive methane emission reports.

Bigger Accountability Question

Across Umuechem, Mbodo, Ogbele, Abua/Odual, Eastern Obolo, and Esit Eket, residents reported similar concerns, like extreme heat, falling farm yields, and health issues linked to gas flaring. Government data also shows flare volumes increased at several producing sites during the time operators were supposed to reduce routine flaring.

Three companies, Heirs Energies, Aradel Holdings, and Sterling Oil, did not provide key environmental records requested by this newspaper. Frontier Oil responded, but its disclosures revealed some regulatory non-compliance without any known enforcement action.

Overall, the findings in this investigation raise a bigger question than the actions of individual oil companies. If operators can miss deadlines, fail to submit mandatory reports, and keep increasing gas flaring without any known consequences, where is Nigeria’s enforcement system failing?

Part Two of this investigation will look at the role of the NUPRC and the federal government, revealing how regulatory delays, weak oversight, and poor enforcement have weakened one of Nigeria’s most ambitious environmental laws.