GAS FLARING IN NIGERIA: ESTIMATING THE MAGNITUDE OF HEAT LIBERATED FROM FLARE SITES IN NIGERIA’S PETROLEUM FIELDS

¹George C. Oguejiofor, ²Gordian O. Mbah

¹Department of Chemical Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria.

²Department of Chemical Engineering, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu

E-mail: oguejioforg@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

For the purpose of enhancing energy management, this study explores the thermodynamics’ fundamentals as the tools and methods of estimating the annual quantities of heat liberated to the surrounding environment by gas flaring in Nigeria’s petroleum fields. Many approaches are available for evaluating the heat released from gas flaring. This work reviews the specific-heat-capacity and the enthalpy-change approaches to evaluating heat liberation. The enthalpy-change-computational approach is applied in this work because it is less cumbersome than the specific-heat-capacity approach. In applying the enthalpy-change approach, a step-by-step computational procedure is employed to enhance the presentation and guide the reader from one aspect to the next. To this end, the average molecular weight of Nigeria’s natural gas is computed from its constituents. The average density of Nigeria’s natural gas is calculated from its components. Also, the total enthalpy change for Nigeria’s natural gas is estimated using the enthalpy-change approach. Subsequently, on the basis of the official-gas-flare statistics and the total enthalpy change calculated, the annual quantities of heat liberated to the environment are estimated using the thermodynamics’ equations reviewed in the work. The significance of these computational outcomes lies in the disclosure of the massive quantities of heat liberated from gas flaring in Nigeria.  The magnitude and trend of the quantity of heat liberated from gas flaring are discussed within the context of the theoretical framework. It is expected that the result from this study will contribute towards the elimination of gas flaring in Nigeria’s petroleum fields and also enhance energy management.

Keywords: Gas flaring, estimating, thermodynamics’ fundamentals, heat liberated, enthalpy-                           change-computational approach, natural-gas components.