Natural Gas as Transportation Fuel: Solution to National Carbon Dioxide Reduction and Fuel Related Issues in Nigeria

This In this study, strategic substitution of natural gas (NG) as transportation fuel in place of gasoline and diesel has been proposed due to the volume of NG flared on daily basis and its negative impacts on the micro-environment. Data on the volumes of gas flared and quantities of gasoline and diesel distributed from 2000 to 2014 used in this work were sourced from bulletins published by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. Empirical formulae and standard conversions were employed to estimate variables (carbon dioxide and cost benefits) based on current price regimes and energy contents of the fuels. The strategic utilization of NG - scenario 1 - (33% to 1% of flared volume) and the baseline (actual situation in 2014) were the two scenarios considered. Findings from this study revealed that at 33% and 1% utilization of flared gas (11.30 x 109 m3), CO2 released were 2.5 x 107 tons and 3.43 x 107 tons, as against 3.46 x 107 (scenario 1) and 3.42 x 107 tons emitted for the baseline scenario, respectively. These values correspond to CO2 reduction of 9.63 x 106 tons (27.79%) and 2.92 x 105 tons (0.84%), for 33% and 1% NG utilization, respectively. Based on energy contents of the fuels, NG as transport fuel is 60.7% and 62.5% cheaper than gasoline and diesel, respectively. The implementation of strategic NG substitution as transportation fuel proposed seems a lasting solution to gas flaring, and petroleum products and their associated problems in Nigeria