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CARBON CAPTURE AND UTILIZATION FROM GAS FLARING USING LOCAL CLAY ADSORBENTS IN NIGERIA
Chapter One
Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
Nigeria ranks among the world’s leading oil producers and holds substantial natural gas reserves, positioning it as a key player in the global energy market. However, the country’s oil and gas sector has long been plagued by the practice of gas flaring, the routine burning of associated natural gas extracted alongside crude oil. This wasteful process occurs primarily due to inadequate infrastructure for gas capture, processing, and utilization, as well as economic and logistical challenges in remote production sites, particularly in the Niger Delta region (World Bank, 2025).
Gas flaring releases significant volumes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other greenhouse gases directly into the atmosphere, exacerbating climate change while squandering a valuable resource that could support power generation, industrial feedstocks, or exports (World Bank, 2025). In recent years, despite policy efforts and commitments to reduction, flaring persists. For instance, Nigeria flared approximately 204 billion standard cubic feet (scf) of natural gas in 2025, equivalent to about 7.54% of total gas produced (NUPRC, 2025; IN CÔTE D’IVOIRE, 2025). This resulted in substantial CO₂ emissions, with estimates around 13.8 million tonnes in 2024 (Statista, 2025) and cumulative emissions from flaring between 2002 and 2024 reaching approximately 625.23 million tonnes of CO₂ (Ogunmodede et al., 2025).
This ongoing flaring contributes to Nigeria’s greenhouse gas emissions profile, where the energy sector, dominated by oil and gas, remains a major source (World Bank, 2025). Globally, eliminating routine flaring could avert hundreds of millions of tonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions yearly, and Nigeria’s share remains notable among top flaring nations (World Bank, 2025).
Beyond climate impacts, gas flaring inflicts severe local consequences in host communities, especially in the Niger Delta. It releases pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NOₓ), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds, leading to acid rain, soil degradation, reduced agricultural yields, and biodiversity loss (AAAS, n.d.; Ukhurebor, 2024). Health studies link prolonged exposure to increased incidences of respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular diseases, asthma, chronic bronchitis, and certain cancers among nearby populations (Bruederle & Hodler, 2019; Giwa et al., 2019; FAO et al., 2021). Residents in gas-flaring host communities are more likely to be hypertensive, with a 1.75 times higher probability compared to non-flaring areas (Aniefiok et al., 2017). Economically, flared gas represents lost revenue potentially billions of dollars over decades—while depriving the nation of energy resources that could alleviate widespread power shortages (Ogunmodede et al., 2025).
In response to these challenges, global and national efforts increasingly focus on carbon capture and utilization (CCU) as a pragmatic pathway to mitigate emissions from point sources like flare stacks (World Bank, 2025). CCU involves capturing CO₂ from industrial exhausts, including flared gas combustion, and converting it into valuable products such as fuels, chemicals, building materials, or enhanced oil recovery agents, thereby transforming waste into economic assets.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Despite international commitments, including Nigeria’s participation in the World Bank’s Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership and targets for zero routine flaring, progress remains slow. Conventional CCU technologies, such as amine-based absorption or membrane separation, are often capital-intensive, energy-demanding, and reliant on imported materials, making them less feasible in resource-constrained settings like Nigeria’s oil fields.
A promising alternative lies in low-cost, locally available materials for CO₂ adsorption. Nigeria is endowed with abundant clay deposits, including kaolinite, bentonite, and other natural clay minerals found across regions such as the Niger Delta, Sokoto, and other sedimentary basins. These clays possess layered structures, high surface areas (especially when modified), ion-exchange capacities, and tunable properties that enable CO₂ physisorption or chemisorption.
Research on clay-based adsorbents has shown potential for effective CO₂ capture, with modifications like acid activation, amine functionalization, or thermal treatment enhancing uptake capacities. However, limited studies have explored their specific application to capturing CO₂ from gas flaring streams in Nigeria, where flue gases may contain impurities, high temperatures, and variable compositions.
The gap in deploying affordable, indigenous adsorbents for CCU from flared gas hinders progress toward emission reduction, resource monetization, and sustainable development in Nigeria’s energy sector.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The primary aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility of using local clay adsorbents for carbon capture and utilization from gas flaring in Nigeria.
Specific objectives include:
- To examine the extent and impacts of gas flaring in Nigeria, with emphasis on CO₂ emissions and associated environmental, health, and economic consequences.
- To review global and local advancements in CCU technologies, particularly adsorption-based methods.
- To assess the physicochemical properties of selected Nigerian clays (e.g., kaolinite and bentonite) and their potential as CO₂ adsorbents.
- To explore modification techniques for enhancing the CO₂ capture efficiency of these local clays.
- To propose a framework for integrating clay-based CCU systems into Nigerian gas flaring sites for sustainable utilization.
1.4 Research Questions
- What are the current trends, volumes, and impacts of gas flaring in Nigeria?
- How effective are natural and modified clay minerals as adsorbents for CO₂ capture from industrial sources like flare emissions?
- What modifications can optimize the performance of Nigerian local clays for practical CCU applications?
- What technical, economic, and policy barriers exist in adopting clay-based CCU for gas flaring mitigation in Nigeria?
1.5 Significance of the Study
This research contributes to addressing Nigeria’s dual challenge of energy waste and climate vulnerability by promoting indigenous, cost-effective solutions. Successful development of local clay adsorbents could reduce reliance on expensive imported technologies, create opportunities for value-added products from captured CO₂ (e.g., chemicals or materials), and support
Energy Transition Plan and net-zero ambitions. It also offers environmental benefits for Niger Delta communities and economic gains through flare gas monetization.
1.6 Scope and Limitations
The study focuses on adsorption-based CCU using natural and modified Nigerian clays, targeting CO₂ from gas flaring. It draws on existing literature, characterization of select clays, and conceptual system design, without full-scale field implementation. Limitations include variability in clay deposits, flue gas complexities, and evolving regulatory frameworks.
1.7 Definition of Key Terms
- Gas Flaring: The controlled burning of natural gas associated with oil production.
- Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU): Technologies to capture CO₂ and convert it into useful products.
- Adsorbents: Materials that capture molecules (e.g., CO₂) on their surface.
- Clay Minerals: Naturally occurring aluminosilicates like kaolinite and bentonite with layered structures suitable for adsorption.