The Development of Environmental Guidelines and Standards for the Petroleum Industry in Nigeria: A Systematic Approach and Future Challenges

Abstract

Abstract As part of its statutory functions, the Department of Petroleum Resources is charged with the responsibility of ensuring safe and environmentally friendly oil and gas operations. In order to achieve this responsibility, the Department has been developing environmental guidelines and standards covering all aspects of Oil and Gas operations since 1981 when the first interim environmental guidelines were issued to the industry in form of administrative circular. In 1992, the Department of Petroleum Resources updated and issued the first ever compendium of environmental guidelines and standards to the industry in one volume. Though the document was meant for review after every 5 years as new knowledge becomes available, significant changes in the guidelines, standards and effluent limitations were communicated to companies via administrative circulars in-between the reviews. The review of the 1992 document began, in earnest, in 1996 through 1998 when the draft- revised version was issued to the industry. The draft version formed the benchmark and working document between DPR and Operators until a final document was issued in 2002. Following the issuance of the revised document and as is the case with every regulatory change(s), the Department of Petroleum Resources was and is still being inundated with a lot of requests for moratorium period from the operators within which to phase out the outlawed practices and retrofit facilities to meet the new regulations. The aim of this paper is to share with you the hybrid approaches adopted and the evolutionary trend in the development of environmental guidelines and standards for the petroleum industry in Nigeria. Attempts will also be made at highlighting the salient differences between the 1992 and 2002 versions of the document and the major challenges regarding the implementation of the revised document while speculating on the future trends in the environmental regulations for the Nigerian Oil Industry. Introduction The history of oil exploration in Nigeria which dated back to as far back as 1908, and the contribution of oil sector to the economic, social and technological development of the country need not be restated in this forum. However, what need to be stated is the fact the Nigeria Oil Industry did not have a specific and well defined guideline and standards for the control, regulation and monitoring of environmental performance in the early days of its existence. This was despite the presence in Petroleum Laws, Acts and Decrees (some of which date back to 1950s and early 1960s) of some clauses and provisions for the regulation of operations with regard to environmental pollution and control. The industry has come a long way from a quiet and largely unnoticed beginning to its present day profile of high visibility and predominance in the economy. In the early days, operators and impact of their relatively low-key operations were not as busy as they are today.