Nigeria’s gas flaring rate rose to 7.48% in August 2026, the highest level recorded since October 2025, as operators flared 18,350.55 million standard cubic feet (MMSCF) of natural gas during the month, according to data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
The increase represents a 17.7% month-on-month rise in flared gas, from 15,587.54 MMSCF in July to 18,350.55 MMSCF in August. It also marked the highest monthly flaring volume and rate recorded so far in 2026, reversing the decline recorded between May and July. The August rate was up from 6.72% in July and 6.40% in March, the lowest level recorded this year.
Nigeria produced 245,439.13 MMSCF of gas in August, comprising associated and non-associated gas, with 227,088.59 MMSCF utilised for field operations, domestic supply and exports. Despite the relatively high 92.5% utilisation rate, the volume sent to flare increased by 2,763.01 MMSCF from July, showing that higher overall gas production did not translate into a corresponding reduction in flaring.
The deterioration is also evident on a year-on-year basis. Nigeria flared 16,729.35 MMSCF in August 2025, representing 7.37% of production, compared with 18,350.55 MMSCF and 7.48% respectively in August 2026. Flared volumes therefore increased by 1,621.20 MMSCF, or 9.7%, while total gas production rose by about 8.1%, from 227,015.22 MMSCF to 245,439.13 MMSCF over the same period.
Cumulatively, Nigeria flared about 131,564 MMSCF of gas between January and August 2026, with the monthly flaring rate remaining above 6% throughout the period. The latest increase comes despite the country’s continuing push to monetise its gas resources, including the NUPRC’s Gas Development Roadmap unveiled in October 2025 to unlock more than 55 trillion cubic feet of uncommitted gas reserves and attract investment across the gas value chain.
The August figures add to the pressure on Nigeria’s long-standing objective of eliminating routine gas flaring and converting more associated gas into commercial value. NUPRC data showed that the country flared about 203,965 MMSCF in 2025, equivalent to roughly 203.9 billion cubic feet, even as overall gas utilisation stood at 92.4% and total production reached approximately 2.71 trillion cubic feet.