Business and Economy
NNPC, TotalEnergies deepen methane-cutting drive with AUSEA technology renewal.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) and TotalEnergies have renewed their partnership to expand the deployment of advanced methane detection technology aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions across Nigeria’s upstream oil and gas operations.
The renewed agreement extends the use of the Airborne Ultralight Spectrometer for Environmental Applications (AUSEA) technology for an additional 24 months.
The agreement was signed on Wednesday at the NNPC Towers in Abuja by NNPC Ltd’s Executive Vice President, Upstream, Udy Ntia, and TotalEnergies Country Chair and Managing Director, Matthieu Bouyer.
The partnership builds on an earlier agreement signed in 2023, which introduced the drone-based AUSEA technology for monitoring methane and carbon emissions from oil and gas facilities.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, Ntia described the extension as an important milestone in NNPC Ltd’s commitment to building a transparent and effective emissions reduction programme.
“Today’s signing represents a practical step in NNPC Limited’s journey to build a credible, transparent and action-oriented decarbonisation programme. Through the AUSEA initiative, we are strengthening our ability to detect, quantify and prioritise methane abatement opportunities using advanced measurement technology,” he said.
Ntia noted that the first phase of the project recorded encouraging outcomes and expressed interest in expanding the deployment of the technology across more assets. He also called for regular progress reporting to meet compliance obligations and explore opportunities for technology transfer.
The initiative aligns with NNPC Ltd’s commitments under the Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter (OGDC), its participation in the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP) 2.0, and its target of achieving near-zero methane emissions by 2030.
TotalEnergies’ Senior Vice President for Africa, Mike Sangster, commended the enduring collaboration between both companies and highlighted the contribution of AUSEA technology to environmental sustainability efforts.
According to Sangster, TotalEnergies became the first oil-producing company in Nigeria to eliminate routine gas flaring across all its assets, a milestone he said was supported by the deployment of the AUSEA system.
He added that the company remains committed to achieving near-zero methane emissions by 2030.
AUSEA is a drone-based emissions monitoring technology jointly developed by TotalEnergies, the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), and the University of Reims. The system is designed to detect and measure methane emissions, identify previously unaccounted emission sources, improve reporting accuracy, assess flare combustion efficiency, and provide data to guide corrective operational actions.
The renewed partnership is expected to strengthen methane monitoring capabilities, improve environmental compliance, and support broader efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
