The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has renewed its partnership with TotalEnergies for an additional 24 months, extending a major environmental initiative aimed at reducing methane emissions across Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. The renewed Methane Reduction Deal will continue the deployment of advanced drone-based technology designed to detect, measure and help eliminate methane leaks and carbon emissions from upstream oil and gas facilities.
According to NNPC Ltd., the agreement extends the use of the Airborne Ultralight Spectrometer for Environmental Applications (AUSEA), an innovative emissions-monitoring system developed to improve environmental performance across energy operations. The renewal agreement was signed by NNPC’s Executive Vice President for Upstream Operations, Udy Ntia, and TotalEnergies Country Chair and Managing Director, Matthieu Bouyer.
The latest methane reduction deal builds on an earlier agreement signed in 2023 and supports NNPC’s environmental commitments under the Oil and Gas Decarbonisation Charter (OGDC) and the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP) 2.0 framework. The company is also pursuing a target of achieving near-zero methane emissions by 2030.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, Ntia described the extension as a significant milestone in NNPC’s broader sustainability strategy. He said the success recorded during the first phase of the project encouraged both organisations to expand the programme across additional assets and operational locations.
According to him, the methane reduction deal enhances NNPC’s ability to accurately detect, quantify and prioritise methane abatement opportunities using advanced measurement systems. He added that the company intends to strengthen emissions reporting processes in line with regulatory requirements while also exploring opportunities for technology transfer and capacity development.
The AUSEA system uses drone-mounted sensors to identify methane leaks and measure greenhouse gas emissions with a high degree of precision.
The technology is designed to uncover previously undetected emission sources, improve environmental reporting accuracy, support corrective actions and assess flare combustion efficiency at oil and gas facilities. Developed by TotalEnergies in partnership with the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the University of Reims, the system has become an important tool in industry-wide emissions reduction efforts.
TotalEnergies Senior Vice President for Africa, Mike Sangster, said the renewed collaboration demonstrates the company’s commitment to reducing environmental impacts across its operations. He noted that TotalEnergies became the first oil-producing company in Nigeria to eliminate routine gas flaring across all of its assets, adding that the AUSEA technology played a key role in achieving that milestone.
Sangster reaffirmed the company’s commitment to achieving near-zero methane emissions by 2030 and strengthening cooperation with NNPC through the expanded methane reduction deal. The renewed partnership is expected to support Nigeria’s broader climate objectives while improving transparency, operational efficiency and environmental sustainability within the country’s energy industry.
