By Samuel Akpan
Nigeria’s oil giant, NNPC Ltd, has joined hands with TotalEnergies to intensify the fight against greenhouse gas emissions by renewing their advanced methane detection partnership for another two years.
The extension of the Airborne Ultralight Spectrometer for Environmental Applications (AUSEA) technology aims to boost efforts in cutting methane emissions and gas flaring across upstream operations.
Persecondnews reports that the fresh agreement was signed at an event on Wednesday at NNPC Towers in Abuja by NNPC Ltd’s Executive Vice President for Upstream, Udy Ntia, and TotalEnergies Country Chair and Managing Director, Matthieu Bouyer.
This renewed deal builds on the initial 2023 pact that first introduced the drone-based AUSEA system for tracking methane and carbon emissions from oil and gas facilities.
Ntia hailed the development as a key milestone, stating: “Today’s signing represents a practical step in NNPC Limited’s journey to build a credible, transparent and action-oriented decarbonisation programme.”
He added that the technology is strengthening the company’s capacity to “detect, quantify and prioritise methane abatement opportunities using advanced measurement technology.”
Ntia highlighted positive results from the first phase of the project and expressed plans to roll out the system across more assets.
He also urged regular progress updates to ensure compliance and open doors for technology transfer.
The initiative supports NNPC Ltd’s pledges under the Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter (OGDC) and the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP) 2.0, while advancing its goal of near-zero methane emissions by 2030.
TotalEnergies’ Senior Vice President for Africa, Mike Sangster, praised the long-standing collaboration and the role of AUSEA in driving sustainability.
He noted that TotalEnergies became the first oil producer in Nigeria to end routine gas flaring across all its assets, a feat aided by the deployment of this monitoring system.
Sangster reaffirmed the company’s dedication to achieving near-zero methane emissions by 2030.
AUSEA, jointly developed by TotalEnergies, the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), and the University of Reims, uses drone technology to spot and measure methane leaks.
It helps identify hidden emission sources, enhances reporting precision, evaluates flare efficiency, and supplies vital data for operational fixes.
Officials believe the partnership will sharpen methane monitoring, strengthen environmental compliance, and contribute meaningfully to lowering the carbon footprint of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
The move underscores both organisations’ shared commitment to cleaner energy practices while maintaining transparency in emissions management.
Persecondnews reports that Methane detection technology is transforming how the oil and gas sector tackles one of its biggest environmental challenges: invisible methane leaks that contribute heavily to climate change.
These advanced systems — often mounted on drones — use sophisticated sensors and spectrometers to scan vast areas quickly, identify emission sources that traditional methods miss, and deliver precise, real-time data for faster action.
How It Works
Drone-based methane detection typically combines:
* High-sensitivity infrared or laser spectrometers
* GPS and AI-powered mapping software
* Lightweight, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)
The technology flies over oil fields, pipelines, wellheads, and processing facilities, detecting methane concentrations at parts-per-million levels.
It creates detailed heatmaps showing exactly where leaks occur, measures emission volumes, and even assesses flare combustion efficiency.
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