Overview of Environmental Impact Assessment of Oil and Gas Projects in Nigeria

Abstract

The environmental impact assessment (EIA) of oil and gas projects in Nigeria and the process of delivering it was examined with oil and gas projects. Several processes of EIA were developed with regard to oil and gas operations in Nigeria, they include: gathering and reviewing of information on the project and the area where it will be sited; development and submission of the EIA proposal to the Federal Ministry of Environment (FMENV) and also the oil and gas regulatory body, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR); Determination of level of stakeholders participation in the EIA based on the scale of the EIA as categorized by FMENV; EIA scoping of project to fully inform communities and other relevant stakeholders of the project; Selection of consultants for the impact assessment on the natural, social and health components of the environment; Determination of issues covered by the EIA and development of its work plan; Field investigation for the collection and recording of geographical coordinates of the sampling points and field data points; Analysis of data/sample and impact quantification; Drafting of EIA report of impact quantification through which the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) is obtained to give guide on the appropriate means of managing the environment during the various project activities. Several Policies were also outlined that could help in the reduction of the impact of oil and gas projects on the environment.

Keywords: Environment, Project, Oil and Gas, EIA, Proposal, Safety, Field work, EIA report, EMV, Operators, DPR, FMENV.