We Created Value By Reducing Emissions – Bouyer

TotalEnergies Country Chair, Matthieu Bouyer has emphasized the need for industry operators to balance profitability with environmental & social responsibility as a mark of respect for the areas of operation and host communities. He stated that this respect was one of the driving forces behind the company’s recent achievement of zero routine flaring in all of its upstream operations in Nigeria.

Mr. Bouyer spoke as a panellist on the Nigerian Petroleum Producers Forum at the ongoing 2024 Nigeria International Energy Summit, NIES, at the International Conference Center, Abuja. The theme of the Panel session held on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, was: Innovation, Collaboration, and Resilience: Empowering Independent Producers in the Dynamic Energy Era.

He advised the Independent Oil Companies which are stepping into the shoes of the International Oil Companies to balance profitability with environmental and social responsibility. “It’s all a matter of respect after all. We clearly do not oppose profitability and sustainability. They go hand in hand for any organisation in Nigeria and beyond. We stopped all the routine flare in all our operations in Nigeria and we are very proud of that.”

“It took a lot of efforts from the company. We invested some money. We reduced not only emissions, but we also saved gas which is utilised and sold on the domestic market and to Nigeria LNG,” said Mr. Bouyer.

Speaking further, Mr. Bouyer said, “Zero flaring is good for the environment and it’s good for the country because we also improved production value. We can balance profitability and sustainability.”

The Managing Director/Country chair identified Nigeria challenge as not being that of resources but how to collectively explore and produce the resources. “As far as TotalEnergies is concerned, we have been investing massively to grow the production of the country in oil and gas. We also have more we can put upstream in our production in the coming five to six years. Those investments need fiscal support from our partners and the authorities to develop them successfully.”

“This is a challenging environment that we are in today and clearly, we will need the collaboration of all parties in the industry in Nigeria to make them possible. This will be the condition to bring competitiveness and investment back to Nigeria,” Mr. Bouyer, concluded.

Earlier in the day, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil) Heineken Lokpobiri had led other dignitaries on a tour of TotalEnergies booth as part of the activities to declare the exhibition of the 7th NIES open. He was received by the Managing Director, Gas, Renewable & Power, Adewale Fayemi; Executive Director, Corporate Services, Olatunji Akinwunmi; Executive Director, Strategy, Business & Asset Management, Abiodun Afolabi; General Manager, Crude Oil & Gas Commercial, Dabotekenari Alabo; General Manager, Country Services; Adesua Adewole; General Manager Government Relations, Onwuka Oreh; General Manager, Retail & Card(Downstream), Abdullahi Umar; Renewable Explorer, Omotayo Hassan; Deputy General Manager, External Communication, Dr. Charles Ebereonwu; Deputy General Manager Nigerian Content, Cyprian Ojum; Deputy General Manager Corp. Reservoir & Specialties, Oladipo Faseemo; Deputy General Manager Health, Safety, Security, Environmental & Quality, Charles Mrabure, among others.