Written by economic and oil expert Abdelmonsef Al-Shalwi

Libya’s commitment to reducing gas flaring and emissions, particularly methane emissions, represents an important transformation in the development of the oil and gas sector. It reflects an institutional approach that combines maintaining production levels, improving operational efficiency, protecting the environment, and maximizing the economic benefits of hydrocarbon resources.

This approach has gained particular importance amid the transformations taking place in the global energy sector, where the efficiency of the oil industry is no longer measured solely by production levels and reserves. It now also includes the ability to manage emissions, reduce losses, improve the utilization of associated gas, and apply modern technologies in measurement, monitoring, and operational control.

Based on extensive experience in the oil and gas sector, and previous discussions in several articles and technical and economic papers regarding reducing gas flaring and achieving the goal of zero routine flaring by 2030, current efforts represent a practical continuation of an important national path. This path links environmental considerations with sound resource management and transforms gas from an associated product that may be burned into an economic resource that can be used for electricity generation, industry, and strengthening energy security.

The efforts of the National Oil Corporation and its affiliated companies during 2025 resulted in reducing more than 100 million cubic feet of flared gas, while efforts during 2026 are approaching a reduction exceeding 180 million cubic feet.

These figures reflect tangible progress in implementing programs and projects related to infrastructure development, improving operational efficiency, recovering gas, and using modern technologies in managing operations and emissions.

They also confirm that the Libyan oil sector possesses the technical and human capabilities to achieve advanced results in this field, benefiting from accumulated expertise and cooperation with specialized international energy and environmental institutions.

Associated Gas: An Economic and Strategic Resource

Associated gas is one of the important resources generated during oil production operations. It can play a significant economic role when collected, processed, and directed toward appropriate uses.

Gas recovered from flaring operations can be used for electricity generation, operating oil facilities, supplying petrochemical and fertilizer industries, producing cooking gas, or reinjecting it into reservoirs to maintain pressure and improve oil recovery rates.

Using gas instead of certain liquid fuels also creates additional economic value by saving quantities of crude oil and petroleum products available for export, while reducing operating costs for power plants and industrial facilities.

Therefore, reducing gas flaring represents the concept of integrated resource management. Its benefits are not limited to reducing emissions but also include improving resource utilization efficiency, supporting the national economy, and enhancing the reliability of energy supplies.

With its oil and gas reserves and its geographical proximity to European markets, Libya has the ability to transform gas flaring and emissions reduction programs into a source of strength for its energy sector and a driver supporting economic development and sustainability.

The Importance of Methane Emissions Management

Methane gas is receiving increasing attention in the global oil and gas industry due to both its climate impact and its economic value.

Methane is the main component of natural gas, and every quantity recovered from leaks, venting, or unnecessary flaring represents an additional resource that can be utilized instead of being lost.

For this reason, major oil-producing countries and companies have moved toward implementing advanced programs for leak detection, monitoring pipelines, tanks, valves, and compressors, and using sensors, imaging technologies, and advanced measurement systems, in addition to satellite technologies and digital platforms.

Current Libyan efforts align with this global direction, particularly through adopting best practices, developing monitoring and measurement systems, improving operational efficiency, and expanding technical cooperation with specialized international entities.

This approach strengthens the position of the Libyan oil sector within the modern energy industry, where environmental and operational performance have become essential components of competitiveness and production quality.

Joining OGMP 2.0: An Important Institutional Step

Libya’s joining of the OGMP 2.0 program affiliated with the United Nations Environment Programme represents an important step toward enhancing environmental transparency and developing methane emissions measurement and management methods.

The program is considered one of the leading international frameworks concerned with collecting emissions data, improving its accuracy, transferring technical knowledge, and benefiting from best practices in the oil and gas industry.

Participation in this framework provides the Libyan oil sector with an important opportunity to exchange expertise with international companies and institutions, develop national capabilities in measurement and analysis, and benefit from the latest technologies used in monitoring and managing emissions.

It also reflects Libya’s commitment to international cooperation in the fields of environment and energy and highlights its ability to engage positively with global initiatives while preserving its economic interests and the specific characteristics of its oil sector.

This path is closely linked to the position of Libyan oil and gas in international markets, particularly as importing countries increasingly focus on emissions levels associated with production.

Compliance with international standards in measurement and disclosure would strengthen confidence in Libyan petroleum products, support their competitiveness, and add to their known advantages in terms of quality, geographical location, and proximity to markets.

Integration Between Oil, Gas, and Electricity

Reducing gas flaring in Libya gains additional importance due to the role of natural gas in the electricity system.

Increasing the amount of gas available for power plants contributes to supporting grid stability, reducing dependence on diesel and liquid fuels, and improving the operational and economic efficiency of power generation facilities.

Directing gas toward domestic use also helps achieve greater integration between the oil, gas, electricity, and industrial sectors, making gas recovery projects part of an interconnected national system rather than isolated projects within individual fields.

This integration represents one of the most important lessons learned from international and regional experiences, where several producing countries succeeded in transforming associated gas into a foundation for electricity generation, petrochemical industries, fertilizer production, and minerals industries.

These experiences have demonstrated that investment in gas gathering networks, processing units, compression facilities, and transportation systems generates economic returns extending across multiple sectors and transforms associated gas from a secondary product into a key element of the national economy.

Benefiting from Regional and International Experiences

International experiences provide various models that can be adapted according to each country’s circumstances, field characteristics, and infrastructure.

Some European producing countries have adopted precise systems for managing flaring and emissions and invested early in measurement technologies, monitoring systems, and improving operational efficiency.

Several Asian countries have successfully reduced flaring rates by developing gas gathering networks, connecting them to processing and electricity facilities, and directing recovered gas toward industrial and domestic consumption.

At the regional level, some Gulf countries have established integrated systems for collecting and processing associated gas. These systems have contributed to building major petrochemical industries and providing stable fuel supplies for power plants and industrial facilities.

These experiences confirm that associated gas management represents one of the most important areas of integration between oil policy and economic policy, and that reducing flaring can translate into electricity generation, industrial production, revenues, and employment opportunities.

Libya can benefit from these experiences while considering the characteristics of its sector, the distribution of its fields, its infrastructure, and domestic energy needs, in order to support ongoing programs and projects.

Technology and National Expertise

Modern technologies represent a fundamental element in flaring reduction and methane management programs. However, the true value of these technologies depends on national expertise capable of operating them, analyzing their data, and developing their applications.

The Libyan oil sector possesses accumulated experience and qualified technical and engineering personnel in production, processing, maintenance, safety, and environmental fields.

Cooperation with the United Nations program, the European Union, and specialized organizations can support training programs, knowledge transfer, and the expansion of digital measurement, monitoring, and analysis tools.

Consultative workshops also provide opportunities to exchange experiences between companies and specialists, present environmental and technical projects, and learn about the latest practices in methane management, oil spill response, and renewable energy.

Such activities strengthen institutional culture related to sustainability and bring together technical, economic, and environmental expertise around shared objectives serving the oil sector and the national economy.

Reducing Flaring and Supporting the Competitiveness of Libyan Oil

Environmental performance has become one of the factors influencing the evaluation of oil companies and producing countries, as well as financing decisions, investments, and long-term contracts.

Therefore, Libya’s progress in reducing flaring and methane emissions provides its production with an additional advantage and strengthens the image of Libyan oil as high-quality oil produced through an advanced path of improving efficiency and reducing emissions.

This aspect becomes increasingly important considering Libya’s proximity to the European market and the regulatory changes occurring in energy markets regarding carbon footprint measurement and methane emissions.

Thus, flaring reduction programs serve not only the environment and the domestic economy but also support the commercial position of Libyan exports and maintain their ability to access markets with advanced environmental requirements.

These programs also contribute to attracting companies, technologies, and investments that prioritize sustainability standards and open new opportunities for cooperation in gas projects, clean energy, and improving facility efficiency.

From Reducing Flames to Maximizing Value

Reducing more than 100 million cubic feet during 2025 and approaching a reduction exceeding 180 million cubic feet during 2026 represents a positive indicator of progress in national efforts in this field.

The joining of the OGMP 2.0 program and the organization of specialized consultative workshops also reflect an institutional direction toward developing emissions management, benefiting from international cooperation, and expanding the use of modern technologies.

These steps complement previous efforts toward achieving zero routine flaring by 2030 and transforming associated gas into a resource supporting electricity, industry, and oil production.

Recovered gas represents additional energy for the economy, fuel for power plants, raw material for industry, and value that can be invested in development.

Therefore, the efforts led by the oil sector to reduce flaring and emissions represent a national pathway combining environmental protection, energy security enhancement, improved production efficiency, and maximization of natural resource returns.

Every quantity of gas saved from flaring is an additional step toward a more efficient economy, a more competitive oil sector, and a more sustainable energy future.

The transition from wasted gas to added value is not merely an environmental slogan; it represents a national economic and technical vision that treats Libya’s resources as a responsibility that must be invested with the highest levels of efficiency for the benefit of present and future generations.