By Ajong Mbapndah L
With billions of dollars in natural gas lost to flaring annually, Nmesoma Okereke, Flare Gas Recovery Specialist at German engineering and technology company NEUMAN & ESSER (NEA GROUP), has made a strong case for African countries to turn wasted gas into valuable energy resources, investment opportunities and economic benefits for local communities.
Speaking during African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 in Cape Town, Okereke highlighted the commercial potential of flare gas recovery, arguing that appropriate technologies, stronger partnerships and supportive regulatory frameworks could help African producers reduce emissions while improving project profitability and expanding energy access.
Okereke participated in the October 15 panel, “From Flares to Fuel: Methane Reduction and Gas Monetization Strategies for Low-Carbon Production,” which brought together industry specialists to examine practical approaches to reducing methane emissions, commercialising stranded gas and improving the economics of lower-carbon oil and gas production.
The discussion also featured Fernando Covas, Executive Director, Midstream Oil and NGLs Advisory Services at S&P Global Energy; Dr. Peter Ntephe, CEO of ERHC Energy Inc.; and Ann Norman, President of Saqara Energy. Moderated by Oliver Dickson, Business Reporter at SAFM, the session explored how African producers can turn environmental challenges into commercially attractive energy investments.
For Okereke, the opportunity goes beyond reducing emissions. Flare gas commercialisation offers a practical means of strengthening project economics, attracting investors and addressing some of Africa’s most pressing energy challenges.
Drawing attention to the scale of the opportunity, she cited an estimated $54 billion in market value for natural gas flared globally in 2025. Recovering and processing even a portion of this wasted resource could generate significant revenues for producers while supporting industrial development and energy security.
Okereke identified three major sources of value from flare gas recovery: commercial returns from converting wasted gas into marketable products, environmental benefits from reducing emissions, and social gains through improved access to electricity and cleaner cooking fuels.
The social benefits are particularly relevant to Sub-Saharan Africa, where millions of households continue to depend on firewood, charcoal and other traditional cooking fuels. These fuels contribute to indoor air pollution and serious health problems, particularly among women and children.
Converting recovered gas into liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) could help expand access to cleaner cooking alternatives, while gas-to-power projects could provide reliable electricity to homes, businesses, healthcare facilities and schools.
With more than 600 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa still lacking electricity, Okereke sees flare gas recovery as an opportunity to address energy poverty while reducing waste from existing oil and gas operations.
The commercial argument is equally important. Investors and development finance institutions increasingly assess projects not only on their financial returns but also on their environmental performance and social impact. Projects that deliver measurable benefits across these areas can present a stronger investment proposition.
NEUMAN & ESSER Expands Its Role in Africa’s Gas Monetisation Market
Okereke’s contribution also highlighted NEUMAN & ESSER’s expanding role in Africa’s energy industry, where the German company is building on its established reputation in compression technology to provide more comprehensive solutions for gas recovery and commercialisation.
Traditionally known for manufacturing reciprocating compressors, NEUMAN & ESSER has recognised that many African operators developing small- and medium-scale gas monetisation projects require more than equipment suppliers. They need partners capable of supporting project development, technology selection, engineering, financing arrangements and implementation.
The company’s approach begins with preliminary front-end engineering design (Pre-FEED) and front-end engineering design (FEED) studies, undertaken with specialised engineering partners to determine the most appropriate technical and commercial solutions for individual projects.
These assessments consider gas volumes, composition, location, available infrastructure, end-product requirements and overall economic viability. The objective is to identify solutions that match the client’s operational requirements while reducing development risks and improving the prospects for financing.
Once the appropriate pathway has been established, NEUMAN & ESSER provides the necessary compression technology and collaborates with other specialised German technology providers to deliver integrated solutions rather than standalone equipment packages.
Okereke outlined several technologies available for converting flared or stranded gas into commercially valuable products, including electricity generation, small- and medium-scale liquefied natural gas (LNG), compressed natural gas (CNG), LPG and methanol production.
Other opportunities include using recovered gas for gas lift and enhanced oil recovery operations, where compressed gas is injected into wells or reservoirs to improve production and maximise recovery from existing assets.
Emerging technologies also offer opportunities to produce methanol through syngas conversion and turquoise hydrogen through processes such as plasma-based methane pyrolysis.
The suitability of each option depends on the characteristics of the available gas, infrastructure, market demand and project economics. Okereke stressed that selecting the right technology is essential to ensuring that projects remain commercially sustainable.
Beyond technology, NEUMAN & ESSER also works to connect clients with local and international financing institutions, development finance organisations, strategic investors and potential buyers of the finished products.
Such relationships can be particularly important for smaller gas recovery projects that face difficulties attracting investment because of their scale, location or limited access to infrastructure.
The company also places considerable emphasis on local content development. In Nigeria, for example, NEUMAN & ESSER collaborates with local engineering, procurement and construction companies capable of undertaking civil works, fabrication, mechanical installation and commissioning.
These partnerships support compliance with local regulations while creating employment opportunities, strengthening domestic technical capabilities and allowing African companies to participate more actively in energy infrastructure development.
Another promising approach highlighted by Okereke involves clustering multiple flare sites to aggregate gas volumes. By combining resources from several locations, project developers can achieve economies of scale, reduce unit costs and improve the financial attractiveness of investments that might otherwise be too small to justify development.
Nigeria’s Gas Commercialisation Programme Offers Lessons for Africa
Nigeria featured prominently in Okereke’s assessment of the policies and commercial arrangements needed to accelerate flare gas recovery across the continent.
She pointed to the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme (NGFCP) as an important initiative that has established a framework for third-party investors to access and commercialise gas that would otherwise be flared.
The programme has helped create a market-based foundation for gas recovery projects, offering investors opportunities to develop facilities that convert previously wasted resources into commercially useful products.
However, Okereke stressed that the success of such initiatives depends heavily on effective implementation, cooperation among stakeholders and consistent regulatory enforcement.
One of the major challenges facing gas commercialisation projects is the availability of sufficient and reliable gas volumes. Larger projects generally benefit from stronger revenues and improved margins, making them more attractive to investors and financing institutions.
Greater collaboration between operators could help address this challenge. Pooling gas from multiple flare sites can reduce infrastructure costs, improve facility utilisation and strengthen project economics.
Regulatory compliance is another critical consideration. Delays in data sharing, site access, commercial negotiations and project approvals can disrupt development schedules, increase costs and undermine investor confidence.
Okereke called for stronger cooperation between regulators, operators and flare gas awardees to ensure that obligations are fulfilled and projects move forward within agreed timelines.
She also emphasised the importance of recognising the financial value of emissions reductions achieved through flare gas commercialisation.
Where appropriate regulatory and verification mechanisms exist, carbon credits, carbon pricing arrangements, sustainability incentives and environmental, social and governance-linked financing could provide additional sources of value for qualifying projects.
For governments seeking to attract private investment, incorporating environmental benefits into project economics could strengthen the bankability of gas recovery initiatives and encourage greater participation from commercial lenders and development finance institutions.
Her assessment was that successful gas commercialisation requires alignment between regulation, technology, financing, project scale and market demand. Without these elements working together, even technically promising projects may struggle to secure the investment needed for implementation.
Stronger African Partnerships at the Heart of NEUMAN & ESSER’s Strategy
Okereke’s participation at AEW 2026 reinforced NEUMAN & ESSER’s growing engagement with African energy producers, policymakers and investors.
The company maintained an active presence throughout the Cape Town gathering, with its representatives participating in industry discussions and engaging potential partners on opportunities in gas processing, compression, energy infrastructure and industrial development.
Earlier in the conference, Dr. Jiří Rus, NEUMAN & ESSER’s Sales Director Africa, participated in the panel “Africa’s Oil & Gas Services Opportunity,” where discussions focused on maximising the value of existing assets, strengthening local capabilities and supporting the development of Africa’s energy services industry.
The participation of Rus and Okereke in separate technical discussions reflected the company’s broader approach to the African market, combining established engineering expertise with opportunities in gas monetisation, technology transfer, local partnerships and industrial capacity development.
NEUMAN & ESSER has also been strengthening its service capabilities in Africa, including through its authorised service centre in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, which supports customers requiring maintenance and technical services for compression equipment.
For African operators seeking to improve production efficiency, recover associated gas and extend the operating life of existing facilities, access to reliable equipment, technical support and experienced engineering partners remains an important consideration.
The company’s growing emphasis on integrated solutions also reflects changing requirements within Africa’s energy industry. As governments introduce stricter environmental standards and operators seek to improve the commercial performance of their assets, demand is increasing for technologies that can reduce waste while generating additional revenue.
With significant volumes of associated gas still flared across parts of the continent, opportunities exist for companies capable of providing commercially viable recovery and processing solutions.
For Okereke, the central issue is ensuring that Africa captures more value from resources it already produces. Gas currently burned at flare sites could instead support electricity generation, cleaner cooking, industrial production and new commercial activities.
Her contribution at AEW 2026 drew attention to the importance of treating flare gas recovery as an investment and development opportunity rather than simply an environmental compliance obligation.
As African countries pursue greater energy security, industrialisation and economic diversification, NEUMAN & ESSER is positioning its engineering expertise and partnerships to support projects that turn previously wasted gas into productive assets.
The message from Okereke’s participation in Cape Town was clear: with the right technology, financing, regulation and industry collaboration, gas that currently goes up in flames could help power African economies, generate new revenues and improve lives across the continent.