| Summary: | The need for energy and the associated economic benefits from the oil and gas deposits found mainly in
the Niger Delta region of Nigeria necessitated the exploration and exploitation activities being carried
out by the oil and gas Companies. However, these exploration and exploitation activities due to their
unpredictable nature have a huge potential for environmental pollution as been experienced in the form
of oil spills, gas flaring, irresponsible disposal of waste and several other activities that have resulted in
the environmental degradation of the Niger Delta region.
In the light of these, the Federal Government of Nigeria having experienced the consequences of
pollution of the environment during the Koko Toxic Waste Dump incident in the then Bendel State in
1987 established a regulatory body tasked with the responsibility of harmonizing the economic interest
from the oil and gas exploration and exploitation activities with the sustainability of the natural
environment by developing well structured and articulated policies aimed at guiding the operations of
the oil and gas operators, track their compliance and administer appropriate punitive measures for non
compliance.
However, this research work which is aimed at evaluating the impact of the environmental protection
policies in upstream oil and gas activities in the Niger Delta region, involved the use of questionnaires
and interviews. These questionnaires were completed by the management and staff of three major oil
and gas companies operating within the area, the Department of Petroleum Resources and members of
the Host communities. The interview was carried out to provide relevant feedback on their assessment
of the impact made by the environmental protection policies on the upstream oil and gas activities in
their operational areas/host communities.
The study however concluded that “Although there is a regulatory body tasked with the responsibility to
develop, implement and track compliance of the environmental protection policies in the upstream oil
industry, the body is ineffective and as such the impact of the environmental protection policies is
inadequate.
Appropriate informed recommendations on the improvement strategies to the identified gaps that
resulted in the unfavorable conditions were also provided. === Thesis (M.Ing. (Development and Management Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011
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