Nigeria, Oct. 2 -- When Nigeria enacted the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) in August 2021, it sought to close one of the country's longest-running environmental failures and reduce methane among other emissions.

For decades, governments had promised to end gas flaring and reduce other means of methane emission.

The PIA, rather than relying solely on penalties, created a legal framework for planning, commercialisation and regulatory enforcement.

Key among the requirements was that every producer of natural gas had to prepare a Natural Gas Flare Elimination and Monetisation Plan (FEMP) showing exactly how it intended to end gas flaring.

The law also empowered the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to seize flare gas...