Reconcile the inventory
Preserved the original flare identifiers and coordinates while distinguishing 372 eligible onshore sites from offshore, conflicting and out-of-area records.
Independent environmental evidence study · Niger Delta
Niger Delta Gas-Flaring Evidence Atlas
Where should investigators look first to reduce gas flaring? Historical satellite estimates reveal locations for further investigation and separate community and mangrove monitoring checks.
Project objective
Find where flaring-reduction investigations could begin.
Gas flaring is the burning of natural gas associated with oil and gas production. I examined historical satellite-estimated activity at known flare locations across the nine Niger Delta states, then added selected environmental-context information. The objective was to distinguish where flare-reduction feasibility should be investigated from separate places where closer monitoring near communities or mangroves may be useful.
476Nigerian flare locations in the original inventory
372Confirmed onshore locations studied in detail
75Flare-reduction investigation candidates
2012–2025Satellite-estimated historical record
My contribution
Building a traceable inventory and practical investigation shortlists.
I developed and quality-checked the spatial inventory, historical comparisons, distinct screening criteria, scientific maps and public interactive atlas.
Analyse historical activity
Evaluated satellite-estimated gas-flaring volumes and positive-volume histories over 14 years without interpreting the estimates as measured physical emissions.
Screen reduction candidates
Applied locked volume and persistence criteria to identify 34 High and 41 Elevated candidates for follow-up investigation.
Separate environmental checks
Produced independent shortlists for 24 community-monitoring and seven mangrove-monitoring candidates without combining them into a single pollution-risk score.
Preserve uncertainty
Kept a four-site recent-activity watchlist separate and retained ambiguous locations without inventing geographic assignments.
Communicate clearly
Produced five professional A3 maps, a scientific report, public datasets and an interactive atlas explaining results in everyday language.
Spatial workflow
From satellite activity estimates to investigation priorities.
- 01Assemble
Reconcile the World Bank flare-location and annual estimated-volume records.
- 02Classify
Separate confirmed Niger Delta onshore locations from other or uncertain inventory records.
- 03Compare
Examine long-term estimated flaring and recent activity without treating cumulative volume as a pollution measurement.
- 04Screen
Produce distinct reduction, community-monitoring, mangrove-monitoring and recent-activity shortlists.
- 05Publish
Quality-check maps, explain the limits and make the evidence accessible through the web atlas and scientific downloads.
Outputs and value
A transparent starting point for further investigation.
The atlas helps people ask where flare-reduction opportunities or additional environmental monitoring might be worth investigating. It does not establish operational feasibility, health exposure or measured ecosystem damage.
- Historical evidence covering 476 inventory records, with 372 confirmed onshore locations used for detailed screening
- 75 flare-reduction investigation candidates, plus four separate recent-activity watchlist sites
- Independent lists of 24 community-monitoring and seven mangrove-monitoring candidates
- Five professionally prepared A3 maps and an eight-page scientific report
- Public interactive map, location details and downloadable analytical datasets
Project attribution: Independent environmental GIS research and atlas development by Samuel Bahago Gabriel using published satellite-derived estimates and environmental datasets. Source data and methodological limitations are documented in the linked atlas.
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