Total to cut gas flaring offshore Nigeria

French supermajor Total said it was moving ahead with plans to develop an oil field off the coast Nigeria in a sustainable manner by reducing gas flaring. Total announced the start of the second phase of development of its Ofon oil field about 40 miles off the Nigerian coast in shallow waters. The development plans include an increase in production from 30,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day to 90,000 boe per day, the company said. Total said it was working to reduce the amount of natural gas flared from the offshore field and overall greenhouse gas emissions. "In launching Ofon Phase 2, Total is increasing the pace of development of its resources in a sustainable manner," Jacques Marraud des Grottes, a vice president of exploration and production for Africa at Total, said in a statement. The company said most of the phase 2 development is focused on recovering natural gas, which the company will compress and send on shore. Total has been criticized for its environmental record in Nigeria following a legacy of oil spills the supermajor in part blames on saboteurs.