Petroleum Act of 2015

The Petroleum Act sets the regulatory framework for oil and gas production in Tanzania. The Tanzania government retains full ownership of all oil and gas resources, and the National Oil Company is entitled to carry operations for petroleum exploitation.

In relation to methane emissions from petroleum operations, the following provisions are of relevance:

• Flaring and venting: License holders are prohibited from flaring or venting petroleum without prior consent from the Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority (PURA) that may be granted when flaring is required for health, safety or emergency situations. License holders are required to keep records of the quantity of natural gas that is flared or vented. 
• Leaks: In relation to mid and downstream activities, if a gas leakage poses a significant risk to public health and safety, the licensee is required to take all necessary measures to stop the leakage and minimize the risks of the leakage and report the incident within 24 hours. Licensees are required to submit a detailed environmental assessment and preventive and responsive plan towards gas leakage.
• Decommissioning: License holders are required to submit a decommissioning plan to PURA before the expiry of their license or termination of operations. They are also required to make payments to cover the costs of implementation into a decommissioning fund. PURA may issue directions for the disposal of decommissioned facilities. 

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