The Netherlands wants to shut down operations at Europe’s largest gas field, Groningen, by October, as operations are “too dangerous” to continue and further gas extraction risks causing increased seismic activity in the region.
However, the war in Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions on Russian gas have put the European nation in a difficult situation. Hans Vijlbrief, state secretary for mining, said his goal is to shut down the earthquake-prone Groningen gas field by October 1; however, gas shortages in Europe in winter could push plans completely back to October 2024.
Due to the danger of high seismic activity in the region, production in the gas field has been reduced to only a fraction of its full capacity, Vijlbrief said in a conversation with the Financial Times.
“We will not open any more for security reasons,” he said, adding: “It is totally unfeasible politically. But other than that, I’m not going to do it because it means you increase the chances of earthquakes, which I don’t want to be responsible for.”
In the northeast of the Netherlands, the Groningen gas field is close to the German border and has felt about 100 tremors a year since the 1980s.
Gas extraction increased during the summers after the Russian sanctions, but due to the increased risk of earthquakes, annual production dropped to 2.8 bcm. Vijlbrief said it is potentially dangerous to take production beyond 5bcm.
“It’s very, very simple: everyone who has any knowledge about the danger of earthquakes tells me that it is really very dangerous to continue producing there. I am quite convinced that it is prudent to close it,” Vijlbrief said.
It also revealed that the previous government’s approach to addressing the imminent danger was indifferent and “it was very clear that the whole safety aspect of Groningen gas drilling was neglected for many years.”
Opened in 1963, Groningen pumped over 50 bcm at its peak nearly a decade ago. The Netherlands instructed gas operator NAM, a joint venture of Royal Dutch Shell and ExxonMobil, to cut production in 2013. In 2018, the Netherlands announced that the field would close, but the plan has since been delayed.
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