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PoliticsNetherlands

Netherlands closes Groningen gas field over quake fears

September 22, 2023

The Dutch government had previously announced plans to shut Europe's biggest natural gas field by 2030 due to the risk of low-magnitude earthquakes.

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Gas well at Groningen field, Netherlands
The Netherlands is speeding up its closure of the Groningen gas field, the largest in EuropeImage: IMAGO/ANP

The Dutch government on Friday announced that it would stop production from the Groningen gas field at the end of the month.

Gas extraction from the field had been ongoing for 60 years. It is Europe's largest natural gas field and accounted for 90% of the gas supplied to Dutch households at one point.

What are the Dutch plans for the Groningen gas field?

Gas production from the field in the northeastern region will halt starting October 1, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said in a statement. It left open the possibility for limited restarts during extreme cold weather.

The Dutch government had previously announced plans to close the field by 2030 due to the risk of low-magnitude earthquakes. In June, the Dutch Cabinet initially issued a draft proposal to shut the site by October 1.

Residents of the Groningen region have complained for over two decades of quakes caused by drilling operations.

While extraction from the field had been cut to nearly zero over the last few years, the Dutch government had kept the site operational because of uncertainties prompted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.

Natural gas extraction plant in Groningen, Netherlands
The Dutch government says it could continue extraction in the event of extreme cold until October 1, 2024, after which the field will be definitively shutImage: Getty Images

What did the ministry say about the closure?

The ministry said that the Dutch government plans to pass a law stipulating that all extraction locations are to be demolished so that gas production cannot be resumed.

According to the statement, gas will only be temporarily extracted over the coming winter in the event of extreme cold. Otherwise, the government will maintain the policy of zero extraction.

The ministry defined a "very severe cold" period as when daytime low temperatures were consistently around -6.5 degrees Celsius (20.3 degrees Fahrenheit) for several consecutive days.

Definitive closure of the Groningen gas field is scheduled for October 1, 2024, even though "uncertainty on the gas market is not expected to completely disappear… and may even continue to rise" after that point, it said.

"After the coming winter, [authorities] will assess whether additional measures are necessary to ensure supplies after the field is closed," the ministry said.

sdi/msh (Reuters, AFP)