Mining Causes Earthquakes Continuously, Netherlands Closes Europe's Largest Natural Gas Field
2023/10/8
According to reports from the websites of Agence France Presse and German magazine Der Spiegel, the Netherlands has stopped mining the largest natural gas field in Europe, located in the province of Groningen. According to authorities, production at the Groningen oilfield, which has been affected by earthquakes for many years, ceased on October 1st. However, the 11 boreholes developed at the site in the 1960s will be open for another year to prevent a "severe winter". Despite the closure of the gas field, experts warn that earthquakes in the region may continue.
The underground natural gas field near Groningen in the northern Netherlands is the largest mineral deposit in Europe. For over twenty years, local residents have been complaining about earthquakes directly caused by mining of mineral deposits. Therefore, the natural gas production of the gas field has decreased in recent years. In 2021, Groningen produced only 4.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas. A few years ago, it exceeded 20 billion cubic meters.
The gas field was supposed to completely stop natural gas production by 2022. Given the global energy crisis caused by the Russo Ukrainian War, the Dutch government announced last autumn that an additional 2.8 billion cubic meters of natural gas should be extracted - the minimum amount required to operate existing sites and infrastructure.
In a report released in February, the parliamentary investigation committee accused the Dutch authorities of "paying little attention to long-term risks" during the successful mining process. The lawmakers called on the government to take action.
The government led by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Luther ultimately decided in June to completely stop production before October 1st. However, the government explained at the time that "due to the uncertainty of the international situation", it is still possible to extract natural gas from the location for another year "in very special circumstances", such as in "extremely cold" or natural gas shortages. By October 2024, the last 11 wells will be 'permanently closed'.
Energy companies Dutch Shell and ExxonMobil hold equal shares in the Nam Group, which has been responsible for the development of the Groningen gas field since the 1960s. Shell executives stated in March that the government had to close the gas field.
According to Shell, a total of approximately 2.3 trillion cubic meters of natural gas have been extracted from the deposit. Between 1963 and 2020, Groningen natural gas generated approximately 429 billion euros in revenue. 85% of these profits went to the Dutch treasury. For many years, Germany has been one of the main buyers of the gas field.
Since 1986, natural gas production in Groningen has caused approximately 1600 earthquakes. Tens of thousands of buildings were damaged, affecting approximately 100000 people. The parliamentary report states that despite the severe damage caused to houses in the area by the earthquake, the compensation received by residents is minimal.
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