From this Sunday, the Netherlands will stop producing methane from the Groningen natural gas field, the largest in Europe and one of the ten largest in the world, due to seismic risk.
According to the Efe agency, the government has already decided to dismantle the field, located in the north of the country, due to the side effects caused by gas production, which have weakened the subsoil of the region, causing several earthquakes that have affected houses and buildings, even leaving some of them uninhabitable .
Although the field is currently operating at minimal levels, it still contains 2,800 million cubic meters of methane, one of the largest gas reserves in Europe.
The facility is operated by Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij (NAM), a joint venture between Dutch Shell and North American ExxonMobil.
The controversial Groningen natural gas field, also known as Slochteren after a small town nearby, was discovered in 1959.
In August 2021, an earthquake measuring 3.6 on the Richter scale in the city of Huizinge marked a turning point: authorities could no longer ignore the seismic risk caused by gas exploration.
In 2018, Liberal Prime Minister Mark Rutte expressed the Dutch government’s desire to end gas exploration in Groningen.
Last week, the outgoing Council of Ministers confirmed that this Sunday, October 1, is the final evacuation date.
According to Belgian newspaper Le Soir, the cessation of production will not have any impact on supplies in Belgium.
However, the operation of the field can be resumed “temporarily and in a limited manner” in the event of a severe cold wave in winter (if the temperature of -6.5°C is recorded for several days in a row) or, for example, in the event of damage to storage facilities.
From October 1, 2024, all installations will begin to be dismantled, reports the Efe agency.
The Groningen field has been a key source of supply for much of Western Europe and has had a major impact on Dutch public finances since production began.
However, hundreds of earthquakes measuring up to 3.6 on the Richter scale caused damage to the surrounding area, prompting authorities to order a closure.
The process of stopping production was also carried out gradually, since a radical closure could also cause increased seismic phenomena.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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