The Dutch government announced on Friday its decision to cease production from the Groningen gas field by the end of the month. The Groningen field, Europe’s largest natural gas field, has been in production for six decades and, at one point, supplied 90% of the gas to Dutch households.
Starting from October 1, gas extraction from the northeastern field will be halted, as confirmed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The government has left open the possibility of limited restarts during periods of extreme cold weather.
The decision to close the Groningen field by 2030 was previously announced by the Dutch government due to the risk of low-magnitude earthquakes. In June, the Dutch Cabinet issued a draft proposal to shut down the site by October 1.
Residents of the Groningen region have complained of earthquakes caused by drilling operations for over two decades.
While gas extraction from the field had been reduced to nearly zero in recent years, the Dutch government maintained the site’s operational status because of uncertainties stemming from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.
The ministry stated that the Dutch government plans to pass a law mandating the demolition of all extraction locations to prevent the resumption of gas production.
According to the statement, gas will only be temporarily extracted during the upcoming winter in the event of extreme cold conditions. Otherwise, the government will adhere to its policy of zero extraction.
The ministry defined a “very severe cold” period as when daytime low temperatures consistently remain around -6.5 degrees Celsius (20.3 degrees Fahrenheit) for several consecutive days.
The definitive closure of the Groningen gas field is scheduled for October 1, 2024, even though the ministry acknowledged that “uncertainty on the gas market is not expected to completely disappear… and may even continue to rise” after that date. The government plans to assess whether additional measures are necessary to ensure energy supplies following the field’s closure after the upcoming winter.
