Groningen natural gas extraction to fall even further

Natural gas extraction in earthquake ridden Groningen may soon fall even further, to 25 billion cubic meters a year, the Telegraaf reports based on its own sources. According to the newspaper, gas company NAM recently proposed to the government to cap gas extraction in the province to 27 billion cubic meters, 33 billion cubic meters in very cold withers. But the State Supervision of Mines thinks this is still to high - their research show that gas extraction can be capped at a maximum of 25 billion cubic meters. Over the past two years the Dutch government has been steadily lowering gas extraction in Groningen due to the many fracking earthquakes in the province. In 2014 extraction was limited to 42.5 billion cubic meters. At the start of 2015 it was capped at 39.4 billion cubic meters and in June of that year it dropped further to 30 billion cubic meters. The Council of State determined that the maximum gas extraction allowed in Groningen for 2016 will be 27 billion cubic meters. NAM thus wants to keep it at that level, but with the possibility to extract more should the winter prove to be very cold. The State Supervision of Mines want to drop it even further. The Council of Ministers is expected to make a decision on this in about two weeks.