Skip to main content
Home

Main navigation

  • Top stories
  • Health
  • Crime
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Tech
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Weird
  • 1-1-2
Image
gas pipeline
- Credit: Gas Pipeline / Wikipedia
Business
NAM
Groningen
Loppersum
gas field
fracking earthquake
Eric Wiebes
Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate
SODM
gas extraction
earthquake
Friday, 2 February 2018 - 16:20
Share this:
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
  • reddit

Netherlands gas fields begin closing in earthquake aftermath

Gas production in Loppersum, Groningen has been shut down with immediate effect, Dutch petroleum company NAM announced on Friday. Closing the Loppersum gas fields immediately was one of the measures the state supervisor on mines SoDM advised following an earthquake in the region last month, the strongest earthquake to hit Groningen in five years.

On Thursday Minister Eric Wiebes of Economic Affairs and Climate asked NAM to stop gas extraction at the Loppersum gas fields "as soon as reasonably possible", as per the SoDM's advice. "NAM immediately responded to the order that the Minister gave to stop the 5 Loppersum clusters. As can be seen on the image, the production from those clusters is now 0", NAM said on Twitter.

NAM heeft direct gehoor gegeven aan de opdracht die de Minister van EZK vanmorgen aan NAM gaf om de 5 Loppersum-clusters stil te zetten.

Zoals te zien op de afbeelding, is de productie uit die clusters nu 0. pic.twitter.com/xhTXi0Bnwb

— NAM (@NAMbv) February 2, 2018

In addition to Loppersum, NAM also wants to close production at the Eemskanaal location, according to NU.nl.

On Thursday the SoDM presented a series of measures the regulator considers necessary to reduce fracking earthquakes in Groningen. This included closing the Loppersum gas fields immediately, and reducing the total gas extraction in the province by half - from 21.6 billion cubic meters per year to 12 billion.

Later in the day Wiebes stated that this advice will be followed in the long term. "We have to go to 12 billion cubic meters. That is almost a halving. It will be a huge social task", he said.

The closing of the Loppersum clusters could be done more quickly, because little gas was being extracted from Loppersum and its surroundings and it therefore does not affect supply guarantee.

Follow us:

Latest stories

  • Painting stolen from Italian museum over 60 years ago found at Zeeland auction
  • Many households see monthly energy bills fall by 14 percent
  • EU asylum deal a "building block" to reduce influx to Netherlands, State Sec. says
  • Extra public transport to beaches this weekend as summer weather hits
  • Stock brokerage BinckBank fined over a half-million euros for not protecting clients
  • Court orders artist Tinkebell to retract accusation that former MP assaulted a woman

Top stories

  • Many households see monthly energy bills fall by 14 percent
  • EU asylum deal a "building block" to reduce influx to Netherlands, State Sec. says
  • Extra public transport to beaches this weekend as summer weather hits
  • Dutch child among six stabbed in random attack on playground in Annecy, France
  • Night train to Amsterdam, Hamburg evacuated after fire breaks out in Austria tunnel
  • Netherlands residents much more worried about their financial position

© 2012-2023, NL Times, All rights reserved.

Footer menu

  • Privacy
  • Contact
  • Partner content