Closed Groningen gas locations cannot just open again in case of emergency: NAM

The Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij (NAM) criticized the Cabinet's plan to resume gas production in Groningen in case of emergency, de Volkskrant reported on Tuesday. The company argued that it is technically impossible to quickly resume production from shut-down gas sites.

State Secretary Hans Vijlbrief (Mining) announced in June that the extraction of natural gas in Groningen would be halted on October 1. However, the wells will not be completely shut down for another year, closing on October 1, 2024. This is to ensure there is a possibility to begin extracting gas again if an unexpectedly cold or harsh winter occurs, particularly as the Russian war in Ukraine is still ongoing.

This decision came as the Cabinet is determined to stop gas extraction following a damning report from the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry. The report concluded that oil companies and the Dutch State structurally and systematically ignored the interests of the residents of Gronignen’s earthquake area.

While the Cabinet maintained in 2022 a "pilot light" scenario (with minimal production) in case of emergency, it was announced in June 2023 that even this minimal production would stop from October 1st.

NAM argued that State Secretary Hans Vijlbrief is trying to reconcile two incompatible ideas: providing reassurance to the residents of Groningen while maintaining their gas field as a fallback during potential gas crises. Martijn Kleverlaan, a board member at NAM, said that the production sites should be completely shut down or kept to a trickle. “There's no middle ground,” he explained.

NAM argued that it is technically unfeasible to quickly start gas production if the sites are not kept operational at a minimum level. Kleverlaan cited the test site near Siddeburen as an example. "Even though it wasn't physically sealed and still had pressure, and despite it being summer, we still needed two weeks of preparation time," he said. Reopening other sites, he added, would take even more time, particularly in the winter.

Based on the latest data, the Dutch gas storage facilities are currently filled way ahead of schedule. Gasunie Transport Services (GTS), which is responsible for managing gas pipelines and storage, said it expects the possibility of acute gas shortages to be minimal, but it cannot be entirely dismissed.

In a response to the newspaper, a spokesperson for State Secretary Hans Vijlbrief did not specifically address NAM's claims regarding the technical impossibility of rapidly reopening gas production sites. "Ending Groningen gas production increases the risk to supply security. The Cabinet deems this risk acceptable. We owe this to the people of Groningen," the spokesperson stated.