HAGUE: Holland said Friday that it would end production at Europe’s main gas field on October 1, 2024 after years of quakes, despite energy worries sparked by the Ukraine war. The government said that wells at the Groningen field in the Netherlands would remain open for one more year in case of a cold, but then it would be shut down forever.
Netherlands to Shut Europe’s Main Gas Field
Locals near the field site, which opened in 1965, have complained of being terrorized by earthquakes directly attributed to drilling operations in the field. Hans Vijlbrief, the Netherlands minister, said that the decision was a “significant moment after decades of gas mining,”. “The issues of Groningen residents have not yet been resolved, and unfortunately, the quakes will continue for years to come, but the main source of all problems will be closed from October.” Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s led cabinet decided at a meeting on Friday to fully end production by October 1. The authorities said that “due to the ambiguous global situation,” it would be possible to extract gas from the site for one more year “in very exceptional cases.” It added that the final eleven wells would then be “permanently closed” by October 1, 2024.
