12 November 2015, News Wires – A Dutch court is reportedly set to issue a ruling later this month on production from the Netherlands’ Groningen gas field after output cuts due to claims it was causing earthquakes in the vicinity.
The Council of State in The Hague will announce its final decision on 18 November after hearing complaints from 40 groups ranging from the provincial government to small towns and individuals challenging the government’s 2015 production plans at the giant field, Reuters reported.
The complainants are calling for production to be halted outright or curbed much further as quakes linked to production have become more frequent and stronger, causing up to €30 billion ($34 billion) in damage to local infrastructure.
The Dutch government has already cut production from Groningen twice this year after it was censured by public safety authorities for not taking the threat of production-linked earthquakes seriously enough.
The field is operated by state-owned Gasunie, with output jointly exploited by the government, Shell and Exxon Mobil through NAM (Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij).
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