Dutch government confirms plan to halt gas production in Groningen

The Dutch government said on Tuesday that it will invest EUR 22 billion (USD 24.24 billion) in the earthquake-stricken Groningen region while confirming plans to halt gas production there no later than 2024.

“This is the last chance to make things right for the people in the earthquake zone,” Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte said at a press conference. “We cannot reverse what went wrong, but we are determined to do things differently.”

Dutch gov't readies €22 billion to compensate Groningen residents for years of earthquakes https://t.co/eCFJ3iCeGE

— NL Times (@NL_Times) April 25, 2023

The Groningen field, operated by a joint venture of Shell and Exxon Mobil still holds massive reserves of natural gas but production has been wound down in the past decade as quakes caused by extraction caused widespread damage and difficulty and anguish for those involved.