The Dutch Petroleum Company (NAM) does not have to stop gas extraction in two old Drenthe gas fields. The Council of State has decided this. Stichting Boven Gas had submitted an urgent request to the Council.
On the day of a major earthquake in Groningen, the highest administrative court in The Hague dealt with the emergency case regarding gas extraction in two old gas fields in South-east Drenthe, this concerns the South-east Drenthe Zuur field. NAM started pumping natural gas in Dalen last summer.
And in Oosterhesselen, NAM wants to resume gas extraction next month. These are gas fields where NAM has not extracted gas since 2022 after the expiry of the extraction plan. Nevertheless, the mining company still wants to pump the remainder of the recoverable gas until 2032.
This concerns approximately 260 million cubic meters of natural gas. According to NAM and Minister Sophie Hermans of Climate and Green Growth, the chance of damage to buildings is negligibly small.
“This gas extraction will at most result in an additional subsidence of half a millimeter. And that will not be completed until 2100. If damage still occurs, the mining damage committee will compensate it,” said the spokesperson for the NAM in The Hague.
Stichting Inwoners Groningen, Friesland en Drenthe Boven Gas (Boven Gas) itself was not present at the emergency case, to the surprise of the highest administrative judge, the ministry and the NAM.
The judge thought that was a shame because he still had some questions for the Boven Gas foundation. According to the appeal, the foundation only wants to give permission for gas extraction if the proceeds are distributed fairly among the three northern provinces.
Because those provinces would structurally have many adverse consequences from gas extraction.
According to Boven Gas, a fair distribution of the proceeds from gas extraction would already be a good step in the right direction. But the judge found that the Mining Act and other mining regulations do not legally provide for the distribution of gas extraction benefits.
That was an important reason for rejecting the foundation’s request. The judge also stated that the foundation’s appeal contained too few grounds to suspend the new extraction plan for the old fields.
Later next year there will be another substantive case on gas extraction in South-East Drenthe. In addition to the foundation, two local residents will also make their objections known. But after today’s oral emergency ruling, NAM can continue with gas extraction in Drenthe.