An earthquake occurred near Hooghalen last night around 10 p.m. According to the KNMI, the shock had a force of 1.9.
The quake was at a depth of 3 kilometers. “We think this is related to gas extraction in Eleveld,” says seismologist Läslo Evers of the KNMI meteorological institute. He does not think the earthquake is exceptional. “In the past we have seen these tremors more often, even heavier. On the other hand, Hooghalen is not a region where many quakes occur.”
Evers does not rule out that the area will experience more frequent earthquakes. “An earthquake occurs once every two to three years. That’s why it may happen in the future,” he says.
The extraction from the large Groningen field came to an end on Sunday morning. In Drenthe, gas is also extracted from smaller fields.