The village of Geesbrug has been bypassed in the plans for expansion of the Geesbrug gas field with four or five additional wells. “It turned out very special. We didn’t know about it,” says Romilda Oelen of Local Interest.
“I received a call from the neighbors. They had received a message that drilling would take place here again. They asked if we had heard anything about it, but we knew nothing about it,” says Oelen.
The Geesbrug gas field is located between Zwinderen and Tiendeveen and is owned by Vermilion. This Canadian company specializes in gas extraction from small gas fields. Gas may be extracted in this field until 2045.
It is expected that another 3,145 million cubic meters of natural gas can be extracted. This requires four or five new wells to be drilled at the current drilling location. State Secretary Jo-Annes de Bat (CDA) has issued a permit for this.
“As far as I understand, only the residents of homes within a radius of 400 meters from the gas well have been informed. That is here on the Verlengde Hoogeveense Vaart,” says Oelen.
Dirk Meijer, also part of Local Interest, is not pleased with the course of action. “The State Secretary had already decided on it, but did not check whether the village was included in this.”
With the earthquakes in Groningen and recently in the Assen area, the pair believes that Geesbrug should have been informed first. “People in the village want to be included in everything. We find that much more pleasant.”
The Geesbrug gas field has been in use since 2009. Since that time, the bottom has dropped by about an inch. The expectation is that the soil in the area will sink up to a maximum of 4.5 centimeters.
“But is that actually the case,” Oelen wonders. “We want clear explanations about this. We would prefer certainty, but we don’t know whether we can get that.”
There has now been contact between Local Interest Geesbrug and Vermilion. Both parties will sit down at the table on April 8.
