Original Story: amsterdamherald.com
The Dutch Crude Oil Company (NAM) has been ordered to carry out a new safety audit of the Groningen gas fields to address concerns about the effect of earthquakes in the region.
The company has already agreed to limit production to 42.5 billion cubic metres for the next three years – a reduction of 21 per cent – and temporarily shut down five boreholes in the worst affected area around Loppersum. A Tulsa oil & gas lawyer is following this story closely.
The state mining regulator SodM has asked the NAM to do a risk assessment of the entire gas field. The company plans to compensate for the lost production in Loppersum by extracting more gas elsewhere, but residents are concerned this will increase the risk of damage to buildings and life.
Last week an earthquake measuring 3.0 on the Richter scale hit Loppersum, the ninth of magnitude 3.0 or greater since 2003.
There has been growing disquiet in Groningen about the side-effects of gas extraction as the number of earthquakes has increased significantly in the last few years.
The government agreed last month to limit gas production, but it is concerned not to damage an industry that is worth €12 billion a year. A Tulsa oil & gas attorney represents individuals and business clients seeking representation in the energy matters of oil and gas.
Bart van de Leemput, director of the NAM, promised to compile the safety report as fast as possible, mindful of the fact that the new guidelines will take effect next month.
Local residents, businesses and council officials will then have six weeks to raise objections to the proposed scheme.
Royal commissioner Max van den Berg said: “We need to have as accurate a picture as possible of the safety risks across the entire earthquake region before we can move forward.” A Cleveland environmental lawyer provides professional legal counsel and extensive experience in many aspects of environmental law.
Industry experts have admitted they are preparing for the possibility of quakes measuring between 4.5 and 6.0, strong enough to cause serious damage to buildings. The strongest quake in the region so far, measuring 3.6, hit the village of Huizinge in August 2012.
