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Groningen field

Groningen Gas Field: Shell and Exxon Mobil’s Monument to Greed and Disregard for Health Risks

Posted by John Donovan July 5, 2023

The Groningen gas field, a behemoth boasting a mind-boggling 2.8 billion cubic meters, serves as a glorious testament to the insatiable greed of Shell and Exxon Mobil, the illustrious partners responsible for its management. With their joint venture company NAM overseeing extraction operations for over six decades, these oil giants have accumulated immense profits while leaving behind a trail of devastation and despair.

The State Supervision of Mines (SodM) has called for the complete closure of the Groningen gas field as early as this fall, challenging the arbitrary deadline of October 1, 2024. It appears that the painfully slow progress in reinforcing infrastructure and compensating for earthquake damage has had a noticeable impact on the health of residents in the quake-stricken area. State Secretary Hans Vijlbrief, tasked with overseeing mining affairs, must urgently address these concerns and put an end to the uncertainty that plagues the region, as per the authority’s advice. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

State mining supervisor wants to halt gas extraction in Groningen

NL TIMES

State mining supervisor wants to halt gas extraction in Groningen

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2022 – 07:00

It is “really very undesirable” to extract more natural gas in Groningen, said Theodor Kockelkoren, inspector-general with the State Supervision of Mines…

Gas extraction in Groningen has been causing earthquakes for years, damaging houses. Kockelkoren said in the broadcast that two things are necessary to improve safety in the area: “Reduce gas production to zero as quickly as possible, and strengthen the houses that need it. From my perspective on the safety of the people in Groningen, raising gas production now is really a bad idea.” read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Dutch Cabinet increases funding for Groningen earthquake victims after chaos

DutchNews.nl

Dutch Cabinet increases funding for Groningen earthquake victims after chaos

January 15, 2022

The cabinet has agreed to allocate an extra €250m to improve homes in parts of Groningen affected by earthquakes after the initial €220m fund ran dry on the first day following a flood of applications.

Long queues formed in towns and villages in the northern province on Monday at council offices where people could claim up to €10,000 per household for renovations.

Hans Vijlbrief, the junior minister charged with sorting out the Groningen gas problems, told MPs on Friday that the new allocation of cash will allow everyone entitled to the grant to make a claim. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Groningen Earthquakes: Dutch make gas extraction the subject of a political and legal battle

The NAM, for example, had the reputation of being an exemplary company that neatly arranged its affairs for its citizens. That picture is different now. Allegations that the risks of gas extraction from small fields are not so, are no longer believed.

Printed below is an English translation of an article published today by the Dutch Financial Times, Financieele Dagblad. NAM is the Shell/Exxon Joint Venture company responsible for the earthquake blighted Groningen Gas Field and consequential potential bill for untold billions to deal with damaged residences.

Gas is now a dirty word outside of Groningen

Bas Knoop

The earthquake trauma of the Groningers now also causes unrest among citizens living near smaller gas fields. From Steenwijkerland to Waalwijk: more and more places are brewing resistance. Together with local authorities, citizens make gas extraction the subject of a political and legal battle with The Hague. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

NAM EARTHQUAKES: The future of Groningen

Printed below is an English translation of information published today by Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij BV (NAM), a joint venture between Royal Dutch Shell and ExxonMobil each owning a 50% share in the company responsible for the earthquake blighted Groningen Gas Field and consequential potential bill for untold billions in damages to effected residences.

Sometimes demolition is the only option for safety reasons…

Together in debate about the preservation of Groningen

At a meeting of the Noorderpers Society on 19 February, NAM spokesperson Hein Dek, at the request of the organization, debated with Annemarie Heite, Marco Glastra (Het Groninger Landschap), DvhN-journalist Maaike Wind and ‘Middelstum activists’ Marko Datema and Mariska The long. Subject: what does the future of Groningen look like? read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

GAS FIRM TO WITHHOLD SHELL, EXXON PROFITS; PROMISES CASH TO EARTHQUAKE-PRONE REGION

By Janene Pieters on January 31, 2018 – 13:40

Dutch gas firm NAM will for the time being not pay profits to its two shareholders – Shell and ExxonMobil, Shell announced in a press release. NAM has 18 billion euros available to compensate for damaged caused by gas extraction related earthquakes in Groningen for the next five years, the Dutch gas firm also announced in a press release.

These two press releases were an attempt to calm unrest caused by the revelation that Shell withdrew its so-called 403 declaration from NAM last year, as Trouw reported on Saturday. This 403 declaration held Shell liable for NAM’s debts. The withdrawal of this declaration, which happened in June last year, raised concerns that Shell is trying to escape its liability for damages caused by fracking earthquakes in Groningen. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

NAM Dutch Environmental Legacy not just Groningen Earthquakes

In February 1965 there was a explosive blowout at a NAM gas field in Sleen, East Drenthe – an agricultural area of the Netherlands. A whole drilling rig was swallowed in a quicksand lake created by the explosion.

Afterwards, NAM, the company responsible for the explosion all those years ago and the earthquakes now plaguing Groningen, converted the area into a park.

Unfortunately, scientists have discovered to their consternation that methane leaks have contaminated the local groundwater and there is a risk of further explosions. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Gas Field quakes hit Dutch dykes

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Screen Shot 2015-11-24 at 08.13.11Senay Boztas AMSTERDAM: 22 Nov 2015: Sunday Times

THE Dutch are being forced to earthquake-proof their dykes after a spate of tremors blamed on the effects of extracting gas from the vast field running beneath the country.

Although Holland lies far from any big geological fault lines, half a century of exploitation of the Groningen field – Europe’s largest – is blamed for causing about 50 earthquakes a year.

The government is considering how much it should reduce lucrative gas production, which has been a mainstay of the Dutch economy throughout the financial crisis. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Dutch court orders more cuts in gas production

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Screen Shot 2015-11-18 at 09.13.40Wednesday 18 November 2015

[JURIST] The Dutch Council of State [official website, in Dutch] on Wednesday ordered [judgment, in Dutch; press release, in Dutch] more cuts in gas production. The court came to this decision after stronger and more frequent earthquakes occurred in the Netherlands as a result of extraction. The Groningen [BBC backgrounder], the field in question, will be capped at 22 billion cubic meters (bcm) per year from 33 bcm, due to the government’s failure to weight public safety risks after earthquakes caused extensive damage in the Netherlands’ northernmost province. Due to the Groningen supplying 15 percent of Europe’s gas, the Court ruled [Reuters report] “should it turn out to be a relatively cold year, the maximum gas extraction can be raised to 33 billion cubic metres.” The government has twice this year reduced production from its original target of 39.4 bcm. The ruling applies to all production through October 2016. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell and Exxon’s €5bn problem: gas drilling that sets off earthquakes and wrecks homes

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Screen Shot 2015-10-10 at 17.11.17Groningen has been one of Europe’s richest gas fields for 30 years, and thousands of people say their homes have been damaged by the tremors that drilling sets off. Now a class action may finally bring them compensation – and force a rethink of European energy security

Highlights from an article by Lucas Amin Published Saturday, 10 October 2015

A life-threatening earthquake reaching magnitude 4 or 5 on the Richter scale is possible and could strike at any moment.   read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell, Exxon Ordered to Pay Groningen Earthquake Compensation

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Screen Shot 2015-09-02 at 14.32.29By MAARTEN VAN TARTWIJK: Sept. 2, 2015 

AMSTERDAM—A Dutch court ruled Wednesday that Royal Dutch Shell PLC and Exxon Mobil Corp must compensate homeowners for a drop in house prices caused by earthquakes linked to production at the Groningen gas field.

The ruling could open the door to a wave of compensation claims against the energy companies, which operate the field through a joint-venture called the Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij BV, or NAM.

FULL ARTICLE

RELATED SEEKING ALPHA ARTICLE

Shell, Exxon ordered to pay Groningen earthquake compensation

Sep 2 2015, 12:33 ET | By: Carl Surran, SA News Editor read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Dutch parliament reverses burden of proof in gas damage claims

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AMSTERDAM | BY TOBY STERLING:Tuesday 28 April 2015

Dutch parliament reverses burden of proof in gas damage claims

(Reuters) – The Dutch parliament on Tuesday voted to reverse the burden of proof in disputes over damages to buildings caused by the production of gas at Groningen, Europe’s largest natural gas field, a potentially expensive decision.

Estimates of damage to buildings in Groningen by earthquakes caused by gas production range from 6.5 billion euros ($7.1 billion) to 30 billion in the coming 30 years.

Under the motion approved by parliament, the company that operates the Groningen field, a joint venture including Shell, Exxon and the Dutch government, would have to provide evidence that disputed damage claims are bogus, rather than claimants having to show evidence they are legitimate. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Groningen quake zone: another shaker

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Reinforcing homes in Dutch gas extraction quake zone estimated at 30 bln euros

Mon Apr 20, 2015 9:01am EDT

(Reuters) – The estimated cost to reinforce more than 150,000 Dutch homes to withstand earthquakes caused by extracting gas in the massive Groningen field was increased to at least 30 billion euros ($32 billion), the province said on Monday.

Gas extraction at the field, Europe’s largest, which reached more than 50 billion cubic meters last year, is causing increasingly stronger and more frequent earthquakes. The strongest was in 2013 and was 3.6 magnitude. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Dutch government says sorry for quakes caused by Groningen gas field

Screen Shot 2015-03-02 at 19.27.29Mar 2 2015, 15:19 ET | By: Carl Surran, Seeking Alpha News Editor

The Dutch government apologizes for ignoring risks posed by earthquakes caused by production of natural gas from the Groningen field, following a report last month by the country’s safety board that found the government, together with Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A, RDS.B) and Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM), had put profits before safety in exploiting the field.

The economic minister has ordered production at Groningen to be cut by 16% for H1 2015, with another decision on production at the field expected on July 1. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Bells toll for Europe’s largest gas field

Screen Shot 2015-03-02 at 19.27.29It accused the government and the field’s operators, Royal Dutch Shell and Exxon Mobil Corp, of ignoring the threat of earthquakes linked to the massive Groningen gas field for years.

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Toby Sterling | Reuters

WESTERWIJTWERD, Netherlands – Dutch church bells that for centuries have tolled to warn of floods across the low-lying countryside are sounding the alarm for a new threat: earthquakes linked to Europe’s largest natural gas field.

“Money can buy a lot of things, but a building like this cannot be replaced,” said Jur Bekooy, a civil engineer with the Groningen Old Churches Association, pointing to cracks in the ceiling and walls of the 13th-century Maria Church in the village of Westerwijtwerd.

Long ignored, voices like Bekooy’s are being heard as elections loom this month and following a damning report from the independent Dutch Safety Board.

It accused the government and the field’s operators, Royal Dutch Shell and Exxon Mobil Corp, of ignoring the threat of earthquakes linked to the massive Groningen gas field for years. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Europe gas supply in focus as Dutch debate giant Groningen field

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Screen Shot 2014-10-01 at 20.37.24The Groningen field is the largest natural gas field in Europe and the 10th largest in the world. It is operated by government-owned Gasunie and output is jointly exploited by the government, Royal Dutch Shell and Exxon. Extraction has resulted in increasingly strong tremors, some measuring as much as 3.6 on the Richter scale, which have cracked buildings and led to widespread damage claims.

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(Reporting By Anthony Deutsch, editing by David Evans)

Extracts

Feb 12 (Reuters) – Gas supplies to Europe from the massive Groningen field in the Netherlands could be curtailed as Dutch lawmakers debating on Thursday face public protests over earthquakes blamed on the site ahead of elections next month.

The parliament debate comes as the Netherlands and the European Union seek to diversify energy needs in the wake of the worst confrontation with Russia since the Cold War.

The Dutch, the EU’s largest gas exporter, can supply their households and power plants for years, but supplies will start dwindling in 2025, and they will soon become a net importer. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.
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