The State Supervision of Mines (SodM) advises the cabinet to close the Groningen gas field completely this autumn, instead of starting October 1, 2024. The huge delay in the reinforcement operation and the compensation for the earthquake damages cause damage to health among residents of the earthquake zone. State Secretary Hans Vijlbrief (Mining) must therefore remove the uncertainty, according to the regulator.
The cabinet announced last week that gas extraction from Groningen will stop this autumn. But the gas field won’t really be closed until the fall of 2024: in the event of a severe winter and problems with gas storage, gas extraction can still be brought to the “pilot level” next year. SodM confirms that Vijlbrief was advised before this decision was taken. But the secretary of state “has to weigh different interests against each other,” according to a spokeswoman.
Due to the uncertain international situation following the war in Ukraine, the launch of the pilot level was delayed, Vijlbrief said earlier. This is only possible in “certain very exceptional situations”.
Health complaints
In its advice, the SodM points out that “some of the residents develop stress-related health problems, from which people can die prematurely”, as shown by the research.
Source: BNR
Andrew Dwight is an author and economy journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. He has a deep understanding of financial markets and a passion for analyzing economic trends and news. With a talent for breaking down complex economic concepts into easily understandable terms, Andrew has become a respected voice in the field of economics journalism.
