Region sees many ambiguities in draft gas decree 2023/2024

Gas extraction after all? Provide clarity on the conditions

Outgoing State Secretary Vijlbrief intends to cease gas extraction from the Groningen field as of October 1, 2023. Only when temperatures drop will clusters of gas wells be opened to address any potential issues with supply security. Among other things, the region believes that the draft decision does not provide clarity on the conditions under which one or more clusters of gas wells may still be brought to “pilot flame level” and what that level entails.

According to the draft decision, in principle no gas will be extracted from the Groningen field during the 2023–2024 gas year. Only if the temperature drops to -6.5 °C or lower will the eleven remaining clusters of gas wells be placed on “standby.” If gas supply from, for example, the Norg gas storage facility is at risk, the Groningen field may be utilized to ensure that gas supply is not disrupted.

In the final decision, the State Secretary must clearly specify how and under what conditions gas is to be extracted from the Groningen field. The regional authorities consider the draft decision to be unclear on these points.

Add unsafe homes to the reinforcement plan as soon as possible

The region also wants to know what impact the draft decision will have on the retrofitting program. If risk analyses indicate that additional homes need to be included in the retrofitting program, these must be promptly added to the regular retrofitting program. The State Secretary has made commitments in this regard but has not yet fulfilled them. The region also believes that the State Secretary must guarantee that buildings not included in the reinforcement program meet the safety standard.

More humanity in claims handling

The region believes that the Groningen Mining Damage Institute (IMG) must have sufficient legal discretion and financial resources to compensate for damage fairly and generously, even beyond NAM’s liability. In addition, in cases of complex or multiple instances of damage, it must be possible to process damage claims in a straightforward manner, without every instance of damage being subject to debate, and ensuring that building foundations are repaired. The region also wants to simplify the process for residents by establishing a single point of contact for mining damage in Groningen, where the legal presumption of liability is applied to areas where multiple mining activities are taking place.

Improve residents' well-being

Residents expect the Groningen field to close on October 1, 2023, and that is indeed necessary. The State Secretary is partially addressing this by stipulating that, in principle, no gas may be extracted during the coming gas year. This does not yet resolve the issues our residents face regarding damage claims, reinforcement, mental health, and perceived safety. Furthermore, the ambiguity in the draft decision is causing significant concern and the potential for social disruption. The region calls on the State Secretary to remove these ambiguities in the final decision and to work together with the region to mitigate the negative (mental) impact and strengthen the well-being and overall prosperity of the region.

Relevant government agencies

Due to the holiday season, decision-making will take place at various times within the relevant organizations. These include the councils , Midden-Groningen, Het Hogeland, Eemsdelta, Oldambt, Pekela, Veendam, Westerwolde, Westerkwartier, and Stadskanaal; the Province of Groningen; the Groningen Safety Region; and the Noorderzijlvest and Hunze en Aa’s water boards.