The Netherlands resumes gas production at the Groningen field due to the cold weather

The Dutch government has decided to temporarily extract a minimum amount of natural gas from two areas at the Groningen gas field, which was closed last fall, according to Bloomberg.

This decision was made due to the severe cold that is coming to North-Western Europe, increasing the demand for gas for heating and electricity generation.

The Groningen gas fields were closed on October 1, 2023, and were to be completely shut down in October 2024. The Dutch government has decided to keep the fields in working condition for another year if the country's energy sector does not cope with the cold winter of 2023-2024.

Europe is facing its first major cold snap of this heating season, with temperatures expected to dip below seasonal norms and last until mid-January.

On Tuesday, the Netherlands faced a cold down to -7°C, so the government decided to start gas production at two sites in the so-called "pilot" mode which means minimal production.

This production will not be permanent and, based on forecasts, will be canceled in about two weeks, the Ministry of Economy said.