Overview
- TNO recommends leaving selected Groningen wells uncemented so clusters can be restarted only in severe emergencies such as war or blockades.
- The proposal rejects any return to commercial extraction and frames the concept as a strategic reserve, echoing earlier advice from the Mijnraad and Gasunie.
- Groningen’s shutdown is set in law, well cementing is underway, and the new cabinet has reconfirmed that the field remains closed.
- TNO warns of plausible shocks to supply, including pipeline sabotage that curtails Norwegian flows, a Strait of Hormuz closure halting Qatari LNG, or the United States blocking LNG tankers.
- The field is reported to contain about 550 billion cubic meters of gas, the Netherlands now imports roughly 70–80% of its gas, and storage levels are reportedly below 20%.