((Automated translation by Reuters, please see disclaimer https://bit.ly/rtrsauto))
Mammoet said on Thursday it would support the dismantling of one of the world’s largest gas well closure projects, following mandates from the Dutch government to halt production at the Groningen field.
The private engineering company will provide logistical and technical support to Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij (NAM), a joint venture of Shell SHEL.L and Exxon XOM.N , for the decommissioning of all closed onshore gas wells along the field from Groningen, in the north of the Netherlands.
NAM operates the gas field which has been one of Europe’s main gas suppliers for decades.
Despite massive reservations, the Dutch government decided in 2018 to rapidly reduce production to prevent seismic risks, before stopping it completely last year.
In April, the Dutch Senate passed a law to permanently close the gas field to prevent any potential resumption of production.
“The closure of the first well began on May 1, 2024 and the project is expected to continue for more than a decade,” Mammoet said in a statement
The project calls for the removal of 800 gas production wells and 1,750 kilometers (1,087 miles) of gas pipeline.
In February, Exxon and Shell asked an arbitration court to determine whether the state should compensate them for ending gas production in the fields.
Belgium