Johan Atema, the director of the Dutch natural gas company NAM, has formally offered an apology for the natural gas condensate leak in the Groningen town of Farmsum.
Translation by Traci White
A large spill of natural gas condensate, a dangerous by-product of natural gas extraction, occurred in the Afwateringskanaal in Farmsum in the province of Groningen several weeks ago. Dagblad van het Noorden reports that in a statement on the NAM website, director Johan Atema has offered his apologies for the leak.
“I have to say that we fell short of our own standards and the expectations that are set for us in Farmsum. Natural gas condensate should never enter surface water, and if it does, it should not take days for the leak to be discovered. We understand the criticism that has come our way and we will have to prove that we are striving to do better. I want to apologise on behalf of NAM for this incident and its impact on the residents living nearby.”
The leak originated from a tank park operated by NAM in Farmsum when a container overflowed. The gas by-product then flowed into the canal via a rainwater drain. The oil leak was initially spotted in Farmsum in early October, but the nature of the substance and its origins remained unclear until the 9th. The drainage system where the substance entered the water was officially declared uncontaminated on Monday.
