According to Dutch national broadcaster NOS, minister of Economic Affairs Eric Wiebes is in talks with Shell and ExxonMobil about compensation for the gas that will remain underground in Groningen.
Wiebes announced in March that gas extraction and processing would end in Groningen by 2030. As a result, 50 to 125 billion euros’ worth of gas will remain untapped in the underground reservoir. Shell and ExxonMobil are the joint shareholders behind NAM, the company that has been extracting and processing the local gas for decades.
Another component of the talks between Wiebes and the massive energy companies is ensuring that Shell and ExxonMobil will contribute to paying between 1 and 30 billion euros for repairs and structural reinforcement of induced earthquake-damaged homes.