Groningue (layer)

Groningue , sometimes called Slochteren , is largest layer of natural gas of Western Europe. He was discovered in 1959, in the north of the Netherlands, in the province of the same name. Drilling after drilling, the reserves were evaluated with some: 2820 G.m³ (either 100 Tcf, or 17 Gep), which did of them one of the largest layers known in the world.

At that time, the gas was mainly looked like a coproduit of the production of oil. There was not much request for this fuel, and industries largely used the coal and the heavy Fioul. In addition, the general idea was that about the year 2000, the nuclear energy would have spread and one could not any more what make fossil hydrocarbons.

In this context, the gas of Groningue appeared to be an opportunity to use quickly. The government incited the private individuals and industries to convert their equipment to use gas instead of coal. The infrastructure of distribution necessary was installation, and Groningen fed a massive conversion of the economy Dutchwoman to this fuel, in addition to promoting exports. The coal mines of the country were closed. In 1975, Groningue produced approximately 80 G.m ³ of gas, is 80% of the production of the country. But at that time the policy changed. The oil crises proved that the hydrocarbons were more invaluable than it was thought, and optimism on the future of nuclear energy was called more and more into question. It was then decided to change policy and of:

To limit the production of gas of Groningue in lower part of its technical capability.
Développer also quickly the small layers (all the others that Groningue, which are lower of at least two orders of magnitude in the face), of which approximately the half are Offshore.

Groningue serves since to ensure the difference between the request a given moment and the production as the small layers. Thanks to the implementation of this policy, Groningen will remain a major European gas supplier until at least 2030. The production of the small layers was increased regularly, and the current location can be summarized thus (figures of Deloitte & Touche LP at the 1/1/05, incremented one year of production):

The theoretical duration, ratio of the production on the reserves, should not be caught littéralmeent since one cannot keep a constant production until exhaustion of the reserves, this value is only illustrative. It shows that the small layers are exploited intensively, and saved Groningen.

Besides Groningen offers a considerable reserve of production capacity, and it is used thus as regulator of the European market of gas. Its share in the Dutchwoman production should go up, when number of the small layers cease producing.

Random links: