Natural resources and geothermal energy in the Netherlands Annual review 2014 NATURAL RESOURCES AND GEOTHERMAL ENERGY IN THE NETHERLANDS 2014 Annual review An overview of exploration, production and underground storage 1 2 Preface As well as reporting on the exploration and production of hydrocarbons, rock salt and geothermal energy in the Netherlands, this annual review entitled ‘Natural Resources and Geothermal Energy in the Netherlands’ also reports on the underground storage of natural gas, nitrogen, CO 2 and saline water. In so doing it covers all the exploration, production and storage activities in onshore Netherlands and in the Dutch part of the continental shelf that fall under the Mining Act. The first section of this annual review deals with developments during the year 2014. The first nine chapters deal with the exploration, production and underground storage of hydrocarbons. Chapters 1 and 2 review the changes in the estimates of natural gas and oil resources in 2014 and the resulting situation as of 1 January 2015. These chapters also present a prognosis for the gas and oil production for the next 25 years. Due to the issues associated with the induced seismicity in Groningen, the new production plan for the Groningen field has not yet been approved by the Minister of Economic affairs. Only the maximum productivity for 2015 has been established, forthcoming production rates still have to be decided. In this review we keep to the publication of the production forecast from the small fields. The remaining volumes of natural gas and oil are reported in accordance with the Petroleum Resource Management System (PRMS). Chapters 3 to 8 contain information on developments relating to licensing, exploration and related matters (seismic surveys, drilling activities, the placing of new platforms and the laying of pipelines). Chapter 9 summarises the produced volumes of natural gas, condensate and oil. Chapters 10 to 13 report on the underground storage of substances and on the exploration and production of coal, rock salt and geothermal energy. The second part of this report comprises annexes giving an overview of the situation as at 1 January 2015, and the developments during preceding decades. The appendices contain maps giving an overview of the situation as at 1 January 2015, and also a geological time scale. This report has been compiled by TNO (Geological Survey of the Netherlands), at the request of the Energy Market Directorate of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs. It includes data that the Minister of Economic Affairs is required to supply to both Chambers of the Dutch Parliament in accordance with article 125 of the Mining Act. The digital version of this review can be found on the Netherlands Oil and Gas Portal: www.nlog.nl This year the volumes of gas and oil have been expressed in accordance with article 11.3.1. of the Mining Regulations: gas in normal cubic metres and oil (a liquid) in standard cubic metres. Until 2014 the standard cubic metre was also used for liquids. Facts and figures may be reproduced from this annual review only if the source is fully acknowledged. No rights can be derived from this report. The Hague, May 2015. 3 4 CONTENTS PREFACE ............................................................................................................................... 3 KEY FIGURES FOR 2014 ....................................................................................................... 9 1. NATURAL GAS RESOURCES AND FUTURE DOMESTIC PRODUCTION .................... 11 2. OIL RESOURCES ........................................................................................................... 27 3. HYDROCARBON LICENCES, CHANGES IN 2014 NETHERLANDS TERRITORY ........ 30 4. HYDROCARBON LICENCES, CHANGES IN 2014 NETHERLANDS CONTINENTAL SHELF ............................................................................................................................. 33 5. HYDROCARBON LICENCES: COMPANY CHANGES, NAME CHANGES AND LEGAL MERGERS IN 2014 ......................................................................................................... 36 6. SEISMIC SURVEYS ........................................................................................................ 38 7. OIL AND GAS WELLS COMPLETED IN 2014 ................................................................ 39 8. PLATFORMS AND PIPELINES, NETHERLANDS CONTINENTAL SHELF ..................... 42 9. PRODUCTION OF GAS AND OIL ................................................................................... 43 10. UNDERGROUND STORAGE .......................................................................................... 51 11. COAL............................................................................................................................... 53 12. ROCK SALT .................................................................................................................... 54 13. GEOTHERMAL ENERGY ................................................................................................ 56 ANNEXES ............................................................................................................................. 67 NATURAL GAS AND OIL ACCUMULATIONS BY STATUS AS AT 1 JANUARY 2015 ......... 69 EXPLORATION LICENCES FOR HYDROCARBONS ........................................................... 83 NETHERLANDS TERRITORY AS AT 1 JANUARY 2015 ...................................................... 83 PRODUCTION LICENCES FOR HYDROCARBONS ............................................................ 84 NETHERLANDS TERRITORY AS AT 1 JANUARY 2015 ...................................................... 84 UNDERGROUND STORAGE LICENCES NETHERLANDS TERRITORY AS AT 1 JANUARY 2015 ................................................................................................................................ 87 EXPLORATION LICENCES FOR ROCK SALT ..................................................................... 88 NETHERLANDS TERRITORY AS AT 1 JANUARY 2015 ...................................................... 88 PRODUCTION LICENCES FOR ROCK SALT ...................................................................... 89 NETHERLANDS TERRITORY AS AT 1 JANUARY 2015 ...................................................... 89 EXPLORATION LICENCES FOR GEOTHERMAL ENERGY ................................................ 90 NETHERLANDS TERRITORY AS AT 1 JANUARY 2015 ...................................................... 90 PRODUCTION LICENCES FOR GEOTHERMAL ENERGY .................................................. 95 NETHERLANDS TERRITORY AS AT 1 JANUARY 2015 ...................................................... 95 5 EXPLORATION LICENCES FOR HYDROCARBONS ........................................................... 96 NETHERLANDS CONTINENTAL SHELF AS AT 1 JANUARY 2015 ..................................... 96 PRODUCTION LICENCES FOR HYDROCARBONS NETHERLANDS CONTINENTAL SHELF AS AT 1 JANUARY 2015 .................................................................................... 99 BLOCKS AND OPERATORS NETHERLANDS CONTINENTAL SHELF AS AT 1 JANUARY 2015 .............................................................................................................................. 108 SEISMIC SURVEYS ............................................................................................................ 115 OIL AND GAS WELLS ........................................................................................................ 118 NUMBER OF WELLS, NETHERLANDS TERRITORY ........................................................ 118 OIL AND GAS WELLS ........................................................................................................ 120 NUMBER OF WELLS, NETHERLANDS CONTINENTAL SHELF ....................................... 120 NUMBER OF WELLS NETHERLANDS TERRITORY AND CONTINENTAL SHELF SINCE 1960 .............................................................................................................................. 122 PLATFORMS ...................................................................................................................... 124 NETHERLANDS CONTINENTAL SHELF AS AT 1 JANUARY 2015 ................................... 124 PIPELINES .......................................................................................................................... 129 NETHERLANDS CONTINENTAL SHELF AS AT 1 JANUARY 2015 ................................... 129 3 PRODUCTION OF NATURAL GAS (IN MILLION NM ) ....................................................... 135 3 GAS RESERVES AND CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION IN BILLION NM ............................. 137 3 OIL PRODUCTION IN 1000 SM ......................................................................................... 139 3 OIL RESERVES AND CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION IN MILLION SM .............................. 141 NATURAL GAS REVENUES ............................................................................................... 143 AUTHORITIES INVOLVED IN MINING OPERATIONS ....................................................... 146 DEFINITIONS OF SELECTED TERMS ............................................................................... 147 APPENDICES ..................................................................................................................... 153 EXPLORATION, PRODUCTION AND STORAGE LICENCES AS AT 1 JANUARY 2015 .... 154 WELLS AND CHANGES IN LICENCE SITUATION AS AT 1 JANUARY 2015 .................... 156 3D SEISMIC SURVEYS