Categorizing seismic risk for the onshore gas fields in the Netherlands

摘要

In recent years public concern about earthquakes induced by gas production has increased in the Netherlands. This has mainly been caused by numerous seismic events related to gas depletion in the Groningen gas field, the largest gas field in Western Europe. Induced seismicity has also been observed in 31 smaller gas fields located on land (onshore) or in the area close to the Dutch coast. Earthquakes with magnitudes as high as M-L = 3.5 have occurred in Roswinkel and Bergermeer causing damage to buildings.