Audio: ‘Do you have any idea how many gas quakes we've had thus far in 2017?’ – Prime minister: ‘I don't have the latest figures.’
1987
Van der Sluis (geographer): ‘Gas extraction could result in quakes.’
1987
Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI): ‘That wasn’t a quake, that was a plane breaking through the sound barrier.’
info
Attention: Some quakes are audible but not visible on the map.
1988 – 1990
‘Gas extraction could cause quakes’ (Shell-Exxon = ‘NAM’).
‘Quakes up to M3 possible’ (MIT).
info
As early as 1991 houses started to collapse (discovered by Dutch radio program Argos, 2013).
end 1993
Expert panel: ‘Sometimes, earthquakes are the result of gas extraction.’
1995
Van der Sluis (geographer): ‘Shell-ExxonMobil is stalling.’
feb 19th 1997
Earthquake at Roswinkel, M 3.4 / 3 km depth, very shallow.
info
Shell + ExxonMobil = NAM (‘Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij’).
2001
‘Quakes probably caused by gas extraction’ (KNMI, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute).
2001
Earthquake at Alkmaar, M 3.5.
aug 11th 2003
KNMI, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute: ‘The relation between gas extraction and earthquakes is not coincidental.’
aug 8th 2006
Earthquake M 3.5 / 3 km, triangle Middelstum, Stedum, Westeremden.
oct 30th 2008
NOS (Dutch public broadcaster): ‘Perhaps it is just the frost causing this?’
feb 18th 2009
‘Last year, the amount of gas sold abroad reached a record high.’ (NOS, Dutch public broadcaster).
jun 28th 2011
Houses in Groningen damaged as a result of earthquake.
aug 16th 2012
Again, Groningen is hit by a severe quake (Huizinge, M 3.6 / 3 km depth, very shallow).
jan 26th 2013
Researchers: ‘Earthquakes stronger when more gas is extracted’. Shell-ExxonMobil: ‘Acceptable risk.’
sep 5th 2013
‘Annual risk of earthquakes > M 3.9 is 7%. Advice: rapid reduction.’
sep 4th 2013
Quake North of Groningen, M 2.8, 3 km depth, very shallow.
dec 30th 2013
In 2013, ExxonMobil and Shell extracted twice the amount of gas from the ground than they agreed they would.
sep 30th 2014
First earthquake close to the city of Groningen (200,000 inhabitants).
info
At least 1350 monuments are damaged.
info
100.000 house owners report damage.
6 apr 2017
“Groninger Bodem Beweging” (GBB) visits UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
jan 8th 2018
Again, Groningen is hit by a severe quake (Zeerijp, M 3.4 / 3 km depth, very shallow).
may 22th 2019
Again, Groningen is hit by a severe quake (Westerwijtwerd, M 3.4 / 3 km depth, very shallow).