Shale Gas Drilling to Start in the Netherlands
Brabant Resources, a subsidiary of the Cuadrilla Resources, plans to to drill the Netherlands’ first unconventional gas well in the township of Boxtel in North Brabant province later this year.
Cuadrilla is partnering with Energie Beheer Netherlands (EBN), a natural gas exploration, production, transportation and sale company owned by the Dutch Government.
In an interview with Volkskrant, Mark Miller, CEO of Cuadrilla, said that he was "very optimistic" about prospects in Brabant.
The company also hopes to drill in the nearby community of Haaren.
Cuadrilla representatives met with Haaren officials and citizens at a town hall meeting in January.
The information session attracted over 300 local residents concerned that the local landscape is at risk of becoming contaminated from the drilling process.
Ken Lowe, representing Cuadrilla, addressed concerns brought to light by the film 'Gasland'. Dutch environmental legislation he said, was many times stronger than in the United States, so comparisons were not possible.
Due to the low permeability of the rock, hydraulic fracturing - the injection of water, sand and chemicals under high pressure allowing the gas to flows through the created cracks, is required to extract the shale gas.
Miller also addressed concerns about the chemical mixture contained in the fracturing (‘fracking’) fluid used in the process .
"Chlorine is the heaviest. But it is so diluted, that's almost homeopathic," said Miller.
Opponents also fear especially the landscape impact of the drilling activities. Miller estimates that if after the trials are successful, one hundred wells would be drilled.
Willem-Jan Atsma said President of the Action Committee Schaliegas Vrij said, “this has a devastating effect on the environment."
The independent research organisation TNO estimates the recoverable amount of shale gas in the Netherlands to range from in 2,400 to 11,000 billion cubic meters. By comparison, the volume of producible gas in Slochteren, home to the giant Groningen gas field, amounts to about 2.8 trillion cubic meters.
The first exploratory drilling is expected to take three months to complete. A total of three wells are expected to be drilled.