Rob Jetten, Dutch climate and energy minister
Letter from Amsterdam: Dutch rediscover North Sea gas benefits
An increasingly import-dependent Netherlands is mulling fresh incentives for offshore gas exploration as the industry prepares to make energy transition pledges
Europe’s efforts to reduce its dependence on Russian gas following Moscow’s decision to invade Ukraine are a timely boon for operators of Dutch North Sea gas fields. After years of underinvestment due to punishing bureaucracy, unattractive commodity prices and unfavourable investment terms, the Dutch offshore gas industry is now being wooed by a new government grappling with a security of supply crisis just two months into the job. “The cabinet wants to prevent production from Dutch small fields from falling faster than the Dutch demand for natural gas, because this would further increase import dependence,” wrote climate and energy minister Rob Jetten in a recent letter to parliament. The
Also in this section
9 January 2026
The Latin American producer’s crude prospects rely on a multi-pronged approach where even the relatively easy wins will take considerable time, effort and cost
9 January 2026
While many forecasters are reasserting the importance of oil and gas, petrostates should be under no illusion things are changing, and faster than they might think
8 January 2026
Indonesia and Malaysia are at the dawn of breathtaking digital capabilities. Their energy infrastructure must keep up with their ambitions
8 January 2026
The next five years will be critical for the North Sea, and it will be policy not geology that will decide the basin’s future
