Neptune sees Dutch North Sea potential

The province may be mature, but still has elements to attract investment and shake off PR problems

Producing oil and gas in the Netherlands, never mind exploring for more resources, may seem like a thankless task. The largest discoveries have likely long since been made, meaning the province will never be a core area for the largest IOCs choosing where to spend E&P dollars in a competitive global environment. More than that, though, the country’s producing industry—and many of its inhabitants—have gone through a traumatic experience around the Groningen gas field, Europe’s largest onshore reserve and something of a national icon. Earthquakes caused by subsidence from gas extraction snowballed into a societal outcry and the political decision to manage down and ultimately cease product