What falls under soil movement?
Soil movement in relation to natural gas production and gas storage can occur in several ways:
- Subsidence because of producing gas.
- Subsidence because of gas storage.
- Earth tremors due to stresses in the subsurface after or during gas production.
Soil subsidence
Soil subsidence is measured throughout the Netherlands with NAP level marks. TAQA uses this measurement network to gain insight into soil subsidence above and around our gas fields. Since the early 1970s, we have been accurately mapping how the soil has moved above our fields every five years. We also use GPS sensors above the fields that continuously monitor surface movement.
Soil movement above our gas fields over the years shows so little movement that people and houses are not affected or damaged by it.
Read our soil movement analysis Bergen II, GSB and PGI (in Dutch only)
Read a factsheet by research institute TNO on soil subsidence and damage to the built environment(in Dutch only)
Seismic activity
The Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute KNMI has been monitoring how TAQA’s gas fields (and the surface) respond to gas production and storage via a national network of measuring devices (accelerometers) for years. Included in this national network are also meters TAQA installed in one well of the Bergermeer field.
Since the Bergermeer field has been in operation as a gas storage facility, KNMI has not observed any palpable vibrations; this field is getting quieter compared to the time when gas was produced.
In addition, the regulator State Supervision of Mines is also watching the movement in and above the field. TAQA itself is also continuously monitoring the measurements. We report our monitoring reports monthly on the Publications page.
Current information about earthquakes can be found on the KNMI website.