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Oil majors look for arbitration in gas dispute with Dutch state

Shell and ExxonMobil have asked an arbitration court to choose whether the Dutch state needs to compensate them for the ending of gas production at the big Groningen field in the north of the Netherlands.

Shell and Exxon's joint endeavor NAM operates the Groningen field, which was among Europe's primary gas providers for decades.

Groningen still holds enormous reserves, however starting in 2018, the federal government chose that production needed to be decreased quickly to limit seismic risks, and last year ended production - with wells set to be nearby October.

The government, Shell and Exxon reached two headline contracts on how they would deal with completion of production in 2018 and 2019, however have considering that disagreed over the information.

Parties have disagreed over the interpretation of the agreements for a long period of time and many discussions with the federal government have not caused an option, the companies said in a. declaration.

Arbitration can assist to bring clearness over the contracts,. which would benefit all parties involved.

The government said it had actually attempted to make brand-new plans. with the business given that 2020 and would see how the arbitration. would impact that process.

It has actually repeatedly said the quick decline of production was. needed to guarantee safety in the area, and that no settlement. for the business was warranted.

Gas profits have actually provided an estimated 363 billion. euros($ 388 billion) to the Dutch treasury because production. begun in the 1960s, laying the structure for the Dutch. well-being state, while Shell and Exxon's revenue was about 66. billion euros.

(source: Reuters)