Dutch to Cut Gas Output to Reduce Earthquake Risk

Output has been cut several times from 53.9 billion cubic metres in 2013 to 24 billion bcm as criticism mounted that Dutch authorities had failed to adequately assess the risk to citizens from earthquakes caused by production at Europe's biggest field.

The Dutch state agency overseeing the industry said on Tuesday that production might need to be cut, but that the threshold for action had not yet been crossed.

Minister Henk Kamp said in his letter to parliament that he did not want to wait until taking further action and would cut production by 10 percent from October 1.