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The Modern exploration for Petroleum and Gas in the Netherlands begins in 1935
The Dutch for Batavian Oil Company attracted by oil discoveries in Germany near Hannover a began a systematic search for oil and gas in the Netherlands in the year 1935. -
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The creation of twenty-five petroleum exploration wells; The Discovery of Schoonebeek heavy oil field,
In the period 1935-1943 twenty-five exploration wells were drilled in the Netherlands. The deepest was just over 1000 m. Prior to the German occupation of the Netherlands in 1940, 12 dry holes were drilled. -
Discovery of the Netherland's first Modern petroleum field .
In 1938 during an exhibition of “living in the Dutch East Indies” in the gardens on ‘De Mient’ in The Hague oil was found . The oil was asphalt like and had not economic value but it stimulated exploration in the western parts of the Netherlands. -
The discovery of the Schoonebeek Heavy oil feild.
One notable success during the Five year oil and gas exploration period was the Schoonebeek heavy oilfield which turned out to be the largest onshore oilfields of Western Europe. -
Discovery of the Massive Groningen gas field.
The Groningen gas find of 22 July 1959 changed Dutch energy policy and led to a new exploration phase onshore and offshore some years later.Groningen marked the beginning of the natural gas era for Europe. -
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Influx of gas companies applying for overlapping concessions in Northern provinces of The Netherlands
After the Groningen gas find between May 1963 and December 1965, eight different companies applied for eighteen overlapping concessions in the Northern provinces. This complicated situation was brought to an end in 1965 with new legislation. It introduced an exclusive drilling permit, which does not guarantee the granting of a concession in case of success. -
Netherlands Biggest Petroleum and Oil Public- Private partnership
By 1963, the Dutch had the biggest petroleum and oil public–private partnership to date, the N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie, between Esso (now ExxonMobil), Royal Dutch Shell and the Dutch government -
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Petroleum and Oil exploration 1968-1986
Some 544 exploration wells were drilled between 1968 and 1986. Gas was found in 137 wells and 21 wells found oil. -
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Small field policy 1973- 1980
The ‘small field policy’ of the Dutch government was implemented during 1973- 1980 -when exploration for gas and petroleum was fairly low- was instrumental in the renewed interest in the Dutch's oil and petroleum industry during this time period as companies interest started to wane because they did not believe that their would be any more huge oil or petroleum finds. -
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Use of Groningen as a strategic reserve and the Promotion of use of marginal petroleum feilds.
In 1973–1974 the Dutch government designed a new energy policy, which saved Groningen as a strategic reserve to be used over a longer period, and promoted the exploitation of marginal fields via the Small Fields Policy (SFP) -
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Present day
The upstream supply industry in the Netherlands had an estimated annual turnover of US$ 7 billion of which 70% is export–related. The Netherland's is Europe's second-largest producer and exporter of natural gas with 3.0 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of production in 2013.