In the Benelux, the Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij (NAM: Dutch Petroleum Company) is the major oil and gas producer.

ExxonMobil has a 50% share in the NAM, as does its competitor Shell. This company was set up shortly after the Second World War and was originally intended for the exploitation of the oilfield discovered in 1943 near Schoonebeek in the Province of Drente. In 1959, a giant gas bubble was discovered in the ground below Groningen, containing one of the largest gas reserves in the world. The emphasis of the NAM activities shifted to gas extraction. This has remained the principal activity of the company to this day.

Over the years, the search for new sources has produced some favorable results, including the discovery and exploitation of gas fields in the Dutch part of the Continental Shelf (North Sea). Fields other than the Groningen field are now responsible for over half of the total gas production in the Netherlands. The Schoonebeek oil fields have been closed for a considerable time. The nodding donkeys that were so characteristic of the Drente landscape were no longer able to pump sufficient oil to make their exploitation profitable.

With almost 1500 billion cubic meters of gas remaining, the Groningen field will certainly continue to be one of the world's largest producers for a further quarter of a century, after which production could be continued at a reduced rate for another 25 years.

The NAM currently produces approximately 60 billion cubic meters of gas per year. The oil production from several fields in the west of the Netherlands and the North Sea is good for approximately 1.5 million cubic meters annually. The NAM is focusing a great deal of attention on maintaining the reserves of natural gas by prospecting for smaller gas fields with the aim of continuing to meet the huge demands for energy, both in the Netherlands and beyond, for the coming years.

More info? Click here to visit the (Dutch language) NAM internet site.