NAM
Shell/ExxonMobil JV; took over Norg and Grijpskerk gas storage from GasTerra at zero carry-in on 1 April 2026.
Last refreshed: 4 May 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Why did a Shell/ExxonMobil joint venture inherit two empty Dutch gas storage sites at the start of the injection season?
Timeline for NAM
Received handover of Norg and Grijpskerk on 1 April with both facilities at zero
European Energy Markets: Bergermeer carries Dutch injection load alone- What is NAM and what role does it play in Dutch gas storage?
- NAM (Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij) is a Shell/ExxonMobil joint venture and the former operator of the Groningen gas field. On 1 April 2026, it assumed responsibility for Norg (59 TWh) and Grijpskerk (24 TWh) gas storage from GasTerra, both of which were at structural zero on handover.Source: European-energy-markets reporting
- Why was the Groningen gas field shut down in the Netherlands?
- Groningen production was progressively reduced after the 2012 Huizinge earthquake triggered safety concerns about subsidence-induced seismic activity. The Dutch government directed NAM to reduce and eventually halt production, completing the closure process by 2024. The field's storage assets, including Norg and Grijpskerk, were transferred to NAM under the closure agreement.Source: Dutch government / NAM
- Who owns NAM and what is its relationship to Shell and ExxonMobil?
- NAM is a 50/50 joint venture between Shell and ExxonMobil. It was established in 1947 and operated the Groningen field, Europe's largest gas field for decades. Both parent companies remain jointly liable for NAM's ongoing storage and decommissioning obligations.Source: NAM
Background
NAM (Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij) is a Dutch oil and gas company operating as a 50/50 joint venture between Shell and ExxonMobil. It was the primary operator of the Groningen gas field, once Europe's largest gas field, and continues to operate smaller Dutch gas fields and associated storage facilities. On 1 April 2026, NAM formally assumed operational responsibility for the Norg and Grijpskerk gas storage facilities from GasTerra, which had depleted both sites to structural zero carry-in before the handover.
NAM's inheritance of Norg (59 TWh working volume) and Grijpskerk (24 TWh) at structural zero is significant for EU storage dynamics: both facilities now require the full 2026 injection season to refill from scratch. This concentrates Dutch injection pressure on Bergermeer, the single large commercial storage facility that entered the season with some carry-in, and means that Norg and Grijpskerk cannot contribute to emergency buffer capacity until late in the season.
NAM has been a politically sensitive entity in the Netherlands since the 2012 Huizinge earthquake triggered the progressive reduction and eventual halt of Groningen production. The Groningen closure agreement, completed under the Dutch government's direction, transferred NAM's legacy field assets and associated storage obligations into new regulatory structures, of which the 1 April 2026 Norg/Grijpskerk handover is the most recent operational step.
