Element NL member ONE-Dyas has started gas production from the second production well of the N05-A platform in the North Sea. With this step, output from N05-A increases to 1 billion cubic metres per year. This already makes N05-A a significant contributor to the gas supply of the Netherlands and Germany, at a time when energy security and geopolitical stability are high on the agenda.
Until now, the first production well of N05-A produced around 700 million cubic metres of natural gas per year. With the commissioning of the second production well, annual gas production has increased to approximately 1 billion cubic metres per year. This marks the next step towards fully utilising the platform’s production capacity of 2 billion cubic metres per year. This is equivalent to 7% of current Dutch gas demand and 2.5% of German demand.
International energy security
With the current drilling activities, maximum production is expected to be reached in the fourth quarter, ahead of the winter season. The broader cross-border GEMS area, in which N05-A is located, is estimated to hold around 50 billion cubic metres of natural gas, sourced from multiple smaller fields that together contribute to a stable energy supply for both countries.
Chris de Ruyter van Steveninck, CEO of ONE-Dyas: “By scaling up production from N05-A, we are increasing the supply of locally produced natural gas with the lowest emissions. This is exactly what the Dutch small fields policy is designed for: meeting existing demand as much as possible with domestic gas. Responsible, reliable, and an essential foundation for the energy transition.”
Additional gas from the region
The commissioning of the second well marks the transition from start-up to production scale-up. Additional gas from the region means:
- reduced dependence on imported gas;
- a reliable contribution to energy supply during the energy transition;
- use of existing North Sea infrastructure, within applicable environmental and safety frameworks.
N05-A produces natural gas with near-zero CO₂ emissions, as the platform is fully powered by electricity from the nearby German offshore wind farm Riffgat. Both production and the drilling of this and future wells are fully electrified; a unique approach in this part of the North Sea.
