Fossil Energy – Force Majeure
QatarEnergy has declared force majeure to its liquefied natural gas (LNG) customers, two days after its facilities were hit by a drone attack.
The move is expected to affect energy markets in Asia in particular, but Europe – and the Netherlands as well – could also feel the impact.
Natural gas used in the Netherlands now largely comes from abroad. Domestic production has declined sharply in recent years following the near-complete closure of the Groningen gas field, once one of Europe’s largest.
According to recent figures from Statistics Netherlands and energy analyses covering the 2024–2026 period, roughly one-third of the gas consumed in the Netherlands is still produced domestically, mainly from smaller onshore fields and offshore fields in the North Sea. The remaining 65–70% is imported from other countries.
Norway is the Netherlands’ most important foreign supplier, delivering around 25–30% of total Dutch gas consumption through pipeline connections. The United States has also become a major source through shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG), which account for roughly 20–25% of the country’s gas supply.
The United Kingdom supplies additional pipeline gas through the North Sea, representing approximately 5–8% of the Netherlands’ gas needs.
Alongside these pipeline flows, LNG imports from various countries are playing an increasingly significant role.
Qatar, one of the world’s largest LNG exporters, supplies part of the gas imported into the Netherlands via the Rotterdam LNG terminal. This share is estimated at about 5–7% of Dutch gas consumption.
A small portion of the gas still comes from Russia, almost exclusively in the form of LNG, accounting for roughly 2–3% of supply, significantly lower than before 2022.
In total, the Netherlands’ current gas supply mix consists of approximately 30–35% domestic production, 25–30% from Norway, 20–25% from the United States (LNG), 5–8% from the United Kingdom, 5–7% from Qatar (LNG), and about 2–3% from Russia and other countries.
These figures underline how the Netherlands has become largely dependent on international suppliers and LNG imports to meet its national gas demand.
