Dutch government cuts Groningen gas field production

THE HAGUE, June 23 (Reuters) - Dutch Economy Minister Henk Kamp ordered a further tightening of production at Groningen, Europe's largest gas field, in response to a spate of earthquakes that have caused extensive property damage in the Netherlands' northernmost province.

Output at the field, the world's 10th largest, will be capped at 13.5 billion cubic metres (bcm) in the second half of this year, and at 30 bcm for the whole of 2015, Kamp said in a statement on Tuesday adding that the country would import more gas from January.

In February, output was cut to 16.5 bcm for the first half of the year. That made for an annualised rate of 33 bcm, down from 39.4 previously after the Dutch Safety Board said gas companies and state regulators had failed to take the threat of earthquakes seriously enough. (Reporting By Toby Sterling, Editing by Thomas Escritt)