More than 5,000 people in Groningen will receive compensation from oil and gas company NAM for emotional distress caused by years of earthquakes linked to gas extraction in the province. The settlement follows seven years of legal proceedings.

The earthquakes are a result of decades of gas extraction in Groningen by NAM, a joint venture between Shell and ExxonMobil, which has caused widespread damage to homes.

After multiple hearings, appeals and ultimately a Supreme Court ruling in favour of the residents, NAM and the plaintiffs have now reached a settlement, broadcaster RTV Noord reported.

The agreement includes three types of payment for those who joined the mass claim: compensation for emotional distress, for loss of enjoyment of their homes, and additional payments in specific cases.

The payouts range from €5,000 to €222, depending on the amount of damage and emotional distress.

Lawyer Pieter Huitema said he was pleased with the outcome. “It’s great to achieve such a result for such a large group,” he told RTV Noord. “We spent about two years at the negotiating table, but the result is something to be proud of.”

A damage assessment agency has been appointed to carry out the settlement. It will contact claimants in the coming months to verify missing information, and payments will be processed in stages.

The first group of around 100 people will be invited this autumn, with the remaining groups following early next year. Each case will take several months to process, and all claims are expected to be handled by 2026.

The claim is unconnected to the claims from home and business owners whose property has been damaged by the quakes. That process, involving an estimated 120,000 home owners, is still ongoing.