(Adds details, background)
AMSTERDAM, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Demand for gas from Groningenwill "fall sharply from 2020" as production at the northernDutch field is reduced, Economy Minister Henk Kamp said in aletter to parliament released on Tuesday.
The Netherlands has been forced to scale back production byroughly half at Groningen, which once met 10 percent of EuropeanUnion gas requirements, to 24 billion cubic meters per year dueto damage from earthquakes.
Citing a June study by Gasunie, Kamp said a 480 millioneuros gas conversion facility in Zuidbroek was no longer neededdue to falling exports.
The Groningen gas field is operated by NAM, a joint venturebetween Royal Dutch Shell and Exxon Mobil Corp.
Dutch exports of gas have declined already and Europeancountries, notably Germany, had said they would reduce Dutchimports further and seek other sources. The Netherlands had beenstudying the option of converting gas to meet exportrequirements.
"The market conversion abroad has started sooner than weanticipated," Kamp wrote. "Germany, France and Belgium willstart the switch from low to high-caloric gas in 2020 instead of2024.
That will lead to a reduction in demand for Groningen gasfrom 2020, he said. (Reporting by Anthony Deutsch, editing by Louise Heavens andWilliam Hardy)