(Writes through, adds reaction from government, NAM)
By Toby Sterling
THE HAGUE, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Dutch citizens worried aboutearthquakes linked to work at the Groningen gas field have begundetailing their complaints in a legal challenge to thegovernment's production limits for the key energy asset.
Groningen has become increasingly controversial asearthquakes have become more intense, causing billions of eurosof damage to buildings. No physical injuries have been reported,but the Netherland's Safety Board in February found that thegovernment had systematically underestimated the danger tocitizens.
On Thursday the country's Council of State began hearingcomplaints seeking to reduce or stop production at Europe'slargest gas field to reduce the danger.
"This is a risk that could be taken away in three or fourmonths with a very simple measure: turn off the gas," Rens Snel,lawyer for the City of Groningen, told judges hearing the case.
The court is hearing complaints from 40 groups ranging fromthe provincial government to small towns and individualschallenging the government's 2015 production plans.
The field is operated by state-owned Gasunie, with outputjointly exploited by the government, Royal Dutch Shell and Exxon Mobil through NAM (Nederlandse AardolieMaatschappij).
Economy Minister Henk Kamp had ordered output cut to 30billion cubic metres (bcm) this year from an initial target of39.4 bcm, costing the government 1 billion euros ($1.13 billion)in lost revenue.
State Attorney Hans Besselink argued on Thursday that thegovernment has cut production as low as it possibly can whilestill honouring its legal obligations to deliver gas to allcitizens in the Netherlands, plus several million more inGermany and Belgium.
Besselink said that the risk of an unexpectedly largeearthquake is now "comparable to that of a break in one of theriver dykes" in the famously flood-prone country.
NAM lawyer Nicolien van den Biggelaar also argued that thedanger posed by earthquakes has become "limited as productionhas become limited".
No date has been set for a ruling by the Council of State,but a court official said a decision is expected in late autumn.
In April a preliminary ruling by the court in the same caseordered a halt to gas production around Loppersum, the mostearthquake-sensitive portion of the vast Groningen field, unlessit is absolutely necessary. ($1 = 0.8875 euros)
(Editing by David Goodman)