A large gas discovery in the Dutch North Sea could be even bigger after an exploration drill beat expectations, one of the companies involved said, a shot in the arm to the traditionally gas-rich Netherlands whose output has deen declining. The Ruby well, the first drilled in the area around 20 kms (12 miles) off the northern Dutch coast since the early 1990s, produced gas at a higher rate than expected thanks to “excellent” geological quality, said John Martin, chief executive of Hansa Hydrocarbons, the operator of the field. The wider licence within which the Ruby well is located is estimated to contain around 2 trillion cubic feet of gas, more than the Netherlands’ annual gas production. Martin told Reuters he was “optimistic” this figure […]