AMSTERDAM, March 6 (Reuters) - A majority in the Dutch

parliament said on Wednesday they would back a proposal to

permanently seal off gas production wells at the Dutch Groningen

field in a vote scheduled for March 12.

Gas production at Groningen, once one of Europe's largest

gas fields, was ended in October last year after years of

production cuts to limit seismic risks in the region.

The Groningen field is operated by Shell and Exxon

Mobil ( XOM ) joint venture NAM.

Both companies have asked an arbitration court to decide

whether the Dutch state should compensate them for ending gas

production at the field, which still holds massive reserves.

The gas field has been available for limited production

during a cold snap in recent months, but the government has

proposed a law that would close the field entirely by Oct. 1.

During a debate on Wednesday, large majority in parliament

indicated they backed the law, with a group of parties even

proposing to move the closure date forward.

Mining minister Hans Vijlbrief said he was open to that

suggestion, if the law passed both houses of parliament in time.

The Lower House will vote on the law on March 12, with a

vote in the Senate expected some time after.