By Maarten van Tartwijk 

AMSTERDAM--A Dutch court ruled Wednesday that Royal Dutch Shell PLC and Exxon Mobil Corp must compensate homeowners for a drop in house prices caused by earthquakes linked to production at the Groningen gas field.

The ruling could open the door to a wave of compensation claims against the energy companies, which operate the field through a joint-venture called the Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij BV, or NAM.

The court said NAM is responsible for earthquakes in the northern province of Groningen and that these have led to a decline in home values of "several percent." Homeowners should therefore be compensated even when they are not planning to sell their property, it said, adding "there is no reason not to do it now."

The lawsuit was filed by a group representing 900 homeowners and 12 housing associations.

Earthquakes in the region began in 1991, and hundreds have been recorded in the subsequent period; a total of 119 quakes were recorded in 2013 alone. Experts suggest the pumping of the Groningen field has deflated a porous gas-bearing reservoir deep below the surface, which has in turn led to a buildup of pressure along a fault zone, which is periodically released in sudden jolts.

NAM, which has acknowledged responsibility for a rise in earthquakes in the area, said it would study the ruling and consider any further steps. So far, the company has set aside EUR1.2 billion ($1.4 billion) in part to compensate homeowners for damages to their property.

"We recognize the concerns of the residents and agree that in specific cases earthquakes can cause a decline in value," spokesman Sander van Rootselaar said.

The Groningen field is one of the world's biggest natural-gas reserves and a key source for Europe, accounting for roughly 10% of the European Union's total gas supply last year. But the Dutch government has restricted output in the area in recent years, after reports linked gas extraction to a rise in earthquakes.

In June, the government said production will be slashed to 30 billion cubic meters this year, substantially lower than a previous target of 39.4 billion cubic meters.

Write to Maarten van Tartwijk at maarten.vantartwijk@wsj.com

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 02, 2015 12:15 ET (16:15 GMT)