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Phone: +49 561 301-3301
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Email: press@wintershall.com
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Phone: +49 561 301-3301
Fax: +49 561 301-1321
Email: press@wintershall.com
Contacts
Press mailing list
Press releases
Wintershall-App
Dates
- 20.05.2012Kassel MarathonKassel, Germany
- 04.06.201225th World Gas Conference Kuala Lumpur
- 09.06.2012Documenta 13Kassel, Germany
Success comes with obligations
Since we are aware of our responsibility to the natural environment, we not only act in response to what is commercially expedient, but are pioneers in our industry. For the good of the environment and the people.
Domestic Production Securing the energy supply begins on one’s own doorstep
Hydrocarbons will continue to make an important contribution to securing the energy supply in Germany in the next few decades – as an energy source and as a raw material for industry. Natural gas in particular will play an increasingly important role long-term as an environmentally friendly and reliable partner of renewable energies: it is safe, inexpensive, very climate-friendly, flexible to use, available in sufficient quantities and enjoys wide public acceptance. Many experts believe that natural gas will gain in importance as an energy source and a partner to renewable energies with the dawn of the new energy era.
Domestic natural gas still makes a key contribution to securing the energy supply in Germany: 13 % of demand is Germany is covered by domestic production (crude oil: around three percent). That is equivalent to the annual consumption of more than 6 million single-family homes. “We need domestic production because securing the energy supply begins on our own doorstep,” Joachim Pünnel, Head of Wintershall’s operations in Germany, explains. “Wintershall has been producing crude oil and natural gas in Germany for more than 50 years – and we can continue to do so for decades to come.” Furthermore, it is not just the consumers that benefit from local production; the states and municipalities benefit as well. “For the communes where hydrocarbons are produced, the oil and gas companies are an important employer and often pay the largest trade tax contributions,” Pünnel says. The production royalties bring in revenues of more than 1 billion euros for the federal states every year.
Production in Germany is becoming more difficult, technologically more demanding and more expensive. It calls for great technological expertise and caution. “But this leading edge in technical competence and experience of dealing with high environmental standards on a daily basis is also the entry ticket for German E&P companies to major international projects,” Pünnel explains. “We also see great potential in future to increase the recovery rate from oil deposits and to produce unconventional natural gas from ‘tight gas’ deposits, a proven method that has been tested over many years.”
More information about our activities in Germany
Schizophyllan - Producing more oil with a fungus
Domestic natural gas still makes a key contribution to securing the energy supply in Germany: 13 % of demand is Germany is covered by domestic production (crude oil: around three percent). That is equivalent to the annual consumption of more than 6 million single-family homes. “We need domestic production because securing the energy supply begins on our own doorstep,” Joachim Pünnel, Head of Wintershall’s operations in Germany, explains. “Wintershall has been producing crude oil and natural gas in Germany for more than 50 years – and we can continue to do so for decades to come.” Furthermore, it is not just the consumers that benefit from local production; the states and municipalities benefit as well. “For the communes where hydrocarbons are produced, the oil and gas companies are an important employer and often pay the largest trade tax contributions,” Pünnel says. The production royalties bring in revenues of more than 1 billion euros for the federal states every year.
Production in Germany is becoming more difficult, technologically more demanding and more expensive. It calls for great technological expertise and caution. “But this leading edge in technical competence and experience of dealing with high environmental standards on a daily basis is also the entry ticket for German E&P companies to major international projects,” Pünnel explains. “We also see great potential in future to increase the recovery rate from oil deposits and to produce unconventional natural gas from ‘tight gas’ deposits, a proven method that has been tested over many years.”
More information about our activities in Germany
Schizophyllan - Producing more oil with a fungus
New Tight Gas Deposit in Lower Saxony
A new natural gas deposit near Barnstorf (Diepholz district) is currently being explored with a well launched in January 2012. There Wintershall expects to find a tight gas deposit with up to 40 billion cubic meters of natural gas in carbon layers more than 4,000 meters underground. “The well is very important for the future of domestic production. If the potential recoverable reserves of about 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas are confirmed and suitable for production, we could continue to produce natural gas at our operations in Barnstorf in Lower Saxony for several more decades,” Joachim Pünnel explains. If successful, the entire deposit in the district of Diepholz could be developed from 2014/2015. The crude oil production facility in Barnstorf, Lower Saxony, with more than 350 members of staff, represents the heart of Wintershall’s exploration and production activities. Crucial knowhow on drilling and production techniques is generated here and applied internationally.
The natural gas deposit earmarked for development contains so-called ‘tight gas’, which is stored in deep-lying sandstone strata and which can be extracted by hydraulic fracturing. With this technique, fine cracks are generated in the subterranean deposit so that the natural gas can flow more easily to the well. Wintershall has been producing tight gas in Lower Saxony – as well as in the Netherlands, Russia and Argentina – for more than 30 years with the help of this tried-and-tested technology and has extensive experience in the application of this production method. An application to the state mining office for this operation is currently being prepared.
More information about our activities in Barnstorf
The natural gas deposit earmarked for development contains so-called ‘tight gas’, which is stored in deep-lying sandstone strata and which can be extracted by hydraulic fracturing. With this technique, fine cracks are generated in the subterranean deposit so that the natural gas can flow more easily to the well. Wintershall has been producing tight gas in Lower Saxony – as well as in the Netherlands, Russia and Argentina – for more than 30 years with the help of this tried-and-tested technology and has extensive experience in the application of this production method. An application to the state mining office for this operation is currently being prepared.
More information about our activities in Barnstorf
Proven Technology: Hydraulic Fracturing
“Hydraulic fracturing is the key to the commercial production of tight gas reserves and is playing an increasingly important role in the development of difficult and complex deposits,” Pünnel explains, while at the same time emphasizing the importance of balancing technological and ecological needs when using fracing technology. Compared to the production of so-called ‘shale gas’, the production of tight gas from sandstone strata, as is conducted in Lower Saxony, requires much fewer fracs and less effort, since sandstone is naturally more porous and permeable than sandstone. Wintershall works with high environmental standards on principle and makes sure it maintains maximum environmental protection and transparency through its voluntary commitment to this effect. For example, the company foregoes the use of drilling and fracing technology in sensitive regions such as water protection areas.
Wintershall examines Shale Gas Deposit in NRW
Germany also has valuable gas deposits which have not yet been developed, especially in the form of so-called shale gas. The quantification of the natural gas resources in such deposits is still in its infancy. The Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) is currently investigating the overall potential of shale gas in Germany on behalf of the German Economics Ministry. Wintershall also has to first conduct a great deal of research in the field and does not have over-optimistic expectations. However, it does want to carefully examine what contribution these domestic gas deposits could make to supply security in Germany in future.
Wintershall received permission from the relevant authority, the Arnsberg district government, to conduct geological investigations in two license areas in North-Rhine Westphalia as part of the scientific exploration process. The Wintershall concessions “Rhineland” and “Ruhr” cover an area of 3,900 km² and stretch from the German-Dutch border in the West to the Sauerland region in the East. “Within the next three years we want to obtain a precise picture of the resources and their potential. Our activities at the moment are limited to preliminary geological surveys to assess the resource potential of possible unconventional deposits in the above-mentioned areas,” Pünnel explains. Deep drilling operations and fracing activities are not planned in this phase.
The focus of the scientific investigations lies on shale horizons that occur near the surface in certain areas and are therefore easy to investigate geologically. “We have to invest in research now to be able to assess the situation in Europe and Germany,” Pünnel explains. This is the only way to subsequently (at the earliest in 2013) take a decision on whether the production of shale gas in Germany is economically viable and environmentally safe.
Further information about our geological investigations in NRW
Wintershall received permission from the relevant authority, the Arnsberg district government, to conduct geological investigations in two license areas in North-Rhine Westphalia as part of the scientific exploration process. The Wintershall concessions “Rhineland” and “Ruhr” cover an area of 3,900 km² and stretch from the German-Dutch border in the West to the Sauerland region in the East. “Within the next three years we want to obtain a precise picture of the resources and their potential. Our activities at the moment are limited to preliminary geological surveys to assess the resource potential of possible unconventional deposits in the above-mentioned areas,” Pünnel explains. Deep drilling operations and fracing activities are not planned in this phase.
The focus of the scientific investigations lies on shale horizons that occur near the surface in certain areas and are therefore easy to investigate geologically. “We have to invest in research now to be able to assess the situation in Europe and Germany,” Pünnel explains. This is the only way to subsequently (at the earliest in 2013) take a decision on whether the production of shale gas in Germany is economically viable and environmentally safe.
Further information about our geological investigations in NRW
Wintershall Standards for Environment, Safety and Transparency
As Germany’s largest producer of crude oil and natural gas, Wintershall is aware of its responsibility towards nature and the environment and on principle works with the highest standards in terms of safety, environmental protection and transparency. For example, the company foregoes the use of drilling and fracing technology in sensitive regions such as water protection areas. We limit our drilling activities to a few central well sites so as to use as little land space as possible.
As operator we do not conduct any drilling operations in drinking water catchment protection areas and we do not apply fracing technology in these areas either. We do not use hydraulic fracturing in the immediate vicinity of old coal and other mines. The fracturing solution we use for fracing does not exceed the currently applicable water hazard classification level 1 (= slightly hazardous to water). Wintershall supports its suppliers in developing more environmentally friendly fracing solutions. We only use fracing technology when the well has successfully passed a pressure test. We regularly inspect the intactness of the integrated casing of our wells. The safety standards formulated by Wintershall also apply to all the companies deployed on the drilling rig.
As operator we do not conduct any drilling operations in drinking water catchment protection areas and we do not apply fracing technology in these areas either. We do not use hydraulic fracturing in the immediate vicinity of old coal and other mines. The fracturing solution we use for fracing does not exceed the currently applicable water hazard classification level 1 (= slightly hazardous to water). Wintershall supports its suppliers in developing more environmentally friendly fracing solutions. We only use fracing technology when the well has successfully passed a pressure test. We regularly inspect the intactness of the integrated casing of our wells. The safety standards formulated by Wintershall also apply to all the companies deployed on the drilling rig.
