Since 1981, Wintershall's production experts have been using advanced techniques to keep production at the oil field at a consistently high level, for example, steam flooding, which involves forcing 300 degree hot steam into the reservoir at a pressure of 100 bar. The heat produced by the hot steam makes the oil less viscous and thus easier to pump to the surface. Among experts, procedures such as steam flooding are collectively referred to as EOR (enhanced oil recovery) technologies. They require major technical effort however experts believe it pays off in the end.  Due to the improving production techniques, Wintershall has been able to keep the high yield from one of Germany's oldest deposits to 140,000 tonnes a year and therefore at a consistently stable level for 55 years. Wintershall expects to maintain these impressive and constant production levels until at least 2020.

Of course Wintershall could drill for oil where it is easier to produce, however domestic deposits such as Emlichheim make an important contribution to supply security.  Currently, three percent (2.5 million tonnes) of German consumption is being met by sources directly on our doorstep. For this reason, Wintershall will continue to invest in new wells and technologies with  ten new horizontal and four vertical wells being sunk in Emlichheim .in the future. In total, Wintershall will invest over 60 million Euros in the Emlichheim location over the next four years. State-of-the-art production techniques will allow experts to recover over 40 percent of the oil from the ground and thus ensuring that the deposit can contribute to our supplies for at least another 20 years.