Wintershall, chemical major BASF’s wholly owned subsidiary, has been producing crude oil in Emlichheim, near the German-Dutch border, for more than 60 years. This oil field is reportedly one of the oldest deposits in Germany.
The Bavarian field of Aitingen currently produces around 36,000 tons of crude oil and is claimed to be the largest oil production operation in the pre-Alpine region.
Ties Tiessen, member of the board of executive directors of Wintershall Holding responsible for production, said: Although the proportion of crude oil consumption produced in Germany is comparatively small – at 3.7 million tons, domestic production covers just 3% of demand in Germany – any production ‘on one’s own doorstep’ increases supply security.
