Wintershall Dea Deutschland has commissioned its new crude oil export pipeline between the communities of Emlichheim and Osterwald (Bentheim county) in Lower Saxony. The 14.4-kilometre oil pipeline connects the Wintershall Dea processing facility in the Emlichheim oil field directly with the operating site in Osterwald, replacing the previously still interposed rail loading operations. With immediate effect, the treated oil will be transported exclusively by pipelines from Emlichheim via Osterwald to the refinery in Lingen.

The new crude oil pipeline designed for a daily production rate of up to 600 tonnes, increases both efficiency and safety in transporting the crude oil extracted from the Emlichheim oil field. The daily rail loading of crude oil in Emlichheim and Osterwald will be discontinued, and the T-6 loading tank with a volume of 6,500 cubic metres in the centre of Emlichheim will be taken out of service.

Investment in a future-proof infrastructure

Wintershall Dea Deutschland has been extracting crude oil in Emlichheim for over 75 years now. The company last invested in four new oil wells in Emlichheim in 2019 in order to keep production stable in Bentheim county.

Robert Frimpong, Managing Director of Wintershall Dea Deutschland:
"The new crude oil export pipeline is an important investment for the future of our Production District West. The pipeline will make a major contribution to safeguarding domestic production at the Emlichheim site in the long run. This also fits in with our long-term strategy, as crude oil production in the Emlichheim region is one of our three core regions in Germany, along with Mittelplate/Dieksand crude oil production in Schleswig-Holstein and natural gas production in the Verden area."

The new pipeline is made of corrosion-resistant glass-fibre reinforced plastic (GRP) and is thermally insulated across its entire length. Sensors are used to monitor the pipeline from end to end. This enables Wintershall Dea's central control room to identify and respond to any anomalies immediately. Wintershall Dea relies on the highest safety precautions by implementing this monitoring system. Moreover, the pipeline is regularly cleaned by a so-called pigging process. This ensures continual operation and extends the service life of the pipeline.

KeyFacts Energy: Wintershall Dea Germany country profile