Wholly-owned BASF subsidiary Wintershall is set to expand its oil and gas exploration and production activities in the North Sea. To do so, the largest German-based oil and gas producer intends to invest more than 300 million euros by 2010.

“Even if the European Union is increasingly dependent on imports of natural gas from Russia and North Africa, there is still potential in the North Sea“, Dr. Ties Tiessen, Member of the Wintershall Board of Executive Directors responsible for Production, explained at the unveiling of a new platform control center in Den Helder in the North of the Netherlands. “There are many small and medium-sized natural gas fields all over the North Sea that can be developed”.

About half of the natural gas consumed today in Europe still comes from the countries bordering on the North Sea – Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark and the UK. “Russia remains Europe’s most important partner when it comes to securing the future energy supply in Europe but the European Union should take steps independently to boost the energy supply and make a clear commitment to domestic oil and gas production“, Dr Tiessen said.

Since 2000 Wintershall has increased natural gas production in the Netherlands, where it is one the largest gas producers, fivefold to two billion cubic meters. Wintershall has been operating in the North Sea since 1965 and today operates a total of 26 platforms, 25 of them in Dutch territorial waters and one in German territorial waters. The Wintershall platform in the outermost area of the German North Sea – the so-called “Entenschnabel” (Duck’s Bill) – the A6-A, is Germany’s only offshore gas production platform.

Overall, Wintershall has an annual production volume of six billion cubic meters with its partners in the Netherlands, which makes it one of the biggest operating companies in the country. “We are endeavoring to enhance our strong position in the southern North Sea”, the Member of Wintershall Board of Executive Directors responsible for Production announced. In order to reach this goal, Wintershall, one of the few companies active in the local industry, has maintained two drilling platforms under contract which are continuously sinking new exploration and production wells.