Wintershall, ADNOC present drill core to Germany’s Economics Minister

ABU DHABI -- Wintershall and its partner ADNOC have presented the German Federal Minister of Economic Affairs, Sigmar Gabriel, in Abu Dhabi with the first piece of a drill core from the joint natural gas and condensate field Shuwaihat. The rock is around 150 million years old.

The minister is visiting the region with a trade delegation, which the Wintershall CEO Rainer Seele is part of. Shuwaihat field, located 200 km west of Abu Dhabi, is an important step for Wintershall as it establishes a greater presence in the Gulf region. Around 50% of the world’s oil and gas reserves are located in this region.

“The drill core is a symbol of the successful partnership between Wintershall and ADNOC. But it is also representative of the extensive experience in the technically challenging production of sour gas that Wintershall brings to the Shuwaihat project,” Seele said.

As operator, Wintershall is responsible for the exploration and evaluation of the field containing sour gas together with its Austrian partner OMV.

The production of sour gas requires the highest safety standards and the most modern equipment. Wintershall can draw on more than 40 years of experience in sour gas production in Germany.

The company already developed 16 fields in Germany and produced some 30 Bcm of sour gas safely. The first exploration well for Shuwaihat field began operations in 2014 and the first results are expected soon.