Our business A leading offshore operator
Wintershall Noordzee is an international E&P company which specializes in the offshore exploration, development and production of natural gas and oil. We are one of the operators active on the Dutch Continental Shelf with strong expertise in exploration, drilling, field development, production operations, business development, decommissioning and reuse. In recent years, Wintershall Noordzee has further expanded its operated portfolio to the continental shelves of Germany, the United Kingdom and Denmark. As one of the producers of natural gas in the Dutch sector of the Southern North Sea, we operate 11 producing offshore installations, of which 4 are subsea completions.
Wintershall Noordzee B.V. based in Rijswijk (The Netherlands) was first established in 1965 as Pennzoil Nederland Company, a pioneering independent operator. Wintershall Dea acquired the company in 1989, subsequently adding Clyde Petroleum to its portfolio in 2003 to create the basis of the company it is today.
As one of the producers of natural gas in the Dutch sector of the Southern North Sea, Wintershall Noordzee operates 11 producing offshore installations. In recent years, the company has further expanded its operated portfolio to the continental shelves of the United Kingdom, Germany and Denmark.
Exploration An important first step in our success
Wintershall Noordzee has a long history of successful exploration activities in mainly natural gas findings. In the past 10 years, our accent has also shifted somewhat towards oil with successes on the Danish continental shelf with the development of the Ravn field and on the Dutch continental shelf with the finding of one of the largest oil fields off the Dutch coast in exploration licence F17a in 2012.
Our exploration department houses a knowledgeable, dedicated and passionate group of geologists, geophysicists, petro physicists and operations geologists - all subsurface disciplines. Although exploration success is never a given, this team combined with available innovative technologies gives us a healthy advantage of finding the reserves we are looking for.
Development The next important step in our success
Wintershall Noordzee has a large portfolio of assets in the Southern North Sea covering the offshore areas of The Netherlands, United Kingdom and Denmark.
To keep the momentum going, regular investments are being made to explore for new discoveries, which need intensive studies to map out subsurface uncertainties against the most profitable development concept. Multi-discipline teams cover all aspects of field development ranging from geological modelling and reservoir engineering to drilling and facility engineering, which need highly skilled project management to coordinate the various phases of planning, execution and timely project delivery. Proper communicative skills are essential with respect to stakeholder management, where all parties such as authorities, joint venture partners and shareholders have their own specific interest in the development process.
Drilling & Well Services Vital in our success flow
Wintershall Noordzee’s Drilling & Well Services team work together closely to design, deliver and service wells and to execute complex operations in the Dutch, Danish and UK waters of the Southern North Sea.
Maturity of the basin, in combination with challenging geology and complex well delivery, demand for the deployment of the latest technology and extensive experience of the teams to work on solutions to recover the deeply buried oil and gas reserves of the Southern North Sea. A close and constructive relationship with our business partners and suppliers, makes us thrive to achieve results that form the foundation of our success.
As a company operating close to and sometimes within designated and sensitive areas, we strictly apply the highest standards on health, safety and environmental protection.
Production One of the natural gas producers on the DCS
As one of the natural gas producers in the Dutch sector of the North Sea, Wintershall Noordzee operates 11 producing offshore installations. In recent years, we have expanded our operated portfolio to the continental shelves of the United Kingdom, Germany and Denmark.
Together with our highly skilled, trained and motivated team of offshore specialists, we are committed to further grow our upstream operations by responsibly creating value through sustainable oil and gas operations in the North Sea region. In doing so, we incessantly integrate HSE into all our activities and strive for continuous improvement in this area. Safety is our first priority, in all our activities, at all times. In this regard, we ensure that our production facilities meet high standards for both plant and occupational safety, and health and environment protection.
Decom & Reuse Focus on safe, environmentally sound and cost-effective operations
Once the gas reservoir has produced its last molecules, the asset is brought to a hydrocarbon-free state by thoroughly cleaning the platform, flushing the pipelines and isolating the reservoir by suspending the wells. The next steps are the final well plugging and abandonment activities, which are usually carried out with a drilling rig. Last but not least, the platform, consisting of a jacket and a topside, is removed and transferred to shore for dismantling and disposal.
“As a prudent operator, Wintershall Noordzee, has set key goals for decommissioning projects: safety of people, protection of the environment and upholding company values and reputation. In line with these goals, the focus of the WINZ Decommissioning and Reuse Strategy is on reducing cost and operational risks. This way, WINZ aims at demonstrating that field abandonment projects can be executed in a safe, environmentally sound and cost-effective manner.”
Yvonne van den Berg - Decommissioning Manager
Click here to read more about Wintershall Noordzee's decommissioning and reuse activities.
Procurement An indispensable factor to our success
We at Wintershall Noordzee B.V. recognize the value suppliers and contractors bring to our company. That is why we want to be considered a preferred customer. Working safely, we encourage a pragmatic approach with an open dialogue and seek for continuous improvement of our shared performance.
At Wintershall Noordzee we recognize the value of our suppliers and contractors and cherish the relationship we have with them. We aim at becoming a preferred customer and by doing so encourage our suppliers and contractors to adopt our pragmatic approach and open dialogue without giving into our high standards of safety. Safety is and will always be our number one priority in everything we do and in all the activities we deploy.
Together with our suppliers and contractors we seek continuous improvement of our shared performance.