Oil
From the discovery of the Schoonebeek oil field until 1996 the Netherlands produced some 250 million barrels of oil. This was the point that the Schoonebeek field was taken out of operation and total Dutch production declined strongly. In 2005 it was investigated whether the field could be profitably reopened. In 2007 this led to the announcement that as of 2010 operations would be restarted.
Because it is difficult to extract the sticky viscous oil from Schoonebeek, a new technique was introduced. Steam injection reduces oil viscosity and facilitates residual oil recovery. The oil would be transported by underground pipeline to a refinery in the nearby town of Lingen in Germany, a refinery known for its expertise in processing oil with high paraffin content, as is the oil from Schoonebeek.
The Dutch sector of the North Sea still has several oil fields in production.
Gas
The production of gas in the Netherlands and the European Union is slowly but securely declining. But the development and implementation of new technologies is expected to make a significant contribution to Dutch gas production over coming decades. This will make it possible inter alia to extract gas for a longer period from existing wells. And allow extraction of unconventional gas (types that until recently could not be extracted profitably.)
‘Discover our Industry’ extensively describes the innovations taking place in the Dutch gas sector.
Links