Location History
STORAG ETZEL had been commissioned in 1971 to create the caverns for storing oil in the Etzel salt dome (25 km from Wilhelmshaven) and to operate the surface facilities on behalf of the Federal Republic. In 1993, the company was privatized, and in 2005, the company took over ownership of the cavern facility and developed it to its current significance.
Impressions
Main pump station of STORAG ETZEL
STORAG ETZEL GmbH is the largest independent supplier of cavern storage facilities in Germany, making a valuable contribution to energy security and gas grid stability in Germany and northwestern Europe.
The heart of the facilities at STORAG ETZEL's centrally located operating site is the main pump hall with 16 powerful pumps. These are used for brine operations for the construction of new large-scale storage facilities/caverns in the salt dome as well as for the operation of oil caverns (storage and retrieval of crude oil) on customer request.
The storage facility in Etzel also benefits from its ideal geographical location in that it is directly connected to the Northwest European pipeline network for oil and gas, ensuring efficient transport and flexibility close to the market.
History
50+ years of cavern storage in Etzel
The STORAG ETZEL GmbH cavern facility at the Etzel site has been in operation for five decades.
The company, then still known as IVG Caverns, had been commissioned in 1971 to create the caverns for the storage of oil and to operate the aboveground facilities on behalf of the Federal Republic. In 1993, the company was privatized and in 2016 it was renamed STORAG ETZEL GmbH.
Today, STORAG ETZEL is the only independent provider of underground storage facilities for crude oil and natural gas in Germany.
50+1 anniversary film
In the summer of 2022, STORAG ETZEL celebrated its 50+1th anniversary – one year late due to Corona.
We are proud of more than 50 years of cavern storage and STORAG ETZEL. In 1971, today and also in the future – we make our contribution to the security of supply in Germany and Europe.
Our success story
Decision of the Federal Government on a "Federal Oil Reserve"
IVG is commissioned as trustee by the Federal Government to construct caverns in the Etzel salt dome for the "Federal crude oil reserve"; expert reports had previously recommended the site in the East Frisian municipality of Friedeburg
IVG commissions KBB (a company founded by Salzgitter AG / Deutsche Schachtbau und Tiefbohr GmbH / Preussag AG) to carry out the engineering work.
Start of construction of the IVG operating facilities at the Etzel site, the 44" inch long-distance pipelines for crude oil, seawater and brine to Wilhelmshaven as well as the seawater pump station at the head of the "Niedersachsenbrücke" at the deep-water port
Start of drilling operations for the installation of 33 cavern wells with up to five drilling rigs and contractors
End of drilling operation of 33 caverns
Annual altitude observation of the day surface is carried out for the first time
Ceremonial commissioning of the cavern facility and start of brine operation for 33 caverns using the leach & fill method (i.e. brine with simultaneous oil filling).
First oil filling
End of brine operation; 33 caverns were created with geometric volumes between 100,000 and 580,000 m³; total oil storage capacity of about 12 million m³.
Individual caverns are leased for short-term storage of crude oil, gasoline and gasoil
End of oil filling with about 8.5 million m³.
First oil storage contract with EBV (Erdölbevorratungsverband, a public corporation).
Contract with Statoil for the storage of natural gas in nine caverns to be converted in order to ensure the contractually agreed security of supply for Central Europe on the part of Statoil.
Conversion of eight caverns from oil to gas operation, including
among other things, installation of a gas-tight production pipe tour (until 1991)
Start of construction of the Etzel Gas Storage facility (EGL, consortium of various natural gas producers and suppliers led by Statoil) and construction of the Emden-Etzel pipeline (Norpipe landfall).
Drilling and brine operations for six new caverns for oil storage for EBV and the Dutch C.O.V.A. until 1998; deflected drilling is used for the first time in Germany, allowing several caverns to be combined on a so-called "cluster" operating site
Ceremonial commissioning of the Etzel gas storage facility and start of gas filling of the conversion caverns.
From 1995, connection of the Etzel energy storage facility to Europipe I and the NETRA supply network. Plant status: 33 caverns (25 for oil, eight for gas).
End of gas burst filling (eight caverns), scheduled refitting of the ninth cavern
Removal from storage and sale of crude oil from the federal crude oil reserve in three phases. Immediately following the withdrawal of around three million m³, the EBV simultaneously increases the stocks to be held by the same amount of oil
Completion of sixth oil cavern, increasing oil storage potential by around 2.6 million m³; end of first gas filling of ninth conversion cavern; working gas capacity amounts to 560 million m³.
Commissioning of another gas pipeline (Europipe II) and connection through NETRA II
End of the last phase of outsourcing of the federal crude oil reserve
IVG acquires the cavern facility from the Federal Republic of Germany; preceded by a Europe-wide invitation to tender
Start of planning for the further expansion of the cavern field
Development from crude oil storage facility to one of the largest gas storage sites
IVG summer party in Etzel
Two cavern funds are launched, together the largest infrastructure funds in Germany. Investors are from the insurance industry, pesnion funds and foundations
IVG Caverns GmbH and IVG Kavernenbetriebsführungsgesellschaft mbH are certified according to ISO 9001 (quality management) and SCC** (occupational health and safety and environmental protection)
Extension of the Etzel Gas storage facility by a gas compressor
Start of construction of the new surface facilities of Etzel-Kavernenbetriebsgesellschaft (EKB) and Friedeburger Speichergesellschaft Crystal
Start of construction of the logistics and service center for IVG (completion in 2010)
Start of construction of the Bunde-Etzel Pipeline (BEP), which connects Etzel with the Dutch hub Bunde/Oude Statenzijl over 60 km.
Start of construction of the gas operating facility of the ESE - Etzel natural gas storage facility and completion of another conversion cavern
Start of the Etzel cavern information center with citizen telephone and website
Handover of the first four new gas caverns to a customer
Foundation of the cavern advisory board of IVG Caverns
Work on compensation and replacement measures begins at the Etzel site
Opening of the Infobox at the Etzel site
IVG presents "subsidence forecast" to the public
Handover of a further seven new caverns to tenants (total of 99 cavern sites approved); plant status: 52 caverns (23 for oil, 29 for gas)
Already 3,500 visitors to the Infobox
Anniversary "40 years of IVG at the Etzel site" with festive event, groundbreaking ceremony for the new administration building and "open day" together with the operators at the site with well over 5,000 visitors IVG initiates dialog event series "Generate - Network - Store" with three events under the patronage of Lower Saxony's Prime Minister David McAllister
Over 10 million m³ of oil stored long-term
Commissioning of 3 new gas stations (customers)
Inauguration of the new IVG administration building at the Etzel site
Start of the program for long-term storage of the pipelines in the south field of the Etzel cavern facility
Natural brine from cavern construction is used on a trial basis for winter maintenance in the region
10,000th visitor to the Infobox
Once again this year, several charitable organizations and projects in the vicinity of the Etzel cavern facility received the traditional Christmas donation from the IVG Foundation
First section of pipeline renewal in the south field completed (Phase I)
Start of construction work on the second section
In Etzel, around 4.5 billion cubic meters of working gas are stored in 49 caverns. Two gas caverns are under construction and will be completed by 2017
Confidence-building building monitoring measures begin in the vicinity of the Etzel cavern facility
Measures to reinforce gas production pipe tours at new-build caverns in the Etzel cavern field started
Construction measure "Replacement of the Maade culvert" in Rüstersiel successfully completed
Over 12,000 visitors to the Infobox
Construction work for second phase of pipeline renewal in Südfeld completed (Phase I)
BGR presents first results of new subsidence forecast
As part of a comprehensive reorganization, the subsidiaries of IVG Immobilien AG are released into entrepreneurial independence. After the relocation of the company headquarters to Friedeburg at the beginning of 2016, the process of independence for STORAG ETZEL was completed with the change of name on July 1, 2016.
Neighborhood festival "Info and Family Day" at the Etzel site of STORAG ETZEL.
Early completion of measures to reinforce gas production pipe tours at new construction caverns in the Etzel cavern field in Q3. 28 caverns have been successively reinforced since Sept. 2015.
Start of work on initial completion of underground equipment of two new-build caverns.
STORAG ETZEL presents BGR final report on subsidence forecast 2016
20th meeting of the Cavern Advisory Board.
Completion of 2 new gas caverns, bringing to 75 the number of caverns in operation (51 for gas storage, 24 for oil storage)
Construction work begins on the next phase of the South Field remediation (Phase II)
Operators at the Etzel site hand over a fire-fighting vehicle and fire-fighting equipment to the community of Friedeburg
Construction measures for the next sections of the south field redevelopment (Phase II) are continuing
22nd meeting of the cavern advisory board of STORAG ETZEL
25th anniversary of Etzel gas storage facility
Starting signal for "Etzel cavern habitat" - The STORAG ETZEL blog
STORAG ETZEL presents the results of the impact analysis to the Cavern Advisory Board
STORAG ETZEL invests a total of around 100 million euros in plant and operational safety in the period from 2015 to 2020
Over 15,000 visitors to the information box at the Etzel cavern information center
STORAG ETZEL submits application documents for the new optional general operating plan for the 99 caverns already approved
One of the cavern funds acquires STORAG ETZEL, which already owns the majority of the oil and gas caverns at the Etzel site
Approval of the framework operating plan for the Etzel cavern facility (99 caverns) for the next 50 years granted
Mission accomplished: The cavern advisory board of STORAG ETZEL is dissolved after 10 years and 25 meetings
Recompletion of the first of 28 reinforced new-build gas caverns completed
Work completed on fifth oil cavern to improve well integrity
Commissioning of pipeline facilities for Phase II of the South Field Remediation (BA3 / BA4) implemented in 2020
Completion of the programme to ensure the long-term integrity of the pipelines in the southern field for oil operations
Recompletion of gas caverns in the north field of the cavern facility continues
Impact management of STORAG ETZEL: First measures implemented
STORAG ETZEL participates in the BMWi's "Hydrogen Technology Initiative" together with site partner EKB STORAGE
50 years of the Etzel cavern facility
Go-ahead given for the "H2CAST Etzel" project to research hydrogen storage in the Etzel salt dome
The site is to be made H2-ready
Work programme to improve the well integrity in the south field of the Etzel cavern facility is being steadily continued
Celebration of the 50+1 year anniversary
Connection of the site to the LNG terminal in Wilhelmshaven via a further pipeline (WAL)
First leak test with hydrogen on caverns in Etzel begins
Successful completion of the first leak test with hydrogen on caverns in Etzel
STORAG ETZEL submits application for for the "Jever-Berdum cavern field" as future project for green hydrogen
Redesign of the infobox at the Etzel cavern information centre
Application procedure for the expansion of industrial areas at the Etzel site
H2CAST Etzel: conversion of the two project caverns for test operation for hydrogen storage carried out
Gasunie and STORAG ETZEL sign contract for large-scale H2 storage in Germany
STORAG ETZEL to take over process management of the FSG "Crystal" surface facility from 1 August 2024
Future project Jever-Berdum: LBEG allocates the Maja licence field north of Jever to STORAG ETZEL