Oil storage in Etzel
With more than 10 million cubic meters of crude oil stored long-term in 24 caverns in Etzel, STORAG ETZEL is one of the largest crude oil storage companies in Europe.
The amount of oil stored underground in Etzel today in an environmentally friendly manner would require 100 tanks above ground in a conventional tank farm covering an area of 8 km².
Crisis stock for security of energy supply
The crude oil is used by oil stockpiling associations of various European countries as a national crisis stockpile. Crude oil is preferably stored underground in caverns and close to logistical hubs, through which refineries can be supplied if necessary.
The Etzel site is connected to the tank farm of the Nord-West-Ölleitungsgesellschaft (NWO) in Wilhelmshaven. From there, the crude oil can be sent for processing either via pipelines or ocean-going vessels.
The Etzel cavern facility thus supports not only Germany's security of supply, but also other EU countries due to its excellent location and existing infrastructure - a piece of functioning European cooperation.