Wintershall Dea has been making good money since the attack on Ukraine due to high raw material prices. The company rejects reports that gas condensate produced in Russia may be used for war purposes. Now the government is intervening.
The federal government is talking about the gas condensate produced in Russia by the oil and gas company Wintershall Dea. A government spokeswoman did not want to give details at the government press conference. Germany stands by Ukraine's side, she said. On Friday, Wintershall Dea resisted the impression that the condensate produced in a joint venture with Gazprom was possibly supporting the Russian war machine.
The magazine "Spiegel" and ZDF had reported that the condensate could also be further processed in aviation fuel. According to a military expert, the substance could be used militarily. "We reject the connection suggested by Spiegel between the gas condensate produced by the joint ventures in Russia and the painful deaths of people in Ukraine as constructed and dishonest," Wintershall Dea CEO Mario Mehren said. The company also reserves the right to take legal action. "If the impression is given that the condensate from the Achimov formation, in the production of which Wintershall Dea is involved via a joint venture, is used directly or understandably indirectly for the war of aggression, this is dishonest and untenable," emphasized Mehren.
The two joint ventures, Achimgaz and Achim Development, would hand over natural gas and gas condensate produced as a by-product directly to Gazprom, the group said. "Wintershall Dea cannot influence this in any way." Further processing takes place in two plants in the Novy Urengoy region, which are operated by a subsidiary of Gazprom. Wintershall Dea's joint ventures did not have any contractual relationship with this company. No gas condensate is produced during the gas production of the third joint venture, Severneftegazprom.
The oil and gas company last distanced itself from its business in Russia at the end of October. "We have invested a lot in the Russian business and built up assets over the past decades. We are now examining whether Wintershall Dea's international business can be legally separated from our Russian business," said CEO Mario Mehren on the results of the third quarter. This gave the company a jump in profits thanks to higher oil and gas prices.
After the war began, the group announced that it would not invest in any new projects in Russia. "Russia's war and its consequences are undermining economic relations," the company said. Russia has become unpredictable in every respect. In July, however, Wintershall Dea announced that it would continue its joint ventures in Russia with the Russian gas group Gazprom.
