Energy and chemical company: natural gas and oil production in Lower Saxony, lubricants, chemical products and fuel distribution under the ExxonMobil, Esso and Mobil brands
ExxonMobil Central Europe Holding GmbH
Hamburg · Hannover · Cologne · GroßenknetenNew on Amplifa
About ExxonMobil in Germany
ExxonMobil has been active in Germany as an energy and chemical company for more than 130 years. ExxonMobil Central Europe Holding GmbH, headquartered in Hamburg, bundles the activities of the Upstream, Product Solutions and Low Carbon Solutions business segments. ExxonMobil Production Deutschland GmbH in Hannover, as the largest German onshore oil producer, operates natural gas and oil production facilities in Lower Saxony, currently from around 200 active production wells stretching from Krummhörn/Greetsiel to Hannover. In 2023 the company operated a natural gas production of 2.9 billion m³/year and an oil production of 252 thousand t/year; high-quality sulfur (277 thousand t/year) is produced during gas treatment. In addition, ExxonMobil holds a 25 percent stake in the Mineralölraffinerie Oberrhein (MiRO) refinery in Karlsruhe with 3.5 million t/year. A pipeline network of more than 3,000 kilometers (around 1,400 km natural gas, around 770 km oil) connects the production sites with downstream processing and the supply grid; in 2024, around 2.5 million households were supplied with natural gas. Further products include Mobil lubricants as well as chemical products such as polypropylene, Santoprene and Vistamaxx. In the Low Carbon Solutions business segment, the company is working on CCS, hydrogen and second-generation biofuels.
- Site
- Hamburg
- Processes
- Natural gas production, Oil production, Hydraulic fracturing (fracking), Natural gas treatment (desulfurization), Horizontal drilling method (steered trenchless pipeline installation), Pipeline construction (approx. 1,400 km natural gas and 770 km oil pipelines operated), 3-D seismic (exploration), Manufacture of lubricants and fluids (Mobil brand)
- Materials
- Natural gas, Crude oil, Sulfur, Lubricating oils and greases, Polypropylene (Achieve Advanced PP), Santoprene (thermoplastic elastomer), Vistamaxx performance polymers, Exceed XP film (polyethylene)
- Certificates
- OIMS (Operations Integrity Management System), ISO 9001
- Founded
- 1890 (DAPG
- Employees
- 817 (ExxonMobil)
- Industries
- Energy, Chemicals, Automotive, Motorsport, Agriculture, Food industry
- 01
Exploration and prospecting (3-D seismic)
- 02
Drilling and production (natural gas, oil, hydraulic fracturing)
- 03
Natural gas treatment (desulfurization, sulfur production)
- 04
Pipeline transport (natural gas and oil)
- 05
Processing (refinery stake in MiRO Karlsruhe, chemical products)
- 06
Distribution (Esso fuels, Mobil lubricants, chemical products)
- 07
Decommissioning and recultivation
Raw materials and products
Natural gas
Produced in Lower Saxony and used as a heat supplier, for power generation, as a fuel and as a feedstock for the chemical industry.
Crude oil
Basis for fuels; as the largest German onshore producer, ExxonMobil operates oil production facilities in northern Germany.
Sulfur
Produced as a high-quality by-product during the desulfurization of the extracted natural gas.
Lubricating oils and greases
Lubricants manufactured under the Mobil brand for applications from passenger cars to wind turbines.
Polypropylene (Achieve Advanced PP)
Plastic that makes vehicle components lighter compared to alternative materials.
Santoprene (thermoplastic elastomer)
Elastomer for automotive applications with significant weight reduction compared to conventional products.
Vistamaxx performance polymers
Polymers that enable customers to use recycled materials and resource-conserving production.
Exceed XP film (polyethylene)
Film for agriculture that increases crop yields and food shelf life.
Locations in Germany
Hamburg
DEHeadquarters of ExxonMobil Central Europe Holding GmbH and ESSO Deutschland GmbH
Hannover
DEExxonMobil Production Deutschland GmbH – natural gas and oil production, largest German onshore oil producer
- Materials
- Natural gas, crude oil
- Natural gas and oil production facilities
- Production wells (approx. 200 active, from Krummhörn/Greetsiel to Hannover)
- Pipeline network (approx. 1,400 km natural gas, approx. 770 km oil)
Cologne
DEExxonMobil Chemical Central Europe (Sales Office, division of ESSO Deutschland GmbH)
- Materials
- Polypropylene, Santoprene, Vistamaxx, Exceed XP
Großenkneten
DEApprentice training workshop (since 2001)
- Apprentice training workshop
Products and facilities
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas productionCasting | – | – | – | – | Natural gas |
| Oil productionCasting | – | – | – | – | Crude oil |
| Hydraulic fracturing (fracking)Casting | – | – | – | – | Natural gas |
| Natural gas treatment (desulfurization)Surface | – | – | – | – | Natural gas, Sulfur |
| Horizontal drilling method (steered trenchless pipeline installation)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Pipeline construction (approx. 1,400 km natural gas and 770 km oil pipelines operated)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| 3-D seismic (exploration)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Manufacture of lubricants and fluids (Mobil brand)Other | – | – | – | – | Lubricating oils, Lubricating greases |
| Manufacture of chemical products/plastics (among others Exceed XP, Achieve Advanced PP, Santoprene)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Polypropylene, Plastics |
| Operation of combined cycle gas and steam power plants (CCGT, efficiency approx. 60%)Engineering | – | – | – | – | Natural gas |
| Combined heat and powerEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Carbon capture and storage (CCS)Engineering | – | – | – | – | CO2 |
| Production of blue hydrogen and second-generation biofuels (development)Engineering | – | – | – | – | Hydrogen, Biofuels |
6 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas and oil production facilities | – | – | – | – | Northern Germany/Lower Saxony |
| Production wells | – | ca. 200 | – | – | Lower Saxony (Krummhörn/Greetsiel to Hannover) |
| Pipeline network | – | – | more than 3,000 km in total (approx. 1,400 km natural gas, approx. 770 km oil active) | – | Germany |
| Combined cycle gas and steam power plant (CCGT) | – | – | – | – | – |
| Oil refinery stake (MiRO Karlsruhe) | – | 25% stake | 3.5 million t/year | – | Karlsruhe |
| Apprentice training workshop | – | 1 | – | 2001 | Großenkneten |
Additional services
Reference customers
Safety and quality assurance
Safety and integrity of operating processes are ensured by the company-wide Operations Integrity Management System (OIMS) with eleven elements and 65 expectations. The internal audit function reviews approximately one third of business activities and operating sites each year.
| Evidence | Hamburg | Hannover | Cologne | Großenkneten |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OIMS (Operations Integrity Management System) | ||||
| ISO 9001 |
History in Germany
- 1890
Founding of the Deutsch-Amerikanische Petroleum-Gesellschaft (DAPG) in Bremen on 25 February
- 1899
Deutsche Vacuum Oil Company registered in the commercial register in Hamburg
- 1906
First own refinery of the Deutsche Vacuum Oil Company opened in Wedel near Hamburg
- 1923
First roadside filling station with underground tank in Hamburg (Wagnerstraße)
- 1932
Deutsche Vacuum Oil Company begins searching for and producing oil in Germany
- 1943
Georgsdorf 1 (Emsland) drilling phase completed – oldest still-producing oil well
- 1950
DAPG renamed Esso AG
- 1953
Deutsche Vacuum Oil Company begins searching for and producing natural gas
- 1958
Esso refinery in Cologne put into operation, official inauguration in 1959
- 1966
Esso Chemie GmbH registered in the commercial register (Hamburg), headquarters relocated to Cologne in 1975
- 1994
Söhlingen: first combination of a horizontal well at 5,000 m depth with Multi-Frac
- 1999
Merger of Exxon and Mobil to form Exxon Mobil Corporation
- 2001
Opening of the apprentice training workshop in Großenkneten
- 2002
Founding of ExxonMobil Production Deutschland GmbH headquartered in Hannover
- 2005
Founding of Retail Operating Company Deutschland GmbH (ROC)
- 2017
Brand launch of Esso 'Synergy' and new fuels nationwide
- 2018
Conversion of the Esso filling station business to the brand partner/branded wholesaler model, sale of the filling station network completed
- 2022
New Low Carbon Solutions business segment; EMPG headquarters in Hannover relocated to City Gate Nord, Vahrenwalder Straße