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Mittelplate is Germany's largest oil field which is located from the shore, in environmentally important Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Parks tidal flats.〔(Offshore Technology. Mittelplate Redevelopment, Germany )〕 The development of the field was done by a consortium of RWE Dea AG and Wintershall AG. By the 20th anniversary of the start of production, 20 million tonnes of crude had been produced from the field.〔(RWE description of Mitteplate )〕 Mittelplate field holds nearly 65% of Germany's crude oil reserves〔(Wintershall Press Release 2006. Mittelplate Consortium: New drilling rig develops more Mittelplate oil )〕 ==History== The field was discovered in 1981 through the Mittelplate 1 well, which confirmed that the reservoir contained 75 million tonnes of crude oil. As early as the 1950s, geologists suspected the presence of oil off the German coast. Preliminary test borings in the 1960s did indeed turn up indications of oil, though not in economically profitable quantities. The oil crisis of 1973 and 1979 raised awareness of indigenous oil sources. In 1980 and 1981, test borings in the Mittelplate vicinity found oil in several sandstone layers. Due to the location of the field in an ecologically sensitive area, hydrographic, hydrodynamic and meteorological studies modelling storm, wave, ice-flow conditions were done, with the result that an artificial island holding a drilling and production facility was built in 1985.〔(Petroleum Geology Conference Series. The Mittelplate oil field )〕 ==Technical features== The island is protected by 11 meter high sheet piling measures at by . Western section of the field includes 18 production wells. The first oil came onstream in 1987 and was being delivered ashore on long by wide double hull barges. A new redevelopment plan included the construction of a land-based facility in Dieksand from where - long extended-reach production wells〔 were to tap into the eastern part of the field. As per the development program, a pilot well and seven high-tech extended reach well measuring at , , , , , , and a 4 section cutting through the Büsum salt diapir were to ensure a faster exploitation of the field. The redevelopment plan also included construction of pipelines from the island to Friedrichskoog-Spitze and pipeline to the Dieksand Land Station. This will enable the Mittelplate consortium to transport up to 1 million tonnes or of oil a year.〔 〕 Oil is pumped ashore and water extracted during processing is then routed back by the second pipeline for reinjection into the lower section of reservoir. Modified island facility now contains living accommodation for up to 96 people.〔〔(The Mittelplate project - a production platform in the North Sea tidal flats )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Mittelplate」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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