Grafschafter Spurensuche - On the trail of the black gold

The municipality of Emlichheim not only has an extensive network of cycling paths, but also some beautiful hiking trails. Along the Vechte river, you will pass by fields, meadows, and forests, following the traces of Emlichheims history. Today, Emlichheim is one of the few places in the Grafschaft Bentheim where oil is still being extracted. At some locations, you will find the typical horsehead pumps used for oil extraction. The Wintershall site in Emlichheim is one of the oldest German oil production sites. Oil has been extracted here for 70 years - currently around 170,000 tons per year. In recent years, the company has heavily invested in oil production in Emlichheim. Due to the highly viscous oil, extraction here is particularly challenging. The company therefore relies on a special technique, where hot steam at 300 degrees Celsius is injected into the oil reservoirs under high pressure. The heat warms up the oil, making it flow more easily through the reservoir to the production wells.Note: Follow the orange signage!