oil in the North sea

[Redbaron1908]

hello i been recently thinking about how Germany lacked petroleum during the war does any one know if oil had been discovered in the north sea at that time or if the germans thought of sea exploration for oil

[Erik E]

Hello!

The first oil in the Northern sea wes found by Phillips petroleum in 1969.

I don`t think it would be a good idea to build offshore installations without having 110% control of both sea and air!

Just imagine what a single submarine could do to this!

[Mark V]

Even if they would have known that there is oil and had North Sea under their control that would not have made any difference. In 40s the offshore drilling technology wasn't matured enought that oil could have been pumped in such difficult conditions.

...30 years later things were different, prices had risen, needed technology was in reach, not forgetting that North Sea oil is far better quality than "dirty" stuff from Persian Gulf and near to consumer markets.


Regards, Mark V

PS. Talking about possible usable resources: natural gas fields in Netherlands would have added very valuable hydrocarbon source for German chemical industry - if they would have been found at that time.

[Redbaron1908]

thank you both Mark V and Erik E i guess that not controlling the sea would cause hazards for the germans, i also just remembered about the oil in lybia had they discovered it yet or was it discovered until later years

[Mark V]

was it discovered until later years

Oil was found in Libya 1959.

Regards, Mark V

[Redbaron1908]

thanks for the info Mark V i wonder if the germans or italians had been willing to search for it would they have found it or did the technology for finding it did not exist at that time

[Mark V]

thanks for the info Mark V i wonder if the germans or italians had been willing to search for it would they have found it or did the technology for finding it did not exist at that time

With little bit of luck and serious effort founding Libyan oil was possible with technology at that time, also developing the fields to production would had been possible - Libya is close to Europe where the consumers are. But i think there weren't serious attempts until 50s, when giant findings in Saudi-Arabia had wakened the oil-seeking frenzy in whole middle-east.

Would have changed the whole picture in Mediterranean theatre for sure...

Regards, Mark V

[Redbaron1908]

does any one know if there were any other oil fields that the axis had control of or were within control that they did not know of

[Mark V]

does any one know if there were any other oil fields that the axis had control of or were within control that they did not know of

Hi,

If we are talking about unfound resources:

Small fields in France, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Ukraine. Galician oil was found, but had development potential. Algeria is next to Libya, but is not better resource than Libya is. Overall, Libya had the potential to satisfy all Axis petroleum needs if oil would had been found in 30s and production-fields, harbours and refineries aggressively developed.

Fields in production during WW2:

Iraqi and Iranian oil would have been within reach if Germany would had concentrated on Med theatre instead of USSR. At that time Saudi-Arabia was insignificant producer.


----------------

I mention second time the large Groningen gas-fields in Netherlands. Found in IIRC 1959 - right next to German border and very near to major industrial centers. Natural gas is marvellous raw-material - it could have been turned to synthetic gasoline (like Germans already did in industrial scale, but from coal), plastics, synthetic rubber, fibres, used as fuel for domestric and industrial purposes, etc...

....with 20/20 hindsight.

Mark V

[Redbaron1908]

thanks again mark V for the great information i was refering to unfound fields as i read your thread i thought that even if the germans had found the gas fields in the netherlands and used them the allies would have desperatley tried to bomb them right like they did on poletsi(spelling) maybe it would have been better if the germans discovered the oil in lybia that way it would have been a lot hardder for the allies to bomb the oil fields

[Mark V]

maybe it would have been better if the germans discovered the oil in lybia that way it would have been a lot hardder for the allies to bomb the oil fields

Bombing of oil or gas fields itself is very difficult, if not impossible because target is widely dispersed, but i agree that refineries, oil/gas pipes and synthetic fuel plants would had been vulnerable.

Regards, Mark V

[Mark V]

BTW. I find it amusing to participate in this thread as Erik E is from Stavanger and Redbaron1908 from Houston, both are among Top 10 oil-capitals of world.

Would think that you don't have nothing to ask from anyone in these issues...

Regards, Mark V

[Erik E]

What about you then Mark?

How come you know so much about this!?

Are you in the buisness too 8)

Btw, there is a company 500 meters from here called "Red Baron Oiltools"
And they have a nice little Fokker tri-plane in their logo!

Erik

[Redbaron1908]

i ve recently become intrested in the petroleum industry i live very close to the refineries i wonder weather the germans even tried to find oil in their conquered territories

[Mark V]

No, i am not in oil business - i am employed in wireless information technology. What other would you expect from a Finn ??

I am just interested about the economic aspect of WW2.


Regards, Mark V