According to Oil and Gas Journal (OGJ), Germany has 9.9 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of proven Natural Gas reserves, the third largest in the EU, after the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Almost all of Germany�s natural gas reserves and production occur in the northwestern state of Niedersachsen, between the Wesser and Elbe rivers.
Germany�s sector of the North Sea also contains sizable natural gas reserves, currently supporting the A6-B4 production project (see below). However, environmental regulations have curtailed the complete exploration of the area.
Germany began to liberalize its natural gas sector in the late 1990s in order to comply with EU directives. Unlike other EU countries, though, Germany did not establish a national regulator for the liberalized natural gas sector. Rather, it relied upon negotiated access between suppliers, distributors, and transmission companies.
Without transparent open access to the system, several large companies came to dominate the sector. In July 2005, Germany approved a new energy bill that vested regulatory oversight of the natural gas sector with the Bundesnetzagentur (BNA), an existing agency that also regulated the telecommunications and the postal system.
Private operators control Germany�s natural gas production. BEB, jointly owned by Royal Dutch Shell and Esso (a subsidiary of ExxonMobil), controls about half of domestic natural gas production. Other important players include Mobil Erdgas-Erdoel (also a subsidiary of ExxonMobil), RWE, and Wintershall.
The largest wholesale distribution company in Germany is E.ON Ruhrgas, controlling about one-half of that market. Germany�s wholesale distributors also control most of the national natural gas transport network. Finally, there are thousands of small, independent companies active in the retail distribution sector, many wholly- or partly-owned by municipal governments.
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