Wintershall and DEA: A merger with ‘major’ aspirations
The Wintershall and DEA merger, the largest upstream deal in Europe for over a decade, will be heavily weighted to gas, putting it at the centre of a heated gas debate in Germany
Wintershall chief executive Mario Mehren likes to speak his mind, especially when it comes to the role of natural gas in Germany's energy transition, the vaunted Energiewende. At the company's annual results presentation earlier this year, he stressed the urgent need for Germany to switch from coal to natural gas in electricity generation. Since then, a government commission has been formed to deliberate the phase-out of coal-fired generation; it's expected to report before the end of the year. So, what outcome would Mehren like to see? And what would such an outcome mean for Wintershall? "Germany's energy transition—celebrated a few years ago as an international flagship project—has lost it
Also in this section
17 July 2025
US downstream sector in key state feels the pain of high costs, an environmental squeeze and the effects of broader market trends
16 July 2025
Crude quality issues are an often understated risk to energy security, highlighted by problems at a key US refinery
15 July 2025
Government consultations on the windfall tax and the exploration licence ban are positive steps, but it is unclear how long it will take for them to yield tangible outcomes
15 July 2025
A brutally honest picture about the potential role of oil and gas in 2050 should prompt policymakers to not only reflect but also change course to meet vital energy needs
