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Plugging and abandonment of the Altensalzwedel 151 natural gas probe on the B71 motorway

Hannover/Steinitz, 12 February 2026
BalanceRückbau Erdgasbohrungen Altmark

Hanover/Steinitz. Neptune Energy is backfilling the former AAZ 151 (Altensalzwedel 151/88) natural gas probe south of Mahlsdorf. The probe was drilled in 1988 and was in production until October 2022.

The current activities are routine decommissioning measures, not work for the renewed extraction of natural gas. All steps are being carried out to the highest safety standards. The measures include the removal of the production installation, subsequent integrity checks and the final backfilling of the well. Special cement and specially designed technical equipment will be used to ensure a permanently safe and tight seal. The work should be completed by Easter 2026.

The work is being carried out as part of the large-scale ecological project (ÖGP) Erdgasfelder Altmark, which aims to gradually dismantle mining facilities for natural gas production that are no longer required. Since the 1990s, this plugging and abandonment of facilities no longer required for operations has been carried out under the supervision of the Saxony-Anhalt State Office for Geology and Mining (LAGB).

About Neptune Energy

Neptune Energy is one of the leading raw materials companies in Germany. With over 135 years of experience, we secure supplies for industry and society. Our goal: Today we produce what counts tomorrow. Around 480 employees in many regions of Germany and at our headquarters in Hanover are involved in three key areas of activity

Base - Gas & Oil: safe and reliable production of domestic energy raw materials

Balance - Plugging and abandonment: taking responsibility for the past and restoring nature

Boost - New Energy: actively shaping the future, for example with lithium from Germany

This is how we combine experience with progress. Neptune Energy's revenue in the 2024 financial year was €440 million. The total annual production of gas and oil was 5.5 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe).

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Maximilian Zindel

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Drilling rig on the site before decommissioning

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