Nord-West Oelleitung GmbH (NWO), founded in 1956, set out to build and operate the first long-range crude oil pipeline in Europe, which would serve the refineries in the Ems and Rhine-Ruhr regions in Germany, a goal it had already achieved by 1958.

Our tanker discharging pier and oil tank farm facilities located at Jade Bay, Wilhelmshaven have been part of our permanent operations ever since, as has the long-distance pipeline stretching from our North Sea tank farm in Wilhelmshaven all the way to Wesseling, near Cologne. In addition, NWO took over the operations of a second long-range pipeline between Wilhelmshaven and Hamburg, as well as the operations of a range of subterranean cavern facilities that are connected to us.

Crude oil from the docked tankers at the discharging pier is pumped ashore via transfer-pipelines that connect the tanker pier jetties with the tank farm. Following the handling and storage of crude oil, our core business as a service provider can then begin: this is to transport and deliver crude oil through long-range pipelines to and from a network of oil refineries and connected caverns.

NWO’s day-to-day business — handling, storing and transporting of crude oil — has been successfully conducted for nearly sixty years, with a single consideration kept paramount throughout: economic growth with social responsibility and no harm to people & the environment are priorities upon which we place the highest value in the safe operation of our facilities, and our staff has a wealth of expert experience to share. Over the years, more than one billion tons of crude oil have flowed from approx. 20,000 tankers to be safely processed and transported by us.

Wilhelmshaven has the only deep water harbour in Germany and NWO acts as an important hub in development of handling, storing and transporting of crude oil here, making the city, home to one of the most important petroleum ports in the country. There are comparable European facilities in Trieste, Rotterdam and Marseilles. The following pages provide full information about our safety standards, facilities and working practices.