View source for DEA AG

{{Short description|Germany-based oil and gas company}}
{{Infobox company
| name                 = DEA Deutsche Erdoel AG
| num_employees       = 1,150 (2016)
| revenue_year         = 2016 <ref>{{Cite web|title=Öl- und Gasforderung: Wintershall und Dea bei Fusion auf der Zielgeraden|url=https://www.hna.de/wirtschaft/wintershall-fusion-zielgeraden-9431674.html|last=|first=|date=2017-12-07|website=hna|language=de|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref>
| operating_income     = 
| net_income           = 
| assets               = 
| equity               = 
| services             = 
| owner               = 
| parent               = [[L1 Energy]]
| divisions           = 
| subsid               = 
| footnotes           = 
| location_country     = [[Germany]]
| homepage             = 
| revenue             = €1.5 billion
| foundation           = 1899
| products             = 
| key_people           = 
| area_served         = 
| locations           = 12
| location_city       = [[Hamburg]]
| location             = 
| defunct             = May 2019
| founder             = 
| logo                 = 
| successor           = [[Wintershall Dea]]
| predecessor         = Deutsche Erdöl-Aktiengesellschaft (DEA)
| fate                 = Merged with [[Wintershall]] to form [[Wintershall Dea]]
| industry             = [[Oil and gas industry|Oil and gas]]
| type                 = AG
| caption             = 
| intl                 = 
}}
'''DEA Deutsche Erdoel AG''' was an international oil and gas company headquartered in [[Hamburg]], [[Germany]]. It was a subsidiary of [[L1 Energy]]. In 2018, DEA owned stakes in oil and gas licenses in various countries and operated natural gas underground storage facilities in Germany. DEA is a derivation from ''Deutsche Erdöl-Aktiengesellschaft'', the original name of the company. On 1 May 2019, DEA merged with [[Wintershall]] to form [[Wintershall Dea]].

== History ==
 
=== The early years ===
[[File:Deutsche Erdöl-AG 1920.jpg|thumb|Share of the Deutsche Erdoel-AG, issued 30. December 1920]]
''Deutsche Tiefbohr-Actiengesellschaft'' was founded in [[Berlin]] on 10 January 1899.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=DEA Deutsche Erdoel AG ist 120 Jahre alt - Fusion in Planung|url=https://www.presseportal.de/pm/116249/4162488|last=|first=|date=|website=Presseportal|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref><ref>Rainer Karlsch, Raymond G. Stokes: ''Faktor Öl. Die Mineralölwirtschaft in Deutschland 1859-1974.'' (“The Factor Oil: The Mineral Oil industry in Germany from 1859 to 1974 (German Only)) C. H. Beck, Munich 2003, {{ISBN|978-3-406-50276-7}}</ref> In 1900 the headquarter was relocated to [[Nordhausen, Thuringia|Nordhausen]].<ref name=":1">James, H.; Müller, M.L.; Historische Gesellschaft der Deutschen Bank e.V.: "Georg Solmssen - ein deutscher Bankier: Briefe aus einem halben Jahrhundert 1900-1956" (Georg Solmssen - a german banker: letters from half of a century 1900-1956), C.H.Beck, 31 May 2012, references.</ref> The new company specialised in all types of mineral oil product and, among other things, raw [[lignite]], [[briquette]]s for domestic heating and industry, lignite tar and [[Paraffin wax|paraffin]]. Its managing director was the [[Krefeld]] businessman Rudolf Nöllenburg.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Wintershall Dea - History|url=http://wintershalldea.com/en/who-we-are/history|website=Wintershall Dea GmbH|language=en|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref>
 
It first struck oil with a well of its own in 1901, in 1906 [[Petroleum|crude oil]] is officially declared the new main business.<ref name=":2" /> Since 1907 the companies headquarters were again moved to Berlin.<ref name=":1" /> In 1911, ''DTA'' and its subsidiary ''Vereinigte Norddeutsche Mineralölwerke AG'' were merged with ''Deutsche Mineralölindustrie AG'' to create ''Deutsche Erdoel-Actiengesellschaft (DEA)'', based in Berlin.<ref name=":2" /><ref>Rainer Karlsch, Raymond G. Stokes: ''Faktor Öl. Die Mineralölwirtschaft in Deutschland 1859-1974.'' (“The Factor Oil: The Mineral Oil industry in Germany from 1859 to 1974 (German Only)) C. H. Beck, Munich 2003, {{ISBN|978-3-406-50276-7}}, p.66 et seq.</ref>
 
DEA had stakes in oil fields in [[Alsace]], [[Austria-Hungary]] and [[Romania]] from 1905/1906, but lost most of its foreign production when the [[World War I]] broke out. However, DEA drilled the world's first oil shaft – in [[Merkwiller-Pechelbronn|Pechelbronn]] in Alsace – in 1917. Unlike extraction close to the surface or by means of wells, this involved the first-ever application of the complex shaft construction method, in which oil is “mined”.<ref name=":2" /> However, domestic oil production was not able to secure the company's survival and so DEA focused on coal mining until the early 1930s.<ref>Weber, F.: "''Warum hat sich in Deutschland kein integrierter nationaler Mineralölkonzern herausgebildet?''" (Why did no national oil company evolve in Germany?), diplom.de, 20 Jul 2004, p.14.</ref>

=== The Third Reich ===
DEA benefited from the seizure of power by the [[Nazi Party|National Socialists]], such as in the form of loans under the ''Reich Drilling Programme'' from 1934 onwards.<ref name=":2" /> Greater self-sufficiency in German's supply of raw materials had been an official goal of the National Socialist state since [[Adolf Hitler|Adolf Hitler's]] Four-Year Plan Memorandum in 1936. The company began production operations in [[Czechoslovakia]] and in Alsace by participating in consortia such as [[Kontinentale Öl AG]], which was founded in 1941.<ref>Ferrier, R. W.; Fursenko, A.: ''Oil In The World Economy,'' Routledge, 2 Mar 2016, p.105.</ref> In 1937/1938, Jewish members were excluded from the management board and supervisory board. DEA also employed forced labourers on a large scale.<ref name=":2" /><ref>Rainer Karlsch, Raymond G. Stokes: ''Faktor Öl. Die Mineralölwirtschaft in Deutschland 1859-1974.'' (“The Factor Oil: The Mineral Oil industry in Germany from 1859 to 1974 (German Only)) C. H. Beck, Munich 2003, {{ISBN|978-3-406-50276-7}}, pp.162, 202, 225.</ref> The precise ties between company management and the NS regime have not yet been investigated.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}
 
At the time, the company's business activities covered a large part of the production and supply chain: extraction, processing and utilisation of mineral oil products and their resale, acquisition of and trading in mining rights, and the manufacture of mining machinery and equipment.<ref>Kockel, T.: "''Deutsche Ölpolitik 1928-1938"'' (German Oil Politics 1928-1938), Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG, 20 Jan 2015, p.176.</ref>
 
In 1943, its subsidiaries and equity interests included ''Deutscher Mineralöl-Verkaufsverein GmbH'' in Berlin, ''Deutsche Viscobil Oel GmbH'' in Berlin and [[Braunkohlen Benzin AG|Braunkohle-Benzin AG]] (BRABAG) in Berlin.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Deutsche Erdöl-AG|url=https://www.schoene-aktien.de/wertpapier-GP03517.html|website=www.schoene-aktien.de|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref>
 
Its hard coal operations in 1938 comprised the [[Otto von Bismarck|Graf Bismarck]] Colliery in [[Gelsenkirchen]] and the Königsgrube Colliery in [[Wanne-Eickel]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Graf Bismarck|url=https://www.ruhrzechenaus.de/gelsenkirchen/ge-graf-bismarck.html|website=www.ruhrzechenaus.de|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=5 Zeche Königsgrube|url=https://www.mulvany-berufskolleg.de/index.php/251-projekte/route-wanne-eickel/767-zeche-koenigsgrube|website=www.mulvany-berufskolleg.de|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref> Lignite operations were grouped at the Borna branch in the administrative district of [[Leipzig]] and consisted of various lignite works, briquette factories, an earthenware factory and a brick factory in the region.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Die Niederlassung der DEA in Borna|url=https://www.lvz.de/Region/Borna/Die-Niederlassung-der-DEA-in-Borna|website=LVZ - Leipziger Volkszeitung|language=de|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref>

=== Post-war era ===
The company was relocated to [[Hamburg]] in 1948. NITAG's headquarters at Mittelweg in the Hamburg district of [[Rotherbaum]] were closed as a result of the merger between Gasolin and Wintershall's subsidiary NITAG. DEA then moved into them. Its headquarters were then moved to Hamburg City Nord around 1970.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|title=Deutsche Erdöl Aktiengesellschaft|url=https://www.sammleraktien-online.de/deutsche-erdoel-aktiengesellschaft/item-1-5940.html|last=HAHN|first=historische alte Aktien und Wertpapiere, Sammleraktien von|website=sammleraktien-online.de|language=de|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref>
 
DEA developed various new fields in Germany as part of expansion of domestic oil production in the 1950s. In 1956, Wintershall and DEA contributed Deutsche Gasolin to [[Aral AG|Aral]]. However, DEA left the Aral Group in 1960 in order to build its own service station network.<ref>Rainer Karlsch, Raymond G. Stokes: ''Faktor Öl. Die Mineralölwirtschaft in Deutschland 1859-1974.'' (“The Factor Oil: The Mineral Oil industry in Germany from 1859 to 1974 (German Only)) C. H. Beck, Munich 2003, {{ISBN|978-3-406-50276-7}}, p.318 et seq.</ref>
 
In 1963 an employee of DEA, Rudolf Dittrich, and his team in Wieze were instrumental in rescuing 14 miners who were trapped for many days in a collapsed coal mine in [[Lengede]], [[Lower Saxony]]. They did so, together with others, by applying very innovative drilling techniques. The successful effort is commonly known in German history as the “Miracle of Lengede” ([[Wunder von Lengede]]).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ohne ihn hätte es das "Wunder von Lengede" nicht gegeben|url=https://www.peiner-nachrichten.de/peine/lengede/article227889175/Ohne-ihn-haette-es-das-Wunder-von-Lengede-nicht-gegeben.html|last=Grohmann|first=Arne|date=2019-12-11|website=www.peiner-nachrichten.de|language=de-DE|access-date=2020-06-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Lengeder Ausstellung in Hamburg zu sehen|url=https://www.paz-online.de/Kreis-Peine/Lengede-Vechelde-Wendeburg/Lengeder-Ausstellung-in-Hamburg-zu-sehen|website=PAZ-online.de|language=de|access-date=2020-05-30|archive-date=2020-06-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200628202413/https://www.paz-online.de/Kreis-Peine/Lengede-Vechelde-Wendeburg/Lengeder-Ausstellung-in-Hamburg-zu-sehen|url-status=dead}}</ref> By 1965, the DEA Group was generating revenue of DM 2.01 billion and had 26,400 employees. [[Texaco]] took over more than 90% of the shares in DEA in 1966. DEA became ''Deutsche Texaco AG'' in 1970.<ref>Rainer Karlsch, Raymond G. Stokes: ''Faktor Öl. Die Mineralölwirtschaft in Deutschland 1859-1974.'' (“The Factor Oil: The Mineral Oil industry in Germany from 1859 to 1974 (German Only)) C. H. Beck, Munich 2003, {{ISBN|978-3-406-50276-7}}, p.357.</ref> The mines it owned were contributed to ''Ruhrkohle AG (RAG)'' around 1970.<ref name=":3" />

=== Acquisition, restructuring and sale by RWE ===
The takeover of ''Deutsche Texaco'' by [[RWE|RWE AG]] in 1988 created ''RWE-DEA Aktiengesellschaft für Mineraloel und Chemie''. From then on, the company's service stations once more bore the name “DEA”. After [[German reunification]], the service station network was expanded to [[Eastern germany|Eastern Germany]].<ref name=":3" />
 
The chemicals division ''Condea'' was sold to the [[South Africa]]n company [[Sasol]] in 2001. The joint venture ''Fuchs Dea Schmierstoffe GmbH & Co. KG'' between the partners [[Fuchs Petrolub|Fuchs Petrolub AG]] and ''DEA Mineraloel AG'' was terminated effective 31 December 2001.<ref>{{Cite web|title=RWE_Dea|url=https://www.chemie.de/lexikon/RWE_Dea.html|website=www.chemie.de|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref> In 2002, the company's [[Downstream (petroleum industry)|downstream]] business (refineries, logistics, service stations) was integrated into a joint venture with [[Royal Dutch Shell|Shell]] named ''Shell & DEA Oil GmbH'', which was taken over fully by Shell effective 1 July 2002.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Geschichte von Shell in Deutschland|url=https://www.shell.de/ueber-uns/who-we-are/geschichte-von-shell-in-deutschland.html|website=www.shell.de|language=de|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref> Since mid-2002, RWE-Dea has focused on [[Upstream (petroleum industry)|upstream]] business.<ref name=":0" /> From 2004, most of the DEA service stations were reflagged to “Shell”, while some were sold. The last DEA service station in Germany was located in [[Haltern am See|Haltern]]; Shell AG continued running it so that it could secure the rights to the “DEA” trademark permanently.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Die letzte DEA-Tankstelle Deutschlands steht in Haltern|url=https://www.halternerzeitung.de/haltern/die-letzte-dea-tankstelle-deutschlands-steht-in-haltern-541581.html|last=Steffe|first=Von Holger|website=HZ|language=de|access-date=2020-05-30|archive-date=2020-06-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200628175708/https://www.halternerzeitung.de/haltern/die-letzte-dea-tankstelle-deutschlands-steht-in-haltern-541581.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The service station was closed in 2017 and replaced by an old Shell service station with the DEA branding in [[Lichtenfels, Hesse|Lichtenfels]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Uns stört der Preis|url=https://www.obermain.de/lokal/obermain/art2414,508640|date=2017-02-03|website=obermain.de|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref>
 
In March 2013, RWE announced its intention to sell DEA and use the proceeds to pay some of its €33 billion in debt. RWE received at least three bids in an auction up to the beginning of 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|title=RWE erhält mindestens drei Gebote für Öl- und Gasförderer Dea - WSJ.de|url=http://www.wsj.de/article/SB10001424052702304632204579336400337425222.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222012403/http://www.wsj.de/article/SB10001424052702304632204579336400337425222.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2014-02-22|date=2014-02-22|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Drei Interessenten geben Angebot für RWE-Tochter DEA ab|url=https://www.n-tv.de/ticker/Drei-Interessenten-geben-Angebot-fuer-RWE-Tochter-DEA-ab-article12097311.html|last=NACHRICHTEN|first=n-tv|website=n-tv.de|language=de|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=RWE-Ölfördertochter Dea kommt unter russische Kontrolle - Wirtschaft-News - Süddeutsche.de|url=http://www.sueddeutsche.de/news/wirtschaft/energie-rwe-oelfoerdertochter-dea-kommt-unter-russische-kontrolle-dpa.urn-newsml-dpa-com-20090101-140316-99-04162|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140317001843/http://www.sueddeutsche.de/news/wirtschaft/energie-rwe-oelfoerdertochter-dea-kommt-unter-russische-kontrolle-dpa.urn-newsml-dpa-com-20090101-140316-99-04162|url-status=dead|archive-date=2014-03-17|date=2014-03-17|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref> One of them came from L1 Energy, a subsidiary of the [[LetterOne]] Group. The LetterOne Group is an investment company that is headquartered in Luxembourg and whose main owner (indirectly through the Alfa Group) is the Russian business magnate [[Mikhail Fridman]]. RWE reported on 16 March 2014 that it had in principle agreed with LetterOne to sell DEA. RWE Dea was valued at €5.1 billion as part of the deal.<ref>{{Cite web|title=RWE to sell DEA gas and oil division to Russian oligarch {{!}} DW {{!}} 17.03.2014|url=https://www.dw.com/en/rwe-to-sell-dea-gas-and-oil-division-to-russian-oligarch/a-17500886|last=Welle (www.dw.com)|first=Deutsche|website=DW.COM|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref>
 
RWE announced on 30 March 2014 that the agreement with the LetterOne Group had been signed.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Verkauf von RWE Dea an russischen Oligarchen besiegelt|url=https://www.focus.de/finanzen/news/wirtschaftsticker/maerkte-verkauf-von-rwe-dea-an-russischen-oligarchen-besiegelt_id_3730955.html|website=FOCUS Online|language=de|access-date=2020-05-30|archive-date=2020-06-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200628070711/https://www.focus.de/finanzen/news/wirtschaftsticker/maerkte-verkauf-von-rwe-dea-an-russischen-oligarchen-besiegelt_id_3730955.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> In June, the German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, [[Sigmar Gabriel]], ordered an examination of the sale, which lasted for two months.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Verkauf aufgehalten: Gabriel prüft RWE-Dea-Verkauf an russischen Oligarchen|language=de|work=FAZ.NET|url=https://www.faz.net/1.2992160|access-date=2020-05-30|issn=0174-4909}}</ref> The takeover was finally approved by the German government on 22 August 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Verkauf der RWE-Tochter Dea - Hand am Hahn|url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/wirtschaft/verkauf-von-rwe-tochter-an-oligarchen-russische-hand-am-hahn-1.2099471|last=Balser|first=Markus|website=Süddeutsche.de|language=de|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref> In October 2014, the [[Financial Times Deutschland|Financial Times]] reported that the British Secretary of State for Energy [[Ed Davey|Edward Davey]] would not agree to the sale in view of the tighter [[International sanctions during the Ukrainian crisis|sanctions]] imposed on [[Russia]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=DER SPIEGEL {{!}} Online-Nachrichten|url=https://www.spiegel.de/consent-a-?targetUrl=https://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/unternehmen/rwe-briten-verweigern-plazet-fuer-dea-verkauf-a-997446.html|website=www.spiegel.de|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref> The multi-billion transaction was finally closed, despite the misgivings of the British government, at the start of the first week in March 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|title=RWE schließt Dea-Verkauf an Russen ab {{!}} DW {{!}} 02.03.2015|url=https://www.dw.com/de/rwe-schlie%C3%9Ft-dea-verkauf-an-russen-ab/a-18288819|last=Welle (www.dw.com)|first=Deutsche|website=DW.COM|language=de-DE|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=2014-08-22|title=Germany clears $6.9 billion RWE unit sale to Russian investor|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-rwe-sale-ministry-idUSKBN0GM07J20140822|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref>
 
== Merger with Wintershall Holding GmbH ==
A binding agreement to merge DEA and Wintershall was published on 27 September 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Wintershall, DEA reach agreement on German oil & gas merger - Xinhua {{!}} English.news.cn|url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-09/28/c_137499659.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928155005/http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-09/28/c_137499659.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 28, 2018|website=www.xinhuanet.com|access-date=2020-05-31}}</ref> The merger was carried out with official approval in May 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Wintershall, DEA complete merger|url=https://www.pipelineoilandgasnews.com/regionalinternational-news/international-news/2019/may/wintershall-dea-complete-merger/|website=www.pipelineoilandgasnews.com|access-date=2020-05-31}}</ref> It created Europe's leading independent gas and oil company.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chemiebranche: Fusion von BASF-Tochter Wintershall und Dea abgeschlossen|url=https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/energie/chemiebranche-fusion-von-basf-tochter-wintershall-und-dea-abgeschlossen/24275688.html|website=www.handelsblatt.com|language=de|access-date=2020-05-31}}</ref> [[BASF]] holds 67% of Wintershall Dea and LetterOne holds 33% of the [[Common stock|ordinary shares]] in Wintershall Dea.<ref>{{Cite web|title=LetterOne and BASF merge businesses to create Wintershall Dea|url=https://www.hydrocarbons-technology.com/news/letterone-and-basf-merge-oil-and-gas-units-to-create-wintershall-dea/|date=2019-05-01|website=Hydrocarbons Technology|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-05-31}}</ref> To consider the value of the [[midstream]] business of [[Wintershall Dea]], BASF further received [[Preferred stock|preference shares]] which results in a current overall participation of BASF of 72.7% in the entire share capital of the company.<ref>{{Cite web|title=BASF, LetterOne complete merger of oil and gas operations|url=https://ihsmarkit.com/research-analysis/basf-letterone-complete-merger-of-oil-and-gas-operations.html|date=2019-05-13|website=IHS Markit|access-date=2020-05-31}}</ref> The preference shares will convert into ordinary shares of the Company on May 1, 2022, or upon an initial public offering, whichever comes earlier.<ref>{{Cite web|title=ANNUAL REPORT 2019|url=https://wintershalldea.com/sites/default/files/media/files/Wintershall%20Dea%20annual%20report%202019.pdf|last=|first=|date=|website=Wintershall|access-date=2020-05-20}}</ref>
 
== Literature ==
 
* Rainer Karlsch, Raymond G. Stokes: ''Faktor Öl. Die Mineralölwirtschaft in Deutschland 1859-1974.'' (“The Factor Oil: The Mineral Oil industry in Germany from 1859 to 1974 (German Only)) C. H. Beck, Munich 2003, {{ISBN|978-3-406-50276-7}}.
* James, H.; Müller, M.L.; Historische Gesellschaft der Deutschen Bank e.V.: "Georg Solmssen - ein deutscher Bankier: Briefe aus einem halben Jahrhundert 1900-1956" (Georg Solmssen - a german banker: letters from half of a century 1900–1956), C.H.Beck, 31 May 2012.
* Weber, F.: "''Warum hat sich in Deutschland kein integrierter nationaler Mineralölkonzern herausgebildet?''" (Why did no national oil company evolve in Germany?), diplom.de, 20 Jul 2004.
* Ferrier, R. W.; Fursenko, A.: ''Oil In The World Economy,'' Routledge, 2 Mar 2016.
 
== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}
 
== External links ==
{{Portal|Germany|Energy|Companies
}}
 
* {{official website|http://www.dea-group.com/}}

{{RWE}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:RWE]]
[[Category:Oil companies of Germany]]
[[Category:Companies based in Hamburg]]