There is a gas field near Zehdenick in the Brandenburg district of Oberhavel that is estimated to contain around 24 billion cubic meters of natural gas and 120-500 million cubic meters of the rare raw material helium. Jasper Resources is currently evaluating the possibility of exploring this gas field and subsequently producing the gas. With the extracted natural gas, we want to make a contribution to secure gas supply for the Brandenburg region and Germany.
Summary:
The most important facts
at a glance
Regional natural gas makes an important contribution to energy security
Germany is rely on natural gas as a bridging energy source until it can be completely converted to an energy supply with renewable energies. This goal is to be achieved in 2045. Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck said: "The supply of natural gas to eastern Germany is not yet guaranteed." (NDR, May 2023) Regional natural gas can therefore contribute to supplying Germany and above all the Brandenburg region with energy safely and reliably.
About us
Modern gas production under the highest standards
Jasper Resources GmbH is a wholly owned subsidiary of Jasper Resources B.V., which was founded in the Netherlands in 2013. Our team has decades of international experience in oil and gas production. We work with the most modern technologies and in strict compliance with all safety and environmental precautions. Each of our procedures is carefully checked by the relevant authorities and meets the highest standards. In this way we guarantee safe gas production.
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Why gas production in Germany makes sense
The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has exposed Germany's dependence on imported gas. Because gas became scarce, prices rose sharply. Imports via pipelines or LNG terminals are expensive and particularly COâ‚‚-intensive.
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In industry, in electricity production and for heating buildings, natural gas will still be needed as a bridge energy for years to come before Germany can switch completely to an energy supply with renewable energies. Even if we save a lot of energy in Germany and heat less, we will still need natural gas as a bridge energy to the age of renewables for a transitional period of around 20 years. Gas from Germany can contribute to this. There are currently more than 36 billion cubic meters of natural gas reserves in Germany that could be extracted (BVEG, 2023). Havel A is estimated to bring another 24 billion cubic meters of gas reserves and would increase German reserves by two-thirds.
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Regional natural gas can help make Germany less dependent on imports. This means that less expensive and environmentally harmful fracking gas, for example from the USA, is required. In a nutshell: Every cubic meter of natural gas that is produced domestically does not have to be imported and reliably supplies households and industry with regional energy.
Domestic natural gas - advantages for Brandenburg and the region
The citizens of Brandenburg can benefit directly from local natural gas production on several levels:
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Reliable energy supply for households & Industry: Local industry can be offered long-term supply contracts - an advantage for securing jobs, especially in energy-intensive sectors. Private households are safely and continuously supplied with energy from regional production.
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Creation and safeguarding of jobs: The project will create 150-200 industrial jobs in the region. Processing companies could settle there. Construction measures and transport will be commissioned by local companies.
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High tax revenues: Depending on the amount of gas promoted and the gas price, billions in tax revenues can accrue over the entire funding period. A significant portion of this revenue benefits the region and communities directly.
Project Havel A– What happens when, how & where?
As part of the Havel A project, we are planning to pump regional natural gas and helium from Brandenburg and thus make a contribution to secure gas supplies in Germany.
What is Project Havel A?
The gas field near Zehdenick is one of the largest gas deposits in Germany, with an estimated 75 billion cubic metres of raw gas. The gas there consists of about 31.8% methane, 68% nitrogen and 0.2% helium. Such a gas mix is not unusual worldwide. Technologies to process this gas and separate it into its individual components are readily available. Helium in particular is very valuable as an important raw material for the medical and high-tech industries. Helium is classified as a critical and strategic raw material by the EU and is only produced at one other location in Europe. In addition, we aim to ensure that the hot water at depth can also be used geothermally for the production of green district heating and will investigate the geothermal potential of the well from the outset.
When will it happen?
Jasper Resources has submitted a licence application for the Havel A area to the responsible State Office for Mining, Geology and Raw Materials (LBGR) in Cottbus and plans to drill a test well in the near future. This application is currently being reviewed. If it is approved, we will undertake an exploratory drilling with subsequent evaluation of the data collected in the process. This step - including preparations - will take about 12 months. If the results are good, gas production could begin at the end of 2025.
How will it happen?
The gas field is a conventional gas deposit. Since it is not shale gas, no so-called unconventional fracking is used.
Where will it happen?
The underground area where the gas is located at a depth of more than 4,000 metres is about 100 square kilometres and is concentrated in the greater Zehdenick municipality. All possible future wells will be drilled from just one well site. It is about the size of two football fields. For the duration of the drilling - a few months - a single drilling tower will stand there, about 40 metres high. For comparison: a wind turbine of the latest generation is more than 130 metres high. After the drilling is completed, only the pipes and valves for controlling the gas flow will be visible at a height of about 2-3 metres. Next to this, a plant for processing the gas and for the production of nitrogen and helium will be built.
What we are doing better this time?
Jasper Resources first planned test drilling in the Zehdenick region back in 2021. At that time, we did not do everything right in terms of communication. We regret that. We understand that you as citizens want to know what impact a gas well will have. We take your concerns and questions very seriously. We have learned from our mistakes and this time we want to make sure that we discuss all steps around the project early and transparently and answer critical questions in a clearly understandable way.
Our goal
Project Havel A is carried out under the guidance of a professional team of experts, under strict safety precautions and with the help of proven, safe technologies. In doing so, we are committed to keeping the funding period as short as possible. In addition, we will set aside a portion of the income each year as a reserve for renaturation at the end of the project.
Questions and answers
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Why do you want to produce natural gas in Brandenburg?The gas field near Zehdenick has been known for a long time and, with around 75 billion m³ of raw gas, is one of the largest gas deposits in Germany. The gas present there consists of about 31.8% methane, 68% nitrogen and 0.2% helium. Such a gas mix is not unusual worldwide. Technologies to treat this gas and separate it into its individual components are readily available. Helium in particular is very valuable as an important raw material for medicine and the high-tech industry. Helium is classified by the EU as a critical and strategic raw material and is only produced at one other location in Europe. In addition, we will investigate from the outset whether the gas field can also be used for geothermal energy. In this way, the Havel A project can make a valuable contribution to a secure energy supply in Brandenburg.
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What contribution can natural gas production make to achieving Germany's climate protection goals?Germany will continue to need natural gas for the next two decades. Expensive and climate-damaging fracking gas is currently also being imported from the USA. Domestically produced gas has the lowest carbon footprint compared to imported gas via pipelines or LNG terminals. Therefore, natural gas from Zehdenick could make a significant contribution to reducing German emissions on the way to climate neutrality. Just by calculating the energy balance compared to lignite, the probable gas reserves of Havel A could probably save around 45 million tons of CO2 emissions in the German climate balance. Local gas production would also make some of the climate-damaging LNG imports superfluous. For comparison: Havel A could produce around 1.3 billion cubic meters of gas per year locally - this corresponds to around 1 million cubic meters of liquid gas. The same amount of gas from LNG imports would emit an estimated 340,000 tons more CO2 emissions. That's the equivalent of taking at least 70,000 combustion engine cars off the road.
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What impact will the project have on local tourism?We do not expect any impact on tourism in the region. The area required for the project is very small: all possible future drilling will be carried out from just one well site, which is approximately the area of two football pitches. A derrick is only erected when drilling is active and, at a height of around 40 metres, is significantly smaller than the average wind turbine with a tower height of 130 metres. A plant for processing the gas and for the production of nitrogen and helium is to be built next to the drilling site, but this will not result in a classic industrial landscape. In addition, the project will generate significant tax revenues, much of which will directly benefit local communities. This money could, for example, be used for investments to further increase the attractiveness of the region.
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What impact will the project have on the environment?In Germany, all activities for a funding project must be checked and approved by the responsible authorities in order to avoid risks to the environment and nature. Protecting the environment is of the utmost importance to us. We will therefore carry out the project under the highest safety and environmental standards and in accordance with all applicable legal regulations. Jasper Resources will carry out an extensive environmental impact assessment as part of the application process with the responsible authorities. This examines what possible effects the project could have on people, animals and plants, water, air and other areas. No funding can take place without official approval of this test. Once the deposit has been exhausted, the facility will be completely dismantled and restored to nature. From the start of the project, we will set aside part of the income as a reserve for this renaturation.
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What impact will the project have on groundwater?Protecting the environment and thus also the groundwater is of the utmost importance to us. As part of the application process with the responsible authorities, Jasper will carry out an extensive environmental impact assessment, which also includes water protection. No funding can take place without official approval of this test. The drilling site is a closed system that is imperviously sealed. This means that all liquids are collected and cannot seep into the ground. This also includes, for example, rainwater that falls on the drilling site. All liquids are treated according to legal requirements and disposed of properly and in an environmentally friendly manner in a chemical disposal plant whenever this is necessary. During the production phase, the groundwater layer, which lies well above the natural gas reservoir, will be protected by several steel pipes and layers of cement. With real-time monitoring, we will ensure that no harmful substances get into the groundwater throughout the project period. In addition, each individual component of the entire system is proactively and regularly maintained by trained personnel.
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Does the project lead to an increased risk of earthquakes?It is very unlikely that there will be earthquakes in the region associated with the project. The gas field is around 4,200 meters underground, which greatly reduces the risk of earthquakes. Just as with other underground projects, such as the construction of tunnels, the stress conditions in the subsoil can change slightly. Jasper will therefore set up a monitoring station to monitor this closely throughout the project period. This station will measure any type of seismic movement 24/7 with highly sensitive instruments. The data will be publicly available.
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Does the project have long-term consequences for future generations?In our view, the local population and industry will benefit from the project in the long term. In doing so, we are not only supporting the reliable local energy supply, but with the project we are also providing additional tax revenue in the billions. A large part of this benefits the local communities and can be invested directly in the future of the region. At the same time, it is our top priority to avoid any possible impact on the environment throughout the project. For this reason, we only carry out the funding project under strict safety standards and in compliance with all legal regulations.
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How do you involve the local population in the project and the decision-making process?Jasper Resources knows about the concerns that the citizens of Zehdenick and the surrounding area have because of the gas drilling. We take these concerns very seriously and want to address them. Throughout the project period, we will actively seek dialogue with the public, politics and administration at an early stage, especially at the local level. In this way, we want to ensure that a wide variety of interest groups are involved in the process right from the start. It is important to us to communicate all information transparently and clearly. This includes, for example, why we are pursuing the project, which steps the project includes and what exactly the safety and environmental precautions are. In addition, we are happy to discuss what potential benefits the project will bring to the local community.
Contact
We take your questions very seriously and would like to share all information about our project with you in a transparent and understandable way. You are welcome to contact us directly:
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